In the Pacific, there was a fight between the U.S. and Japan for the Philippines. The U.S. wanted the Philippines because it was a good place to access Asia for trade during the times of war. The Japanese wanted to keep control over the Philippines because it gave them a good vantage point on China, and it gave them a lot of power in the Pacific, which was important to then because they wanted to eventually take over all of Asia. This conflict for the Philippines led to the Death March because when the U.S. decided to give up on the Philippines, they still had troops over there, about 76,000 of them. Including Filipino soldiers that were helping the U.S. The Japanese made the soldiers walk a long and brutal 80 mile walk, which was characterized with wide-ranging physical abuse and murder, thus leading to its notorious name.
In the Pacific, there was a fight between the U.S. and Japan for the Philippines. The U.S. wanted the Philippines because it was a good place to access Asia for trade during the times of war. The Japanese wanted to keep control over the Philippines because it gave them a good vantage point on China, and it gave them a lot of power in the Pacific, which was important to then because they wanted to eventually take over all of Asia. This conflict for the Philippines led to the Death March because when the U.S. decided to give up on the Philippines, they still had troops over there, about 76,000 of them. Including Filipino soldiers that were helping the U.S. The Japanese made the soldiers walk a long and brutal 80 mile walk, which was characterized with wide-ranging physical abuse and murder, thus leading to its notorious name.