istoryworld
Events relating to southeast asia
The agreement ending the Spanish-American War includes Spain selling the Philippines to the USA for a payment of $20 million
Achmed Sukarno becomes the first chairman of the new Indonesian Nationalist Party
Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) builds the Burma Road as a supply route
The Vietminh is founded as a guerrilla force to liberate Vietnam from the Japanese, and Ho Chi Minh soon emerges as the leader
Roosevelt appoints Douglas MacArthur commander of US forces in the Far East
Within hours of Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft attack the Philippines and destroy half the available US planes
Japanese planes sink the British battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse off the coast of Malaya
Burmese politician Aung San raises a Burma Independence Army in Thailand to support the imminent Japanese invasion of his country
Aung San's Burma Independence Army enters Burma as part of the Japanese invasion
Before the end of the month the Japanese control the whole of Malaya
An Indian National Army is formed among Indian soldiers captured by the Japanese, with the purpose of evicting the British from India
Singapore falls to the continuing Japanese onslaught in southeast Asia
After losing the Philippines to the Japanese, Douglas MacArthur declares 'I shall return'
Burma becomes the last in the series of important southeast Asian territories to fall into Japanese hands
William Slim gets the remaining British forces back to India from Burma, in a fighting withdrawal that lasts two months
Orde Wingate and his Chindits launch a guerrilla campaign behind the Japanese lines in Burma
British admiral Louis Mountbatten is appointed to head the new Southeast Asia Command, with his headquarters in Delhi
British general William Slim is appointed to command the Fourteenth Army, formed specifically for the campaign to recover Burma
Subhash Chandra Bose, as leader of the Indian National Army, declares war on Britain
A volunteer force, known as Merrill's Marauders, is commanded by Frank Merrill in US operations against the Japanese in Burma
William Slim secures the first Allied victories in the Burma campaign, at Imphal and Kohima in northeast India
Douglas MacArthur lands US troops on Leyte as the first step in recovering the Philippines
Victory over Japan in a massive 2-day battle at Leyte Gulf assures US recovery of Philippines
Allied bombs destroy the strategic bridge in Thailand over the River Kwai, built by the Japanese using prisoners of war as slave labour
Achmed Sukarno makes a unilateral declaration of Indonesian independence, and leads the subsequent struggle against the Dutch
