HIST 296: World War II and the Making of Modern Asia/Pacific: Home

World War II is a cataclysmic event in the history of modern Asia/Pacific, as it set in motion the irreversible trend of decolonization in the region. How did the war shape the Asia/Pacific nations’ paths to freedom and independence? How did some achieve spectacular economic development while others did not? Why did some countries choose to transition to democracy while others continued to embrace authoritarianism? What role, if any, has the post-WWII human rights regime played in the remaking of the region?

This online resource center provides research guides to those who are pursuing research projects on the post-WWII history of decolonization and state formation in Asia and the Pacific region.

Research topics and sources on this online resource center are meant to be illustrative, not comprehensive. Please contact subject or area-specialist librarians for further information on other research topics and resources.

Partnering librarians:

Gwen Sinclair (The Government Documents Collection)

Elena Clariza (The Philippine Collection)

Dongyun Ni (The China Collection)

Kapena Shim (The Hawaii Collection)

Monica Ghosh (The South Asia Collection)

Ellie Kim (The Korea Collection)

Stu Dawrs (The Pacific Collection)

Rohayati Paseng (The Southeast Asia Collection)

Patricia Polansky and Karen Kadohiro Lauer (The Russia Collection)

Lynette Teruya (The Okinawa Collection)

Mitsutaka Nakamura (The Japan Collection)

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Image credits:

Kuzianik, Henryk and Szosłak, Mieczysław, “1939,” UHM Library Digital Image Collections, accessed February 19, 2022, https://digital.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/show/41673

Vilenskii, M. E. (Mark Ezrovich), 1926-, “War behind barbed wire: reminiscences of Buchenwald ex-prisoners of war.,” UHM Library Digital Image Collections, accessed February 19, 2022, https://digital.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/show/2982.