What started the Bataan death March?
1 Answer
Japanese victory over American and Filipino force in 1942.
Explanation:
The Japanese attacked a wide area in Asia in the end 1941. They had careful planned each part of it. They were disappointed with the large number of prisoners they end up with.
Douglas MacArthur was in command of the mixed US, Filipino army. The defense was bungled badly. The basic idea was a fighting withdrawal to a well supplied fortified area on the the Bataan Peninsula and to hold out until a relief force was sent. There were changes to the plan but this one was reverted to during the attacks.
The problem was that the supplies were used elsewhere and not stored in Bataan. There was not going to be a relief force anytime soon either because the Japanese had captured a large area around the Philippines. The defense lasted about 3 months. Corregidor, an island in Manila Bay held out longer.
The Japanese rounded up the surviving soldiers (about 60,000 to 80,0000) and marched them to a railhead and then a prison area a total of 60 to 70 miles. The soldiers, some sick and wounded, were treated badly and forced marched for several days. There were a large number of ad hoc killings.
This was subject to War Crimes trials after the War.
