Wilson Center
The Legacy of the Pacific War: 75 Years Later
Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945 brought an end to World War II in the Pacific theater and with it, the emergence of the United States as a Pacific power. Over the past 75 years, the outcome of the Pacific War still pervades in defining diplomatic, security, economic, and social ties within Asia, and US relations with countries across the region. In fact, the memory of war has actually led to increased tensions in Asia at a time when there is growing competition and potential conflict among powers, large and small. In reflecting on how the Pacific War continues to influence competition and geopolitics in the region, the Wilson Center’s Asia Program has brought together a collection of essays as well as video interviews from select analysts and former policymakers from the United States and across Asia.
Read the Introduction to the Series from Wilson Center President Jane Harman
"Through these perspectives, a complex context emerges in which the United States again finds itself competing with great powers that seek to re-write the international balance of power. Remembering the hard-won lessons from World War II, including differences of opinion with our competitors over the lessons learned, will be critical to successful American foreign and military policy in the next decade."
Read the IntroductionRead the Essays
- Trauma and Triumph: US-China Relations and Memories of the War in the Pacific
- The Promise and Perils of Historical Analogy: What the Pacific War Can, and Cannot, Tell Us About Asia Today
- Reevaluating Japan's Economic Vision and Its Post-War Legacy
- The Pacific War's Lessons for the Continued Strategic Importance of Oceania
- The Legacy of the Philippine Struggle for Independence in 1945
- Southeast Asia's Pacific War
- The Legacy of 1945 for Equality and Women's Leadership in Asia
- World War II in the Pacific and the Impact on the US Navy
- The Three Enduring Legacies of the Pacific War in East Asia
- Clash of Memories and Clash of Dreams: The Legacy of the Pacific War and the Future of the East Asian Peace
- In Search of Japan's Place in the World
Contributors
Rear Admiral Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Robert Daly
Abraham Denmark
Shihoko Goto
Lucas Myers
Toshihiro Nakayama
Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan; Adjunct Fellow, Japan Institute of International Affairs
Diana Villiers Negroponte
Joseph S. Nye, Jr
Author, American political scientist, and former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Marvin Ott
Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University; Former Professor of National Security Policy, National War College and Deputy Staff Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Cheol-hee Park
Dr. Kenneth Pyle
Martin Sherwin
University Professor of History, George Mason University
Gwen K. Young
Zheng Wang
Professor, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
The Honorable Robert O. Work
Film Discussion: Grave of the Fireflies
In the inaugural event for the Asia Program's "Drinks With a Director" series, two Washington D.C. filmmakers came together to discuss the classic animated film Grave of the Fireflies, from the storytelling and animation techniques to the impact on international audiences.
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