4. The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa began in April 1945 and lasted 82 days. Around 117,000 Japanese soldiers and 50,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded.
Many Okinawan civilians also died, some caught in the fighting, others pressured to end their own lives. Reports after the war said nearly half the island’s people were lost. The battle showed how war can bring great suffering to both soldiers and civilians.