Germ Warfare in WW2

A Quick Look at Unit 731 and Its Consequences

By: Sophie Dewee, Isabel Shiao, Matthew Chielpegian

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The topic of biological warfare (B.W.) in the Pacific theater of World War II has been relatively untouched and unexplored by the mainstream media and the public.
In 1932, Ishii Shiro, a Japanese microbiologist and surgeon general, initiated an expansive B.W. research and development program. It grew in the years leading up to and throughout World War II to encompass numerous facilities in Asia. Although the 1925 Geneva Protocol outlawed the use of B.W., Japanese scientists were interested in developing bioweapons as highly destructive, inexpensive weapons. The program included conducting field trials, human and animal experimentation, and the development of vaccines.
This is a quick look at the germ warfare in the Pacific and its consequences.