OSHER 623 - World War II in the Pacific: Before Bataan and After

World War II in the Pacific involved one of the largest and most varied areas ever affected by a single conflict. A third of the world's population, oceans, and landmass were involved, yet it was fought almost entirely by two countries, Japan and the United States. Each class, we will look at the strategy employed by each side in a specific phase of the conflict, how local people were affected, and what the civilian population in each country thought, or were led to believe, was going on. We will examine the leaders on both sides and the ambitions that led to war in the first place, followed by a strategic and moral examination of the actions of each country and its leaders. About half of each class will be devoted to class discussion of what took place: which leaders most effectively advanced their cause, and what choices did they have? We will reflect on what we might have done differently if we were in the position of the generals. The class will culminate with a discussion of the aftermath of the war, in terms of the countries and peoples involved, and what, historically speaking, was actually accomplished.