World At War Japan

Many Japanese were stunned when war

was declared, but early victories in Hong

Kong, Malaya and Singapore quickly

turn to exultation. Japanese boys were

taught the martial code of the Samurai,

ferocious and devoid of pity, for enemy

or self. But by 1942 Japan was fighting

for survival. By 1944 Japan was fighting

shortages of food, metal and fuel. Scarcity of manpower condemned

Japanese women to unfamiliar

laboring. Continued allied bombing

killed a further 250.000 and

rendered 8 million homeless.

But worse was yet to come.