18. In the “Pacific Theater” of the war, Japanese forces fought and won many victories. Stories of the “Bataanl Death March” angered Americans further. What happened?
During the early stages of World War II in the Pacific, Japanese forces achieved several victories, including the capture of the Philippines. After the Battle of Bataan, in April 1942, American and Filipino prisoners of war were forced to march approximately 65 miles to a prison camp. The grueling march, known as the Bataan Death March, resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners due to exhaustion, starvation, and brutal treatment by the Japanese soldiers. This atrocity further angered the Americans and amplified their determination to defeat the Japanese.
