Categories: All - occupation - difficulties - resistance

by Theophilus Lim 12 years ago

662

The Fall Of Singapore

The British failure to prevent the fall of Singapore to the Japanese was due to multiple factors including underestimation of Japanese capabilities and effective Japanese espionage.

The Fall Of Singapore

The Fall Of Singapore

What happened during the Japanese occupation

They also made the business men in singapore pay $50 million to help the Japan war effort.
They also implemented the sook ching which also means cleansing to the chinese men in Singapore aged 18-50,they were checked by thekempeitai and those lucky were able to return home.
The Japanese thoght of the Chinese as a threat as they met a strong resistance the last time they attacked China from different sources
They also treated the Eurasians badly as they helped in the war efforts and those suspected were sentenced to death
They used the Malays and Indians to build the Death Railway but other than that they did not do much to them.
They used fear to rule over Singapore,by sending the Kempeitai to Singapore.

What were the difficulties the British faced after the war.

They also made a law on the highest rent to help with the lack of housing.
They also built a people's restaurant which sold food at affordable prices
They also had to remove the sea mines the Japanese planted together with the electricity,water mains and gas using Japanese POWs.
There was a serious lack of food and housing as the Japanese blew up the docks,boats and houses but did not rebuild them.

Why did the British fail to stop the Japanese

Also the war in Europe was causing a lot of problems for the British so they were more concerned about the war in England as Singapore and Malaya were only colonies.
The Japanese set up spies in Malaya and Singapore before the war to provide them with information on hte British defenses and readiness.
The Japanes had good preprations and the British underestimated the Japanese equipment and skills

The defences the British made for Singapore

They also built a naval base in Sembawang
They made 3 underground bunkers at Fort Canning,Labrador and Sembawang.
They also built 2 airfields 1 at Sembawang and the other at Tengah
The ''main fleet to Singapore strategy which sent the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse.
15 inch gun cannons facing the sea on the east,west and south.