6-1-2Life in Hiroshima during the War

In 1931, Japan occupied Manchuria, establishing it as an independent state, thereby drawing international condemnation. In 1937, Japan was waging full-scale war against China. Amid deepening conflict with the United States, United Kingdom, and their allies, Japan launched the Pacific War in 1941 with an invasion of the Malay Peninsula and a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Hiroshima was an important base for dispatching troops overseas. With top priority given to prosecution of the war, the Japanese government took strict control of nearly all materials. This control and other measures made everyday life extremely hard for ordinary citizens. In 1944, the United States began intense air raids on the Japanese mainland, leading to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9. The Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on August 8. Japan decided to surrender to the Allied forces, and its defeat was announced to its people on August 15.