Oxidative pretreatment of Southern pine wood with alkaline hydrogen peroxide increased its rate of delignification during subsequent kraft and soda-AQ pulping. Effective pretreatment required the removal of transition metals prior to oxidation at high pH (12), low teaperature (50°C) and short reaction time (<45 min.). Compared with reference pulping, pretreatment with 1.4% H2O2 and 3.3% NaOH on wood reduced pulping time to 35 kappa number by 30 minutes (at 170°C). Pre-oxidation resulted in pulp with yield-kappa number and viscosity-kappa number relations equal to or greater than those of corresponding reference pulp.