HIST 305-01, World War II in the Pacific, Spring 2009

Abstract

During WWII, as Hitler and the Nazi regime conquered Europe, Japan was committing its own atrocities as it forged a Pacific empire. The Japanese attack on US territory at Pearl Harbor in 1941 provoked the US to enter the conflict, and hostilities only concluded years later when Japanese civilians became the first (and to date only) victims of atomic warfare. What role did Japanese traditional culture play in the war and how did the two enemies become Cold War allies? This course explored the origins of the Pacific War and the legacy that still haunts the peoples of Asia. While this course is intended to help students gain factual knowledge about the Pacific War, it is primarily designed to better understand the Japanese side of the conflict. This is achieved through analysis and critical evaluation of ideas, arguments, and points of view presented in the different readings. In this students are expected to participate, primarily through group discussion and written assignments, which are intended to provide an opportunity to practice and develop skills in expressing themselves orally and in writing.