The Impact Of Wwii On The Philippine Islands

World War II spanned continents and sent a ripple of massive change to every single country it touched. Most history lessons talk about the immediate effects of the war in America and Europe; yet for my part, I encourage everyone to remember the Philippines and how it became a critical war point in which both political sides gravitated.

 Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

The Philippines is an archipelago located in South East Asia and was key in the Allies strategy in gaining dominance over Japan. The islands provided Americans the opportunity to sufficiently deploy troops in a relatively safe, and invitingly near area. After setting up base in certain regions, the Philippines became somewhat of an American naval station.

This led to the Japanese invading and laying claim of the country during the latter parts of the war. The invasion led to the massive destruction of its capital, Manila. In fact, history books recall the Battle of Manila as one of the worst in terms of overall structure destruction. It was also during this time that the Japanese fought for control of the Philippine Islands. The overwhelming sense of war drove the naturally independent tribes of the nation to band together. In an unforeseen turn of events, the war caused the Filipinos to work together to neither represent the Allies nor the Axis powers.

 Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

World War II began its end after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. The Japanese officially surrendered and everyone paused for the horror of what was released. For the Philippine people, however, they too picked up the pieces of a destroyed nation. The war left its traces among the people. They could no longer ignore that they united for a single cause. After only a few short years of working with the United States, the Philippines declared itself an independent nation. Many historians attribute this action as a product of World War II.

My name is John F. Eilermann, an avid World War II enthusiast. I try to learn as much as I can about the war and share my learnings on this Facebook page.