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Pacific War
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U.S. troops advancing on Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, in 1943 Historical map showing Japanese territorial expansion in East and Southeast Asia from 1870 through 1942, with color-coded regions indicating the original Japanese empire, successive acquisitions, and areas occupied or conquered by Japan up to 1942. The map covers Japan, Korea, Manchuria, parts of China, Southeast Asia, and Pacific islands, with an inset locator map highlighting the full extent of Japanese occupation during World War II.
Vintage map of Japan and Indo China region.
A restored Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane with red circle insignia flies at an angle, trailing smoke against a blue sky at an airshow. Map of China in 1941 showing areas controlled by Japanese occupation in purple, Chinese Communists in red, and Chinese Nationalists in green. The Japanese-held territory includes Manchuria and much of the eastern coast and North China Plain. The map also marks the boundary of modern China, the route of the Long March, major cities such as Peking, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and neighboring countries.
Investigate devastation wrought by Japan on Manchuria and China during the Great Depression
Yamamoto Isoroku
View footage of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the strike that provoked the U.S. into entering World War II
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Pearl Harbor attack
At a Glance
Germany invades Poland, September 1, 1939, using 45 German divisions and aerial attack. By September 20, only Warsaw held out, but final surrender came on September 29.
Pop Quiz: 17 Things to Know About World War II
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U.S. marines raising the American flag over Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, in February 1945
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Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)
Pick Your Battles Quiz
Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
World Wars
D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.
A History of War

Pacific War: References & Edit History

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  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - How the Pacific War Changed Global Warfare. Nov 12, 2026
Anniversary information added. Aug 26, 2026
Add new Web site: Guampedia - Pacific World War II Timeline. Jul 21, 2026
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Pearl Harbor National Memorial - Pacific Battles. Apr 18, 2026
Add new Web site: Wilson Center - Legacy of the Pacific War: 75 years later (PDF). Feb 16, 2026
Add new Web site: BBC - The History Hour - The Second World War in Japan. Jan 06, 2026
Add new Web site: PBS - American Experience - The War in the Pacific, 1944-1945. Oct 22, 2025
Add new Web site: ABC listen - Saturday Extra - Three key turning points in the Pacific War. Aug 25, 2025
Add new Web site: United States Naval War College Digital Commons - Replacing Battleships with Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific in World War II (PDF). Feb 04, 2025
Add new Web site: National Institute for Defense Studies - The Strategy of the Axis Powers in the Pacific War. Nov 18, 2024
Add new Web site: U.S. Naval Institute - The Decisive Battle of the Pacific War. Feb 16, 2024
Add new Web site: New Zealand history - War in the Pacific. Jun 30, 2023
Add new Web site: The National WWII Museum - The Pacific Strategy, 1941-1944. Apr 07, 2023
Add new Web site: LiveScience - The Pacific War: WWII in the East. Feb 19, 2023
Media added. Nov 19, 2020
Add new Web site: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Holocaust Encyclopedia - World War II in the Pacific. May 07, 2018
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - World War II in the Pacific in 1942. May 07, 2018
Revised Allied casualty numbers at the Battle of Okinawa. Sep 26, 2017
Media added. Jun 09, 2017
New article added. Apr 19, 2017
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