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Abstract

In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria in China, and after years of small skirmishes and rising tensions, the Marco Polo Bridge incident would lead to the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war. This war would continue until the surrender of Japan in 1945, after the dropping of the atomic bombs by the United States. During this period, Imperial Japan committed several war crimes against China and other countries in the Pacific theater. After World War II ended, many of these crimes were hidden or covered up by various countries for their own benefit. In this dissertation, I will argue that the United States had the largest role in creating and perpetuating this cover-up. I will argue that despite Japan, China, and the wider world playing roles in creating this cover-up, overall, the extensive influence wielded by the United States played a paramount role in both initiating and perpetuating the cover-up. To prove the validity of my argument, I have used a variety of primary sources. The main type of source I have used is archival material from the Pacific Asia War Archive. These documents detail the events that transpired following World War II and have proved a vital source for my research. I have also analyzed photographs from this period as well as firsthand accounts such as those given by Minnie Vautrin and newspaper articles to further enhance my research. I have also throughout the dissertation extensively delved into a diverse array of secondary literature and have considered, evaluated, and refuted the opinions of historians such as Iris Chang, Sheldon H. Harris, and Rana Mitter to further prove my arguments validity.

Course: History and Politics - BA (Hons) - C0983

Date Deposited: 2024-09-20

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14449.html