1935-1941 1945-1954







World War II : The Philippines


Japanese Invasion . Hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines began. The Japanese landed to the north and south of Manila, the US-Philippino forces being pinned down on Bataan Peninsula, where they found themselves under a constant air and artillery bombardment. US commander Douglas MacArthur was ordered to evacuate (with Philippino President Quezon); on leaving, he proclaimed "I shall return". Bataan fell in May, the island of Corregidor in June 1942. The soldiers were interned in P.O.W. camps; many died from harsh treatment, poor sanitary conditions, physical exhaustion or infectious disease.

Administration . In 1935 the Commonwealth of the Philippines had been established, been promised independence for 1946. Manuel Luis Quezon served as first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, since 1935. In consequence of the Japanese invasion, he moved into exile to Washington (January 3rd 1942).
A pro-Japanese administration was established in 1943, first headed by Jorge B. Vargas, President of the Executive Commission of the Philippine Council of State, and, following the general elections, since October 1943 by President Jose P. Laurel. A new constitution had been drafted in 1943. In the course of the liberation, the administration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines returned from U.S. exile on Oct. 20th 1944 (President Sergio Osmena, 1944-1946).

Japanese Treatment of the Philippines . The Philippino population felt little sympathy for the Japanese who demanded submission, the delivery of rice, raw materials and forced Labour.

Resistance . Resistance against the Japanese was strong, and partisans controlled large areas in remote regions. Most effective were the Hukbalahap, the resistance organization formed by the CPP (Communist Party). The Filipino Chinese had a resistance organization of their own, the Huaqiao Warriors.

Liberation . In October 1944, US forces landed on Leyte, in February Manila was liberated. Fighting continued until the Japanese surrendered in Sept. 1945. MacArthur turned over government to President Osmena.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		World War II and Japanese Occupation, in A Centennial History of Philippine Independence, 1898-1998 by Fraser Weir
World War II Pictures, from Chronology of Philippine History
Biography of Manuel Luis Quezon, from infoplease and from Malacanang
Biography of Jose P. Laurel, from Malacanang
Biography of Sergio Osmena, from Malacanang
The Economics of the Second World War in Southeast Asia, by Greg Huff
Articles Hukbalahap, Luis Taruc, Second Philippine Republic, Sergio Osmena, Manuel L. Quezon, Jose P. Laurel, Commonwealth of the Philippines, Philippine Executive Commission, History of the Philippines : Japanese Occupation and World War II, 1941-1945, Military History of the Philippines during World War II, Douglas MacArthur, Philippine General Election 1943, Constitution of the Philippines, from Wikipedia
Manuel L. Quezon, Jose P. Laurel, Sergio Osmena, from the Philippine Presidency Project
The Philippines - Atrocities and the Military Comfort Women, from War Compensation Forum by Kenichi Tanagi
DOCUMENTS A Chronological Collection of Documents Relating to the U.S. Entry Into WWII., many relating to the Philippines
The Early Philippines Campaign, from World War II Database
World Statesmen : Philippines, by Ben Cahoon
Historical Population Statistics : The Philippines, from Population Statistics (Jan Lahmeyer)
1943 Constitution, from Chan Robls Virtual Law Library
REFERENCE IHS : International Historical Statistics : Africa, Asia & Oceania 1750-2000, edited by B.R. Mitchell, Basingstoke : Palgrave MacMillan 4th ed. 2003
The Conquest of the Philippines, in : Jasper H. Stembridge, The Oxford War Atlas Volume II, 1 September 1941 to 1 January 1943, Oxford : UP 1943 [G]
Article : Commonwealth of the Philippines, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 pp.664-669 [G]
Article : Philippine Islands, in : Americana Annual 1943 pp.590-591, 1944 pp.565-566 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : Americana Annual 1945 pp.576-578, 1946 pp.597-599 [G]
Philippines after Quezon, pp.309-326 in : John Gunther, Inside Asia, 1942 War Edition, NY : Harper & Brothers (1938) 1942
Article : Philppines, Commonwealth of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 pp.543-545, 1945 pp.543-545 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : New International Year Book Events of 1942 pp.539-542, 1943 pp.479-482, 1944 pp.467-468, Philippine Islands 1945 pp.449-450 [G]
Article : Philippines, in : Funk & Wagnall's New Standard Encyclopedia Year Book 1942 pp.352-353, 1943 pp.351-353, 1944 pp.255-256 [G]
VIDEOS Bataan, 1943, bw; MacArthur, 1977


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on January 12th 2001, last revised on June 17th 2008

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