Figure 1.--The CBI Theater was the lowest-priority operation in the Allied war effort. For the Chinese it was vital, the only way of opening up supply routes to receive Armnerican war material badly needed by the Nationalist Army. The press caption here read, "Young Chinese Soldier: Seven-year-old Pvt. Koo Ho King is graphi proof that youth is no barrier to service in the Chinese army. Many of the best soldiers in the Chinese armies are youngsters in their teens. Here Pvy. Koo and some of his fellow soldiers move up supplies in the offensive against the Japs along the Sakween River front." The photograph was taken July 15, 1944. This was the Chinese drive south to reopen the Burma Road by connecting with the Ledo Road the Americans were building. When viewing bimages like these it should be born in mind that the Japanese murdered anybChinse soldiets they captured through suchg methods as buring them alive or bayonet practice.

The Asian theater of World War II is sometimes included as part of the Pacific War, but they were actually a largely different theater of war. Japan in both instances was the aggressor country, but there were major differences between the two, includung the countries Japan attacked and the geographic area. The Asian theater is sometimes called the China, Burma, India (CBI) theater. Not included is this acronym is Indochina (Vietnam). Malaya, and Singapore. The CBI Theater was really two separate thraters, China and Southeast Asia. Japan began its campaign against China by seizung Manchuria (1931). It then invaed China proper (1937), a campauign theu called the China Incident. The campaign in China proved to be no incident and Japan proved incapable of desisively defeating the Nationalist forces, although they seized large areas of China. China was at the center of the Pacific War which ws fought largely in Oceania. It was Japan's desire to finally emerge victorious from the 'China Incident' that led to the Pacific War. Much of the Japanese Army was deployed to China, but after some major battles at the onset, the Chinese developed the stategy of avoiding combat basically withdrawing to the unterior where theJapanese could not get at them. So by the outbreak of the Pacific War, China while occupying most of the Japanese Army was not a major combatant. The remainder of the CBI theater was with the exception of Thailand, colonies of Britain and France. With France defeated by the Germans (1940) it was the British that was the recipient of the full force of the Japanese offensive after Pearl Harbor (1941). The result was the rapid loss of all those colonies in Southeast Asia and by a smaller force than that of the British defenders. Within only a few months, the Japanese were on the borders of India. Britain's 'protected' sunjects were shocked by the ease and rapidity of the Japanese conquest. Some were elated by the defeat of the British, but soon found themselves in the hands of a more brutal and rapacious conquerer. The British managed to repulse Japanese efforts to invade India. It was the most poorly reported theater of the War and fought against a backdrop of intractable jungle, tropical diseases, and nationalist unrest. America aided Britain to an extent, but american military planners were determined not to commit major forces to the Asian continent. The Japanese perpetrated attricities against POWs and civilian interness as well as the indigenous population. And Britain's reputation was sullied by the hoirendous Benhal famine which could have been prevented.

China (1931-45)

Japan began its campaign against China by seizung Manchuria (1931). It then invaed China proper (1937), a campauign theu called the China Incident. The campaign in China proved to be no incident and Japan proved incapable of desisively defeating the Nationalist forces, although they seized large areas of China. China was at the center of the Pacific War which ws fought largely in Oceania. It was Japan's desire to finally emerge victorious from the 'China Incident' that led to the Pacific War. Much of the Japanese Army was deployed to China, but after some major battles at the onset, the Chinese developed the stategy of avoiding combat basically withdrawing to the unterior where theJapanese could not get at them. So by the outbreak of the Pacific War, China while occupying most of the Japanese Army was not a major combatant. Ebven so, throughout the Pacific War, the bulk of the Japabese Army was in China. The Japanese did move troops from Manchuria and China, but were limuted by their logidtical capability. Japan prioved incaopable of adequately suppklying forces they did suceed in moving to the Pacific theater.

Japanese Pacific War Offensive (December 1931-May 1942)

With the American fleet imobilized at Pear Harbor, the Japanese were able to sweep through the Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia. Guam was quickly taken. Resistance at Wake sland suprised the Japanese, but after the initial assault was repulsed, a second assault took the island. MacArthur's defense of the Philippines was compromised when most of his planes were destroyed on the fround at Clarke Field. General MacArthur commanded the most important American military force west of Pearl. His handlong of the defense of the Philippines wasdisapponting at best, bordering on incompetence. He failed to strike back at the Japanese in the hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor by bombing Jpanese bases in Formosa. He also allowed much of the available aircraft to be destroyed on the ground. [Schom] The horror of the Batan Death March created an impage of the Japanese military in the American mind that fueled a hatred for the Japanese. [Schom] Hong Kong quickly fell. The Japanese also seized the oil-rich Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). Allied naval forces fought a series of engagements to stop the Japanese, but could not match the powerful Japanese naval forces. Animitz and Halsey tried to distract the Japanese with hit an run carrier raids. The Japanese moved south from IndoChina, seizing Malayia and then the bastion at Singapore. Repulse and Prince of Wales were lost in the defense of Singapore. Then they moved west through Thailand and defeating the British in Burma. Within a few months the Japanese had carved out the huge empire with enormous resources that they had long coveted. The Japnese then targeted New Guinea in preparation for a move south to Australia. All that remained to stop them were four American carriers.

Southeast Asia (1941-45)

The second half of the CBI was Southeast asia. The BI stood for Burma and India. And the heart of the of the BI was the British colony of Burma. The colony had important natural resources as well as the rice Japan neede to feedits industrial cities. But its primary importance for Japan was to cut the Nationalists off from outside support ny cutting the Burma Road. China after all was why Japn launched the war and cme into conflict with the americans. The theater also included Malaya and Singapore, but because they both fell in the first few months of the War, the fighing occurred primarily in Burma and on the Burmese-Indian border as the Japanese attempted to invade India and the British attempted to take Burma back fromk the Japanese. with the exception of Thailand, the territories involved were colonies of Britain and France. With France defeated by the Germans (1940) it was the British that was the recipient of the full force of the Japanese offensive after Pearl Harbor (1941). The result was the rapid loss of all those colonies in Southeast Asia and by a smaller force than that of the British defenders. Within only a few months, the Japanese were on the borders of India. Britain's 'protected' sunjects were shocked by the ease and rapidity of the Japanese conquest. Some were elated by the defeat of the British, but soon found themselves in the hands of a more brutal and rapacious conquerer. The British managed to repulse Japanese efforts to invade India. It was the most poorly reported theater of the War and the lowest priority on the Allied order of battle. For the Chinese, Burma was more important because it was the only route through which they could obtain American supplies and equipment. Supply was alo a major problem for the Japanese. For the Japanese, early victories came by seizing British supplies. When the British prevented that during the defense of India (Imphal and Kohima) , the Japanese began to starve. Soldiers in the CBI fought against a backdrop of intractable jungle, tropical diseases, and nationalist unrest. America aided Britain to an extent, but American military planners were determined not to commit major forces to the Asian continent. The Japanese perpetrated attricities against POWs and civilian interness as well as the indigenous population. And Britain's valiant war-time reputation was sullied by the horendous Bengal famine which could have been prevented.

Sources

Schom, Alan. The Eagle and the Rising Sun: The Japanese-American War 1941-1943 (Norton, 2003).

Created: June 25, 2000
Last updated: 1:34 AM 4/23/2016