Burning Pacific

Author: Shandong Electronic and Audio-Visual Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features:
Human history has never lacked war, but none has been as brutal as World War II. The scale of its impact, the number of casualties, and the extent of property loss were unprecedented: over 60 countries and regions and more than 2 billion people were involved in the war; the total mobilized forces of the warring sides reached over 110 million, with military and civilian casualties estimated at over 90 million; military expenditures were approximately 112 trillion US dollars, and economic losses were estimated at over 440 trillion US dollars.
Human history has never lacked war, but none has been as brutal as World War II. The scale of its impact, the number of casualties, and the extent of property loss were unprecedented: over 60 countries and regions and more than 2 billion people were involved in the war; the total mobilized forces of the warring sides reached over 110 million, with military and civilian casualties estimated at over 90 million; military expenditures were approximately 112 trillion US dollars, and economic losses were estimated at over 440 trillion US dollars.
This product includes nearly a thousand historical photographs of the Pacific Theater during World War II, 80% of which are domestically unseen. Two DVD discs feature dynamic simulations of major Pacific battles and historical documentaries, along with images of military forces, weapons, personnel, music, and posters related to the Pacific Campaign. It includes detailed information on over 600 World War II combat units.
Photo Collection + DVD + CD + Purple Heart Medal + Oversized Map + Two Anti-Japanese Posters + Emperor Hirohito's Surrender Proclamation + Uniquely Numbered Silver-Plated Collectible Certificate + Reproduction of Original Wooden Ammunition Box.
Pre-War Militarist Expansion of Japan
Pre-War Militarist Expansion of Japan
On July 8, 1853, Commodore Perry of the U.S. East India Fleet commanded four steam warships into Tokyo Bay, Japan. After leaving a letter from the U.S. government, Perry left, and the Shogunate quietly savored the taste of powerful warships and cannons. This was the first encounter between Japan and the U.S. The following year, Perry returned with nine warships, and under the guns of the battleships, Japan and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which stipulated that Japan open the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate and provide coal and other supplies to U.S. ships. In the years that followed, Japan signed trade treaties with Russia, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and other countries. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce with Germany stipulated that part of the Kuril Islands be ceded to Russia, and Japan and Russia thus became enemies.
Meiji Restoration
In 1867, a group of young samurai won a civil war and established a unified regime under the leadership of the young Emperor Meiji. The new government's reforms were essentially a three-power separation system with a Japanese twist. A group of vigorous politicians proposed three guiding slogans: "Industrial Development," "Civilization and Enlightenment," and "Enrich the Country and Strengthen the Army." Among these policies, "Enrich the Country and Strengthen the Army" had the greatest impact on Japan. Under this policy, the military held a very special position in Japan's national political life, directly influencing Japan's domestic and foreign policies and gradually becoming the most aggressive group in Japanese society. This is the root of militarism. Twenty years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan entered the ranks of a military power.
Ambush of the Beiyang Fleet
As an island nation, Japan had a strong sense of the continent. Rather than wanting to become a part of the continent, Japan, which considered itself the "foundation of all nations," hoped that the continent would become part of it. In 1894, Japan, now slightly stronger, launched the First Sino-Japanese War against China. In the Yellow Sea Battle, Japan narrowly won, and in the subsequent land battles, Japan quickly occupied Dalian and Lushun, where it committed a massacre, leaving over 20,000 people dead. The following spring, Li Hongzhang of China and Ito Hirobumi of Japan signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, ceding the Liaodong Peninsula and paying a indemnity of 200 million taels of silver. In this battle, Japan bled China dry and imposed the various clauses it had learned only 40 years earlier onto China. Most of the indemnity was used to expand its military. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, forcing the Qing government to sign the Boxer Protocol, with Japan being the main force. Under the rule of the survival of the fittest, Japan joined the last train of the meat-eaters.