Bataan Death March

Definition

The Bataan Death March was a forced march of American and Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese during World War II. It took place in 1942, with prisoners walking 65 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Analogy

Imagine being forced to walk from New York City to Philadelphia without food, water or rest. That's similar to what happened during the Bataan Death March.

Related terms

Prisoners of War (POWs): Captured soldiers who are held by an enemy during times of conflict.

War Crimes: Actions carried out during the conduct of a war that violate accepted international rules of war.

Geneva Convention: A series of international diplomatic meetings that produced a number of agreements, in particular the Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflicts, a group of international laws for the humane treatment of wounded or captured military personnel, medical personnel and non-military civilians during war or armed conflicts.