The Death March

1573 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hitler's effects on Germany

Plan of Investigation A tactic used in past wars, and also categorized as a war crime, is known as the death march. These marches have often been criticized for being inhumane, and forcing enemy soldiers into “conditions primitive and unsanitary.” (51 Allen) Both of the death marches studied in this historical investigation occurred in World War II. The first is the Bataan Death March, inflicted upon Americans and Filipinos by the Japanese. The second case studied will be the forced movement of “undesirables” (i.e. Jews, Homosexuals, blacks, gypsies, etc.) in the numerous Nazi death marches. How and why did the reasons and strategies for the Bataan Death March compare with those of the Nazi death marches? Both cases will be summarized and then analyzed. The justification for these marches will therefore lead to deciphering the extent that these marches helped the instigating countries, and what war would have been like without them. Primary sources, such as “Abandoned on Bataan,” along with secondary sources such as “Double Victory” will be utilized to fully comprehend the differences of the two marches. Summary of Evidence 1) Bataan Death March When General MacArthur of the United States surrendered, the Japanese were not prepared for the immense number of US and Filipino prisoners. Their justification for their war crimes comes from their culture. The Japanese were instilled with the idea of fight or death. Surrendering was not an option to the Japanese, because it made one scum, and not even human. In the Japanese perspective, the American soldiers that surrendered had intentionally put themselves in this position. The Japanese did what they were taught; their cultural traditions allowed for the violence an... ... middle of paper ... ...ese Lines in World War II. New York: NAL Caliber, 2009. Print. Allen, Oliver Craig, and Mildred Faye Allen. Abandoned on Bataan: One Man's Story of Survival. Boerne, TX: Crimson Horse Entertainment and Pub., 2002. Print. "American Experience . MacArthur . The Siege of Bataan | PBS." Interview by Edwin Ramsey, Richard Gordon, and Leon Beck. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 2009. Web. . Holocaust Encyclopedia. "Death Marches." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 06 Jan. 2011. Web. . Nelson, Jim. "The Causes of the Bataan Death March Revisited." 11 May 2007. Web. . Smurthwaite, David. The Pacific War Atlas 1941-1945. New York: HMSO, 1995. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Road to Valley Forge

    916 Words  | 2 Pages

    army out of harms way. The author briefly discusses the troubles at Kip’s Bay and Fort Washington.

    Read More

  • A History of the 714th Tank Battalion

    3836 Words  | 8 Pages

    Zerby, Roy M. Interview by author, 10 April 1995. Mail questionnaire. 12th Armored Division Historical Project, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Betrayed By America By Kristin Lewis

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was no secret that when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, countless Americans were frightened on what will happen next. The attack transpiring during WW2 only added to the hysteria of American citizens. According to the article “Betrayed by America” it expressed,”After the bombing many members of the public and media began calling for anyone of Japanese ancestry။citizens or not။to be removed from the West Coast.”(7) The corroboration supports the reason why America interned Japanese-Americans because it talks about Americans wanting to remove Japanese-Americans from the West Coast due to Japan bombing America. Japan bombing America led to Americans grow fear and hysteria. Fear due to the recent attack caused internment because Americans were afraid of what people with Japanese ancestry could do. In order to cease the hysteria, America turned to internment. American logic tells us that by getting the Japanese-Americans interned, many

    Read More

  • What Are Browning's Arguments On 'Ordinary Germans' By Robert Browning

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    The atrocities of war can take an “ordinary man” and turn him into a ruthless killer under the right circumstances. This is exactly what Browning argues happened to the “ordinary Germans” of Reserve Police Battalion 101 during the mass murders and deportations during the Final Solution in Poland. Browning argues that a superiority complex was instilled in the German soldiers because of the mass publications of Nazi propaganda and the ideological education provided to German soldiers, both of which were rooted in hatred, racism, and anti-Semitism. Browning provides proof of Nazi propaganda and first-hand witness accounts of commanders disobeying orders and excusing reservists from duties to convince the reader that many of the men contributing to the mass

    Read More

  • Hammelburg Raid Impact

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hammelburg Raid (also known as Task Force Baum) has been one of the most controversial operations of World War II, and it cast a shadow over General George S. Patton’s otherwise illustrious career. While in command of the 3rd Army, Gen. Patton ordered the controversial and secret operation. The operation took place on March 26-28, 1945 with the official purpose of taking a small task force 60 miles behind enemy lines to liberate the prisoner of war camp OFLAG XIII-B near Hammelburg, Germany. But unofficially, its purpose was to free Patton's son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John Waters, who was taken prisoner at Kasserine Pass, Tunisia, in 1943. Initially, the operation was successful. They reached the camp and released the prisoners, but they were ambushed on the way back and taken prisoner. It resulted in nine dead, 32 wounded, and 16 missing in action. I will be discussing some of the principles of Mission Command and their effects on the outcome of the Task Force Baum.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of MacArthur’s Duty Honor Country

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Davis, William. "General Douglas MacArthur "Duty, Honor, Country"." American Rhetoric. American Rhetoric, 2011. Web. 2 Jan 2012. .

    Read More

  • The Rape of Nanking

    2406 Words  | 5 Pages

    When most American people think of Germany, they think of sports cars made for the autobahn, sauerkraut, Adolf Hitler, and the Holocaust. Compared to Germany, when most American people think of Japan they think of sushi, Godzilla movies, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. World War II was such a significant event in history that almost 70 years after it came to an end, today’s younger generations often associate former Axis controlled countries with the war. People around the world are filled with disgust and immense hate when they hear the name Hitler, mainly because of his leadership under the Holocaust; which was the discriminatory mass genocide of 11-17 million people, the vast majority of which were European Jews. Hirohito, former Emperor of Japan, should strike a similar bell with people when they hear his name because Japan carried out genocide on Chinese civilians and soldiers in World War II. Japan’s attack on the Chinese city of Nanking, was one of the most atrocious events in history. This event has been named both the Nanking Massacre and the Rape of Nanking. The torturous, violent techniques used by the Japanese army upon Chinese civilians and soldiers including dehumanizing them, addicting them to drugs, and other perverse and violent acts, are some of the most grosteque methods ever recorded that could only be thought of by sadistic Japanese soldiers. The events committed by the Japanese army in Nanking, are equally as disgusting as the acts that Nazi Germany committed and should become a major topic involved with World War II in the future, despite the lack of light shed on it in the past for various reasons.

    Read More

  • The Significance of the Battle of Midway

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    ISBN 0-87021-562-0. Cressman, Robert J.; et al. d. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. "A Glorious page in our history", Adm. Chester Nimitz, 1942: the Battle of Midway, 4–6 June 1942. Missoula, Mont. -. Pictorial Histories Pub.

    Read More

  • Totalitarian Government: Hitler and Stalin

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Following the beginning of the Second World War, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union would start what would become two of the worst genocides in world history. These totalitarian governments would “welcome” people all across Europe into a new domain. A domain in which they would learn, in the utmost tragic manner, the astonishing capabilities that mankind possesses. Nazis and Soviets gradually acquired the ability to wipe millions of people from the face of the Earth. Throughout the war they would continue to kill millions of people, from both their home country and Europe. This was an effort to rid the Earth of people seen as unfit to live in their ideal society. These atrocities often went unacknowledged and forgotten by the rest of the world, leaving little hope for those who suffered. Yet optimism was not completely dead in the hearts of the few and the strong. Reading Man is Wolf to Man: Surviving the Gulag by Janusz Bardach and Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi help one capture this vivid sense of resistance toward the brutality of the German concentration and Soviet work camps. Both Bardach and Levi provide a commendable account of their long nightmarish experience including the impact it had on their lives and the lives of others. The willingness to survive was what drove these two men to achieve their goals and prevent their oppressors from achieving theirs. Even after surviving the camps, their mission continued on in hopes of spreading their story and preventing any future occurrence of such tragic events. “To have endurance to survive what left millions dead and millions more shattered in spirit is heroic enough. To gather the strength from that experience for a life devoted to caring for oth...

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War and The Tonkin Gulf Resolution

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leahy, Stephen M. "The Historical Battle over Dispatching American Troops." USA Today (Farmingdale). July 1999: 10-12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 07 May. 2014.

    Read More

  • Japanese Internment After Pearl Harbor

    2439 Words  | 5 Pages

    23 .Roger Daniel, Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese Americans in the World War II 1993, Hill and Yang.

    Read More

  • Nakae Chomin’s Discourse

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Gentleman of Western Learning” presents arguments centered around the political ideology of pacifism and can be seen as the “idealist” of the book, advocating ideas out of his time, seemingly to be a man of vision in today’s context. He proposes the abolishment of the Japanese military and believes that a moral defense built through the virtues of liberty, freedom, equality and fraternity would be more than sufficient to safeguard the nation’s shores and interests (Pg. 51). His cause for unilateral disarmament is indeed noble, though sadly, a pipe dream in his era.

    Read More

  • The Need for Continued Resilience of the American People

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Need for The Continued Resilience of the American People during the Later Days of The War as Exemplified in MGM’s “They Were Expendable”.

    Read More

  • Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified?

    2763 Words  | 6 Pages

    "Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Justifiable?" The Pacific War 1941-43. Web. 10 June 2010.

    Read More

  • Racism Agaisnt Asians

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    America’s well–entrenched racism against Asians resulted in enhanced levels of brutality against Japanese soldiers, when compared to the other enemy soldiers they encountered during World War II. Legislation in the United States demonstrated racism against Asians for decades. Asian immigrants and citizens fought these discriminatory rulings, only to receive opposition against their plight. Persistent racial discrimination towards the Japanese caused a sense of resentment of Japanese soldiers in the United States military. During several campaigns, American General Infantry displayed ruthlessness against Japanese conduct of war.

    Read More

More about The Death March

Open Document