1941
Japan invades British Hong Kong, launching a bloody battle and three years of occupation.
Background
Hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, Japan launched coordinated attacks across Asia. Hong Kong was quickly surrounded. British, Canadian, and local defenders resisted for over two weeks before surrendering on Christmas Day.
Legacy
– 3 years of brutal occupation – Civilian suffering and massacre of prisoners – Shifted Allied urgency toward Pacific war
Key Moment
Perspective & Relations
Narratives
| Japan invades British Hong Kong, launching a bloody battle and three years of occupation. | ||
| Hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, Japan launched coordinated attacks across Asia. Hong Kong was quickly surrounded. British, Canadian, and local defenders resisted for over two weeks before surrendering on Christmas Day. | ||
| 1941-12-25 – British Governor surrenders to Japanese forces after heavy bombardment and urban warfare. | ||
| – 3 years of brutal occupation – Civilian suffering and massacre of prisoners – Shifted Allied urgency toward Pacific war | ||
| Japan invades British Hong Kong, launching a bloody battle and three years of occupation. | ||
| Hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, Japan launched coordinated attacks across Asia. Hong Kong was quickly surrounded. British, Canadian, and local defenders resisted for over two weeks before surrendering on Christmas Day. | ||
| 1941-12-25 – British Governor surrenders to Japanese forces after heavy bombardment and urban warfare. | ||
| – 3 years of brutal occupation – Civilian suffering and massacre of prisoners – Shifted Allied urgency toward Pacific war | ||
 | China | Symbolic of China’s broader suffering and Japanese wartime expansion. |
| Japan invades British Hong Kong, launching a bloody battle and three years of occupation. |