On March 3, 1945, American and Filipino forces liberate the city of Manila from Japanese occupation. The conclusion of a month long battle for the city, the victory in Manila also marked the end of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in general. However, fighting continued until the Japanese surrender in September as pockets of Japanese resistance fought on despite the impossibility of victory or reinforcement.

The fighting in Manila marked some of the most bitter and destructive urban warfare of the entire Second World War. Over 1,000 American and 16,600 Japanese soldiers as well as an estimated 100,000 Filipino civilians were killed during the course of the battle. Nearly the entirety of the city was destroyed in the fighting, leaving the city to be entirely rebuilt after the war.

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