The role of Japanese women in Japan during WWII Research Paper

The role of Japanese women in Japan during WWII - Research Paper Example The war started in 1939 and ended in 1945. The reason behind the massive destruction was that the participating nations committed all their industrial, economic and scientific capabilities so as to win the war (Global History network). Among the participants of the war was Japan. The country joined the war in 1937 after the Japanese army invaded China and captured its capital city; Beijing. This move was opposed by other nations including the Soviet Union which signed the non-aggressive pact with China pledging material support. This terminated the China’s prior cooperation with Germany. In 1939, the Japanese forces flooded the yellow river thus stalling the Chinese-Japanese invasion and consequently giving China time to mount a formidable defense. Later, the Japanese decided to invade the Soviet Union where their army experienced their first serious defeat. At this time, Japanese army developed cracks with some factions opposing the move to continue invading China allies. They thus proposed that they should abandon Soviet interests and focus efforts towards Europe and the Americas. This was a grave military and tactical mistake based on what transpired. Unites States responded to Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor by dropping atomic bombs on two Japanese towns; Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Millions died, property worth millions of dollars destroyed, and to date, scores of Japanese people suffer ailments like cancer that are directly or indirectly related to the two bombings (Kazuko). Majority of the participants in the war were the energetic men who could withstand tough conditions. This meant that women and children were left at home in most of the participating nations. Japan was not an exception where thousands of Japanese men went to the battle field. However, the women who were left behind also played significant roles in the war. Many women were left to look after their families and thus engaged in many