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THE PACIFIC THEATRE. ORIGINS & THE EARLY YEARS, 1931-1941 . TIMELINE. 1922: Washington Naval Treaty 1931: The Manchurian Incident 1937: Japan Invades China 1939: Battle of Khalkin-Gol ; Soviets defeat Japanese July,1940: Hideki Tojo becomes Minister of War
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THE PACIFIC THEATRE ORIGINS & THE EARLY YEARS, 1931-1941
TIMELINE • 1922: Washington Naval Treaty • 1931: The Manchurian Incident • 1937: Japan Invades China • 1939: Battle of Khalkin-Gol ; Soviets defeat Japanese • July,1940: Hideki Tojo becomes Minister of War • Sept., 1940: Tripartite Pact signed • April,1941: Japan-Soviet Neutrality Treaty signed • December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
JAPANESE EXPANSION: ORIGINS • ANTI-WESTERN FEELINGS: • JAPAN’S MISTRUST OF WESTERN/EUROPEAN ACTIONS • ROOTED IN 16TH/17TH CENTURY COLONIZATION OF ASIA • WHY? FEARFUL OF EFFECT ON JAPAN’s SOCIAL STRUCTURE • EXAMPLE: THE SAMURAI (WARRIOR) CLASS FEARED LOSING POWER IF EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC IDEAS INTRODUCED • JAPAN’s REACTION: ADOPT WESTERN TECHNOLOGY, BUT KEEP IT CONTROLLED BY JAPANESE • EXAMPLE: FIREARMS & NAVAL TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE CONTOLLED / DIRECTED BY THE SAMURAI • RESULT? • LATE 1800’s = JAPAN HAS DEVELOPED WESTERN-STYLE ARMY & NAVY • 1904-05: JAPAN WINS RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR • 1914-18: WWI = JAPAN FIGHTS FOR ALLIES • BUT…VERSAILLES TREATY FORCES JAPAN TO GIVE UP TERRITORY WON IN RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR • 1922: WASHINGTON NAVAL TREATY • JAPAN IS DESIGNATED A “SECOND-LEVEL” MILITARY POWER • JAPAN HAS # OF BATTLESHIPS LIMITED TO 3/5 of WWI ALLIES • WHAT IS THE EFFECT ON JAPANESE MENTALITY? • JAPAN IS INSULTED, SUFFERS LOSS OF “FACE” (define) • JAPAN WANTS TO ERADICATE INSULTS / LIMITATIONS
JAPANESE EXPANSION: ORIGINS (cont’d.) • 1920’s / 1930’s: PROBLEMS IN JAPAN • JAPAN CANNOT FEED ITSELF • JAPAN DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH RAW MATERIALS • EXAMPLE: • METALS • RUBBER • OIL • JAPAN’s ARMY IS EXTREMELY NATIONALISTIC, RACIST, & AGGRESSIVE • SOLUTION? • TERRITORIAL EXPANSION • RESOURCES SHIPPED BACK TO JAPAN FOR PRODUCTION • EXPAND WHERE? • 2 POSSIBILITIES: “NORTH” or “SOUTH” PLAN • #1: CHINA (especially Manchuria) • #2: S.E. ASIA (Indochina, Indonesia)
JAPANESE EXPANSION: ORIGINS (cont’d.) • 1930’s: EXPANSION INTO CHINA BEGINS • 1931: THE MANCHURIAN INCIDENT: JAPAN INVADES MANCHURIA • RESULT? • JAPAN NOW HAS FOOTHOLD IN MANCHURIA / CHINA • JAPAN’s ARMY IS GROWING MORE POWERFUL • NO INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE • DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? • 1937: JAPAN MOVES INTO CHINA PROPER • RESULT? FULL-SCALE INVASION HAS BEGUN • JAPANESE INVASION IS BRUTAL & HIGHLY RACIST • EXAMPLE? • DEC., 1937 RAPE OF NANKING • 1939: BATTLE OF KHALKIN-GOL(MONGOLIA) • SOVIETS DEFEAT JAPANESE • JAPANESE ABANDON “NORTH” PLAN • WHY? • SEPT., 1940: TRIPARTITE PACT SIGNED • RESULT? • JAPAN, GERMANY, ITALY ARE ALLIES • JAPAN ANNOUNCES “GREATER EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE”
JAPAN’s MILITARY MENTALITY • BASED ON ANCIENT CULTURAL IDEAS: • EMPEROR IS A god • SAMURAI (WARRIOR-NOBLES) CLASS SERVES EMPEROR • SAMURAI VALUES DOMINATE SOCIETY • CODE OF “BUSHIDO” • ALL PEOPLE SERVE THE EMPEROR & THE NATION • TO SACRIFICE YOUR LIFE FOR THE EMPEROR AND NATION IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE HONOR • TO SURRENDER OR BE CAPTURED IS DISHONORABLE AND DISGRACEFUL TO… • THE EMPEROR • YOUR ANCESTORS • YOUR FAMILY • YOU • THEREFORE, DEATH IS PREFERABLE TO FAILURE/SURRENDER • ADDITIONAL IDEAS: • OTHER RACES/NATIONS ARE BENEATH JAPANESE • PRISONERS ARE DISHONORABLE & UNWORTHY OF RESPECT • PROBLEMS WITH THIS IDEA?
JAPANESE TROOPSHOLDING BAYONETPRACTICE ON CHINESEPRISONERS,NANKING, CHINA, 1937
CHINESE PRISONERS BEINGBURIED ALIVE BYJAPANESE TROOPS,NANKING, CHINA,1937
CHINESE PRISONERS BEING BEHEADEDBY JAPANESENANKING, CHINA, 1937
JAPANESE OFFICER WITH EXECUTION VICTIMS , NANKING, CHINA, 1937
JAPANESE NEWSPAPER,TOKYO NICHI NICHISHIMBUNARTICLE REPORTING UPDATE ON NANJINGKILLING “CONTEST”1937“INCREDIBLE RECORD IN CONTEST TO KILL 100 PEOPLE WITH SWORD; BOTH 2nd LIEUTENANTS GO INTO EXTRA INNINGS.”2Lt. Toshiaki Mukai (Left)2 Lt. Tsuyoshi Noda (Right)
JAPANESE EXPANSION: ORIGINS (cont’d.) • GREATER EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE: • ANOTHER NAME FOR JAPAN’s EMPIRE • TOJO WAS PRIMARY SUPPORTER OF IDEA • ASIAN WOULD BE FREE OF WESTERN DOMINATION • JAPAN WOULD BE LEAD POWER • PROBLEM: • WESTERN NATIONS HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF ASIA • CHINA WAS CLOSELY ALLIED TO U.S. & BRITS. • AUSTRALIA WAS/IS BASICALLY A WESTERN NATION • EXPANSION WOULD LEAD DIRECTLY TO WAR W/ WESTERN NATIONS • SOLUTION? • DEMAND, AND RECEIVE, WESTERN AGREEMENTS TO MOVE OUT OF ASIA, • OR… • ATTACK & TAKE OUT U.S., BRITISH, FRENCH MILITARY FORCES IN ASIA QUICKLY
PREPARING FOR WAR • 1941: • U.S. BEGINS EMBARGO ON JAPAN: OIL, METAL SHIPMENTS TO JAPAN ARE TERMINATED • WHY? U.S. PROTESTS JAPANESE WAR IN CHINA • U.S. BEGINS SECRETLY SENDING SUPPLIES TO CHINESE • TOJO BECOMES JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER • JULY, ‘41: • FRENCH ALLOW JAPANESE TO ENTER INDOCHINA • U.S. TIGHTENS EMBARGO ON JAPAN • JAPAN’s TRADE CUT BY 75% • JAPAN OFFERS U.S. 2 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO AVOID WAR: • JAPAN WOULD WITHDRAW FROM CHINA IN 25 YEARS • JAPAN WOULD WITHDRAW FROM INDOCHINA IF U.S. SELLS JAPAN 1 MILLION TONS OF AVIATION FUEL
PREPARING FOR WAR • U.S. DEMANDS: • JAPAN MUST WITHDRAW FROM CHINA • “ “ INDOCHINA • JAPAN MUST RECOGNIZE CHAING KAI-SHEK AS THE LEGITIMATE HEAD OF CHINA • JAPAN MUST LEAVE THE TRIPARTITE PACT • JAPAN’s RESPONSE: • U.S. TERMS ARE UNACCEPTABLE • NOV. 25 – JAPANESE FORCES HEAD FOR… • PEARL HARBOR • PHILIPPINES • S.E. ASIA • INDONESIA • DEC. 7, 1941: PEARL HARBOR ATTACKED
“IF I AM TOLD TO FIGHT REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES, I SHALL RUN WILD FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, BUT I HAVE UTTERLY NO CONFIDENCE FOR THE SECOND OR THIRD YEAR. • ADMIRAL ISOROKU YAMAMOTO
PEARL HARBOR • REASONS FOR ATTACK: • JAPANESE PLAN TO NEUTRALIZE U.S. BATTLE FLEET AT OUTSET • JAPANESE PLAN TO DESTROY U.S. CARRIER FORCES • NEED TO ALLOW OTHER JAPANESE ASSAULTS (Indonesia, Philippines, etc.) TO NOT BE THREATENED • ATTACK: • I.J.N. ASSAULT FLEET ATTACKS EARLY A.M., DEC. 7, 1941 • ASSAULT PLANES ARE SPOTTED BY U.S. RADAR • RADAR WARNINGS ARE IGNORED BY AMERICANS • ATTACK BEGINS @ 7:50AM PDT (approx.) • PRIMARY TARGETS: • U.S. BATTLESHIPS • U.S. AIRFIELDS & PLANES • U.S. ARICRAFT CARRIERS (not at Pearl Harbor – at sea) • RESULTS: • 5 MAJOR BATTLESHIPS SUNK • 4 HEAVILY DAMAGED • 188 U.S. AIRCRAFT DESTROYED • 2,345 MILITARY KIA • 1,247 MILITARY WIA • 57 CIVILIANS KILLED • JAPANESE LOSSES: 27 AIRCRAFT DESTROYED, 55 AIRMEN KILLED • DEC. 8, 1941: U.S. DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN; U.S. IS NOW OFFICIALLY IN WORLD WAR II
JAPANESE FIGHTERS TAKING OFF FROM CARRIER HIRYU, DEC. 7, 1941