Pacific Theater of World War II

Introduction

Pacific theater of World War II is also referred to as the Asia Pacific War. The Japanese first dealt with the Pearl Harbor, it was then that they were able to obtain power in such a way that they could control the areas around the Pacific Ocean and the areas of Far East. The War is thought to have started in the year 1937 but is said to have officially been declared in 1941 and lasted till 1946. This war was caused by the Japanese when they surprised the whole world through their bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii¹. It was then that the president of America by then Roosevelt delivered an infamy speech in which he declared a war against the Japanese and few days latter the Congress of the United States declared war against the Germans as they were also supporting the Japanese. It came a time when Japanese felt that hey had all the rights to defend the Pacific because they depended in a number of ways. Some of the other countries also interested with the ocean the British Empire who invaded through Malaya, the United States, Netherlands and France. The four Empires were against Japanese as each had some interest in controlling the ocean and especially the Pacific Islands.

Although the Japanese lacked enough power in terms of equipments such that they lacked in the transport system thus it was difficult give enough protection to all the points that they were interested in they had an advantage over the opponent countries in that they had access to interior communication infrastructure and thus they knew that was the only way to prevent the other opponent countries outdoing them. They therefore organized various attacks to the opponent nations so as to defend the ocean which was a source of sustenance such as in the United States, the Philippines among all the others.

A raid that remains in the history was on Pearl Harbor and happened on December seventh the year 1941. The attack was carried out by the Japanese government against the United States military when they felt that United States was posing a threat to them from the southern direction. The Japanese refer to it as the Hawaii Operation or Operation Z. It was a well organized attacks that took the Americans by surprise whereby the attacking planes came in two waves which were separated by a one hour gap. It was in such a way that the first hit at 7.55 in the morning and by one o’clock in the afternoon the planes were headed back after having accomplished the mission successfully². The attack destroyed a lot of battleships and planes for the Americans and making it worse, left over two thousand four hundred and three people dead. They then moved on to serious attacks to the on the Americans to totally jeopardize their efforts of winning the battle.

Japanese Reasons and goals for Pearl Harbor Attack

There are various reasons that made the Japanese to attack the Pearl Harbor. One of the reasons is that they felt Japanese felt threatened by Americans and hence they saw the need to depend the southern. They therefore aimed at the American military so as to destroy them before the destroyed them and block them from taking over the East Indies and Malaya³. They knew that once the American were countered before they took control over the Dutch region they would in turn take time before they organize themselves for an attack.

The second reason is that they wanted to disorganize the Americans so that Japanese would have enough time to organize their forces and reposition their army so that and all the military equipments that they may require to defend the area including ship building⁴. The Japanese knew that if they do this they would have deprived the Americans any chance of outdoing them in the War. This also gave them assurance that they were save any the nationalists were assured of peace and continuous control of the sea. The attack would also be a blow that would leave Americans in a shock and they would therefore take time before they reestablished and organized their forces in order to fight back the Japanese.

The other reason was that they would demoralize the Americans army. The Americans would not want to engage in conflicts over the land on the Western Pacific Ocean. In order to achieve their objectives the Japanese decided to attack the battleships⁵. The destroyed battleships were the most well made of all the existing military forces of any place of the world and also the most esteemed, hence by destroyed them it was obvious that they would have disabled the Americans and would therefore penetrate to the Southeast Asia without many problems since the Americans would not play part in the conquest.

Another reason is that the Americans wanted to own all the oil resources in the Southern Asia; they wanted to stop the Japanese from conquering the southern part⁶. The Japanese knew that the Americans were not willing to enter into a war with the Japanese but since they were already forcing them to withdraw from china and Indochina, they knew that they were on their way to force them out from the Southern Asia thus they thought it necessary to fight them when they least expected it.

They also knew that since the ships were at the shores of the ocean then the Americans would take a short time in repairing them and hence may catch up with them⁷. They also knew that they did not have the right timing hence had to make those disadvantages strengths and take the opportunity to strengthen their army. They realized they could achieve more if they were able to cause all the destruction in a very short time and especially the battleships, they would also be able to cause more harm such assoil tans and submarine base because they could not be of urgent use incase they decided to enter into a war but would suffer and be inconvenienced when they least expect it⁸. They also destroyed the navy yard and the farms which they knew that the Americans would not think of as a first reaction.

The Height of Japan’s Power in the War

Japan was simply referred to as the Imperial Japan and was under the leadership of Emperor Showa. Their system was a form of constitutional monarchy whereby the overall leader was in full power and enjoyed the power in all decision makings having been enabled by the article 4 of the Japanese constitution of the time⁹. He was also the overall leader and the commander of the military forces assisted by two chiefs of staff who headed the Cabinet and the Imperial General Headquarters.

The Japanese enjoyed superiority over the Asians and the Pacific areas such as the islands and other areas surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Japanese had their islands; however the islands did not have natural resources which would have helped to raise the economy of the country which was not doing well since the 1920s. They therefore had to fifth to acquire what they lacked and hence the more reason why the conquered the pacific to be explicitly their own.

The Japanese constitution made them have policies that were unique and that separated them from other countries that surrounded them and those that were in the League of Nations¹⁰. They were only able to cope with two other countries that had similar policies and which allowed the leaders to enjoy the excess powers that would have risked the nation as a whole. In the middle of 1930s the Japanese thought it necessary to join powers with the Germans and Italy and organized to go against the Soviet Union so as to challenge them to a fight. They entered into various conflicts with the Chinese and by late 1941, they decided to sign a treaty with the Soviet Union which would help them avoid further wars or conflicts that were likely to come up in the struggle to acquire the most resources.

Japanese struggled to own some colonies when the European powers concentrated all their energies on war which was ongoing in Europe¹¹. When the Germans took over the France, the Japanese took the opportunity and took over French Indochina which the then emperor known as Vichy France did not object. During the same time China and the United States were very much involved in fighting against Japanese. It was after a time that they discovered that they were incapacitated since they did not have enough oil to take them through the fight, food supply was also an issue to the as the farms were destroyed hence the food reserves were not sufficient. Another problem they faced was that of scrap metals and it also proved difficult to carry on with the trade due to insecurity.

By the year 1943, the Americans had managed to organize their forces and were able to full fights back forcing the Japanese to their Islands¹². They tried to force the Japanese to surrender through incendiary bombs which would cause deaths of several hundreds of people but even then the Japanese were resistant. This war continued till there was the Hiroshima and the Nagasaki atomic bombing by the Americans which took place in 1945. This kind of bombing has never been used anywhere else in the world and within a very short time which is thought to have lasted in a matter of minutes. Around 200 000 people were dead and the surviving ones were maimed. It destroyed almost everything in the areas which it was dropped. The aftermath is that many other people died in the remaining days and years and the nuclear radiations are still said to have an effect to this day. The Japanese government had no choice but to surrender which was announced by the ruling Emperor known as Emperor Hirohito when the Soviet Union officially enounced that they were going to engage in the war.

Although the Americans were got by surprise, they knew that the Japanese could react since they did bleach a treat they had. They knew there was some likeliness that the Japanese would declare a war against them but they underrated them and neither could they think of the magnitude of the effect. The warning that the Japanese were organizing an attack also arrived too late thus could almost rescue nothing in the situation¹³. They also could not think of Japanese engaging in a fight despite the fact that they lacked enough weapons and had insufficient forces.

There was also another sign that all was not well. The new radars which had come up as a result of technology had detected the Japanese planes in the air but ignored them. They assumed that the planes belonged to Americans and were coming from the West Coast. So although the attack got the Americans by surprise, they knew that the Japanese were not happy with them and were likely to attack them or maybe seek further intervention¹⁴. The Japanese also failed in that they did not sink much of the fuels that the United States required so as to reestablish themselves and thus they were able to catch up with them although they enjoyed the success of getting the Americans unawares and causing and destabilizing the Americans who were feared even as per the time.

The Turning Point in the War in the Pacific

The Americans managed to sink some of the most important carriers for the Japanese. They also killed many people and especially the aircrews which were really affecting the Japanese. Although this was not a major blow which led the Japanese to surrendering, this midway success for the Americans paralyzed their efforts of defeating them and they knew that in the long run they would have to give up¹⁵. The Americans were also able to acquire supplies which were quite expensive and which the Japanese would not afford.

The other major powers found the Geneva Convention important as it guided them on the relationship and on creating of a harmonious relationship with the other nations. Almost all of the major powers signed it while Japanese found it unnecessary. They therefore did all they could since they were not questionable to the other nations irrespective of the crimes they committed¹⁶. The Japanese therefore became careless and failed to oblige to any of the international laws thus breaking all the stipulated laws. The other nations were not pleased with the way the Japanese were acting hence they did not support them even when the Americans totally beat them. Their only support which was Germany was also totally beaten as the Americans were against them.

Most of the other nations joined hands into fighting the Japanese especially in 1943, when the Americans enjoyed unlimited supply of raw materials and other industrial goods while the Japanese could not get. Philippine commonwealth joined with the United States and formed Guerrilla units which were intended to further destroy the Japanese¹⁷. There was also a lot of campaign against the Japanese to further demoralize them and push them to surrendering the war which to this point they still could not do.

The Japanese military behaved like the Germany did in most ways especially the way they treated their prisoners. The death rate was particularly rising each day and they were not concerned with the welfare of the commoners. It is as a result of this disrespect to the human kind that they didn’t care the extent to which the Pearl Harbor attack that led to the death of almost three thousand people¹⁸. They were blamed all over the world as being the cause of the Second World War which left the whole world destabilized in terms of the human value and in economic terms. It is for this reasons that the Japanese discovered that they would never be respected or supported by other nations hence they decided to surrender.

In 1944, the economy of the Japanese was so much affected. The Japanese were finding it difficult to continue supplying their army with all the necessities thus the performance of the army was also affected. The Americans on the other hand were able to supply their military with expensive weapons and all the necessities. They also closed all the strategic bases for the Japanese hence paralyzing the trade route and which consequently was a set back for the Japanese economy. Meanwhile the Americans marines had taken over Ogasawara Islands. This was also a big hit to the Japanese as their shipping routes were affected. It is one of the major factors that led to the fall of the Japanese.

Finally the Americans did the unexpected through their bombing of the Hiroshima and the Nagasaki which to this day remains historic and the only one to ever happen in any given nation. Although it is said that the Americans were inhuman and is blamed for the aftermath of the Atomic bomb in Japan, it was the only way that the Japanese would have been forced to end the war and it is at this point that the Japanese resigned from the war.

Many methods were employed in determining the fit of the Japanese and to forcing them to surrender such as through surface warships, the air carriers and other forces used including causing the psychological and the emotional problems caused to the Japanese¹⁹. It is however noted that there was no single method that called for decent talks or negotiations to prevent further harm to the affected nations and Japanese were also reluctant to give in to such talks.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Japanese managed to kill millions of innocent victims especially in China and committed many other crimes that set the other nations against them. It is for this reason that even after they successfully attacked the Pearl Harbor that the other nations came against them and hence when the United States declared war, they were left on their own. The Aftermath of the attack is still to be remembered as it led to the Americans using one of the most dangerous weapons the atomic bomb that left Japan in a devastating situation both economically and the effect it had to the human kind and all the living things then and in many years that were to come. Pearl Harbor attack however remains one of the most remembered attacks that Americans have ever faced and that shocked the world.

Bibliography

1. Bentley, John, H., Ziegler, Howard, F. and Streets, H. E. Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, Volume II: From 1500 to the Present. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2004.
2. Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1985.
3. Scheina, Robert, L. Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941: Overview and Special Image Selection. (1970).
4. U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY. U.S. army Campaigns: WWII- Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (2009).
5. Weinberg, Green, L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Footnotes

1. U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY. U.S. army Campaigns: WWII-Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (2009)
2. Weinberg, Green, L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
3. Bentley, John, H., Ziegler, Howard, F. and Streets, H. E. Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, Volume II: From 1500 to the Present. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2004.
4. Scheina, Robert, L. Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941: Overview and Special Image Selection. (1970)
5. Brown, D. (1995) Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press.
6. Weinberg, Green, L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
7. U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY. U.S. army Campaigns: WWII-Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (2009)
8. Scheina, Robert, L. Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941: Overview and Special Image Selection. (1970)
9. Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1985.
10. Scheina, Robert, L. Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941: Overview and Special Image Selection. (1970)
11. Weinberg, Green, L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
12. Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1985.
13. Bentley, John, H., Ziegler, Howard, F. and Streets, H. E. Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, Volume II: From 1500 to the Present. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2004.
14. U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY. U.S. army Campaigns: WWII-Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (2009)
15. Weinberg, Green, L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
16. Bentley, John, H., Ziegler, Howard, F. and Streets, H. E. Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, Volume II: From 1500 to the Present. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2004.
17. Scheina, Robert, L. Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941: Overview and Special Image Selection. (1970)
18. U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY. U.S. army Campaigns: WWII-Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (2009)
19. Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1985.