World War II was a great and terrible thing. By December 1941, Germany was advancing on Britain, and Japan was busy conquering smaller nations in the Pacific. Germany had all but won the war in Europe, and America was still holding out on joining the war, despite doing everything except sending troops and weapons. Then, Japan decided to attack America. This Japanese attack on American forces did not accomplish nearly as much damage to the US fleet as Japan had hoped, and was arguably the single worst mistake the Axis Powers did over the course of the war.
As Germany conquered Poland, the Netherlands, France, and imposed on Britain, the United States felt the pressure to get involved in the war (OpenStax 2017). Despite Congress’ isolationist policies, President Franklin Roosevelt passed a series of acts designed to help support those fighting against Japan and China (OpenStax 2017). At first, no materials could be sold to nations at war (OpenStax 2017). As Germany closed in on Britain, Congress passed the Cash and Carry Act, allowing Britain to buy war materials as long as it could pay cash and transport the materials itself (OpenStax 2017). Soon after, Roosevelt and Britain’s Prime Minister William Chamberlain met and established the Atlantic Charter (OpenStax 2017). This pact established a working relationship between the two countries, and America had recently passed the Lend-Lease Act, officially allowing the trade and sale of munitions to countries deemed necessary to the safety of America (OpenStax 2017). In August 1941, the United States is unofficially at war.
In 1931, Japan invaded China and created Manchukuo (OpenStax 2017). This was a state comprised of three of China’s northern provinces (OpenStax 2017). In 1937, a skirmish between Chinese and Japanese troops caused Japan to invade China (OpenStax 2017). Many atrocities were committed, skyrocketing anti-Japanese feelings across the globe (OpenStax 2017). While the Neutrality Acts were passed, banning loans to “belligerent nations,” and any sales to warring nations, the United States continued to support China (OpenStax 2017). The reasoning was that Japan had not formally declared war on China, therefore, China was not considered belligerent (OpenStax 2017). This interpretation was not as kind to Japan.
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Suffering from the American trade ban and in need of oil, Japan looked toward the Dutch East Indies for its supplies (OpenStax 2017). The Philippines, an American colony, lay directly between Japan and the East Indies (OpenStax 2017). Japanese officials worried this would lead to high tensions or the probability of war with America (OpenStax 2017). After attempting negotiations with America to allow a direct trade route, Japan prepared for war with the United States (OpenStax 2017). On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, sinking four aircraft carriers, several cruisers and battleships, killing over two thousand, four hundred servicemen (OpenStax 2017). On December 8, the United States declared war on Japan (OpenStax 2017). December 11 found Germany and Italy declaring war on the United States (OpenStax 2017). America had officially entered into World War II.
The United States took the fight to foreign shores in 1942, when it joined the British against Italy in northern Africa (OpenStax 2017). Eventually, the Americans realized they would need to fight in Europe if they wanted to defeat the Nazi powers (OpenStax 2017). On June 6, 1944, America landed on the shores of Normandy. In less than a year, Allied forces were pushing Nazi armies back into Germany (OpenStax 2017). By May 8, 1945, Hitler had killed himself, and Germany surrendered (OpenStax 2017). From the beginning of June 1944 to May 1945, the Allied forces, with the might of the American military, were finally able to push back against Axis forces and win the war in Europe. The tides turned so quickly, it seems as if America should have entered the war long ago. Possibly this would have reduced casualties in the European theater.
In the Pacific theater, the Americans began what is known as the island hopping campaign (OpenStax 2017). This strategy involved taking only strategically important islands, and ignoring island that were not worth the lives it would require to take (OpenStax 2017). By August 1945, the American Navy had gained a foothold in the Pacific along Japan’s previously held islands (OpenStax 2017). It was during this time, America detonated two atomic bombs on Japan (OpenStax 2017). One at Hiroshima on August 6, the other on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 (OpenStax 2017). Combined with pressure from the Soviet Union in the north, this event led to Japan’s unconditional surrender by Emperor Hirohito (OpenStax 2017).
Following Japan’s unconditional surrender, General Douglas MacArthur took control over the occupation of Japan (Leavitt 2015). While other leaders called for a committee to rule Japan, MacArthur continued to lead the occupancy alone (Leavitt 2015). MacArthur was a very calm and intelligent ruler (Leavitt 2015). Arriving at an air base near Tokyo, he demonstrated an amazing act of courage and cultural awareness, instructing his staff to disarm (Leavitt 2015). His reasoning was that, “In the Orient, the man who shows no fear is master (Leavitt 2015). I count on the Japanese people to protect me,” (Leavitt 2015). This approach gained him much respect from those receiving him, and showed that he was not there to govern harshly or without deference to local customs (Leavitt 2015). Japan, while being technologically on-par with the rest of the world, had a society still rooted in feudalism (Leavitt 2015). General MacArthur’s approach was to transform Japan’s society from the bottom up, creating one of peace and prosperity, rather than the individuals being used only for the government’s advantage (Leavitt 2015).
Five things General MacArthur wished to impose as rapidly as possible were, “give women the right to vote, encourage labor unions and child labor protections, create a more liberal education system, eliminate secret inquisitions, and promote a wide distribution of income and ownership of production,” (Leavitt 2015). These goals were set to revolutionize Japan’s culture and embrace individualism.
General MacArthur’s governance of the Japanese people caused lasting change (Leavitt 2015). His views on how Japan’s society should change for the better were very helpful for the people (Leavitt 2015). Not everything he accomplished could be credited strictly to what he wanted; most of what General MacArthur accomplished was because he let the Japanese government either make these decisions on their own, or he helped them push out these new ideas (Leavitt 2015). Changes brought this way would be longer lasting than if he were to impose them using his military status (Leavitt 2015).
Japan’s road to defeat in the second world war was long and complicated. It began with the invasion of China and an expansion and conquest of many Pacific nations. The tide of the war changed when they attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. Since that moment, the war had changed tides in both the European and the Pacfic fronts. Once the United States entered the war, Japan was pushed back and lost all of its conquests, and eventually suffered from the wrath of two atomic strikes. The United States entering the war directly contributed to the overall quick ending of the war. While the loss of life was staggering, all was not lost for Japan. This led to a period of occupation by the United States military; but some changes this brought upon were good. These new policies and dictations have forever changed Japan, and has helped revolutionize its citizens and social structures. While Japan committed so many atrocities during its expansion, it eventually led to a better understanding of western cultures and adopted those societal practices.
