Saburo Ienaga's Impacts Of The War In The Pacific War

Japan led a ruthless assault in the Pacific for fifteen years. This small island was able to spread imperialism and terror to neighboring countries through means of force and brutality. Japan even attempted to combat and overcome European and Western countries such as Russia and the United States. Even with an extreme militaristic government, Japan was unable to achieve the glory it was promised and hoped for. The Pacific War analyzes Japan’s part in the war and what the country could have done to prevent such a tragedy.

The author of The Pacific War is Saburo Ienaga, is a leading Japanese scholar and political activist. Within the Note, located at the beginning of the book, is a brief overview of Ienaga’s career written by Frank Baldwin. The

Thousands of individuals, including women and children, were murdered, stores and other properties were plundered and burned, and countless of women were raped . The Japanese government regarded sex as a way to keep the soldiers obedient and focused so rape was a device used to maintain good, Japanese warriors . Not only did human experimentation occur in German concentration camps, but also in Japanese prison camps. The 731 Unit conducted experiments dealing with plague, cholera, typhoid, frostbite, and gas gangrene . American prisoners of war were treated especially cruel during these human experiments. In one incident, an individual had his skull sliced open while Dr. Fukujiro placed a surgical knife inside of his skull cavity

Japan’s defeat was seen as a relief to some Japanese citizens and hard to swallow by others. Some individuals were even willing to kill their entire family and commit suicide after learning of Japan’s defeat . Japanese citizens, especially in Manchuria, faced hostility from Russians, Korean, and Americans who came and occupied parts of Japan . The defeat of Japan brought with it humiliation the country had not been prepared for. After World War II, the Imperial government had ended which made way for a new, peaceful era in Japan .

The Pacific War was extremely interesting to read and it was well written. It covered the fifteen year war in comprehensible way and it was engaging for the reader. Ienage’s main argument throughout his book was Imperial Japan was able to cause so much damage within the Pacific theater due to its tight control of civilian life. He provides clear examples of this by looking at the control of the media, public schools, and military. Ienage also does an amazing job at providing an analytical viewpoint of Japanese