Domination of Pacific Islands in War and in the Nuclear Age

Abstract

While the claiming of Pacific islands for Europe began early with the Spanish explorers, by the end of the nineteenth century almost all of them belonged to one power or another. German expansion began in 1884 through claims or purchases and was followed in kind by those of the British and the United States. Prior to World War I the German flag was flying over much of the western Pacific, but this changed dramatically at the end of the war when Japan assumed control of the German islands and promptly began to fortify and otherwise militarize them. The use of Pacific islands during World War II is briefly reviewed with emphasis on their alteration in preparation for war. The postwar period focuses on the use of Pacific islands for nuclear testing by the United States, Britain and France, and the movement toward decolonization and independence. However, for many island groups that had been militarized, the disruption that came with it did not go away with declarations of independence. The alteration of Pacific island culture, and the culture of dependence brought about during the twentieth century are described.