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Japan’s Annexation of Manchuria
Before the invasion, Japanese businesses had invested heavily in Manchuria, China’s northeast province which was rich in natural resources such as coal and iron. Japanese military personnel staged the Mukden Incident, which served as a pretext for the official invasion, which became the first direct challenge to the League of Nations. In response, the League of Nations commission issued the Lytton Report but overall, the global society took a passive approach. -
Tense Relations Between Japan and the United States
While the United States were occupied with the Germans in the Atlantic, Japan continued to expand its influence in Asia, further straining her relationship with the U.S. Roosevelt cut off oil shipments to Japan and even aided the Chinese to strengthen their resistance against the Japanese. As tensions mounted, the United States intercepted a reply from Japan, which delineated her peaceful intentions but censured the US government. Of course, the growing tensions led to the Pearl Harbor Attack. -
Lend-Lease Act
In March 1941, the Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, which granted Franklin Roosevelt authority to lease weapons and other supplies to any nation crucial to the United States. Through the Lend-Lease Act, Great Britain especially obtained a huge sum of money, which allowed the nation to continue combating the Axis. Although the Lend-Lease act permitted the United States to assist the Allies passively, it also brought the U.S. closer to war. -
The United States “informally” enters the war
n September 1941, a German U-Boat attacked a United States destroyer in the Atlantic which instigated the United States’ retaliation. The United States was now involved in an “undeclared naval war”. However, before this incident, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill signed a joint declaration named the Atlantic Charter, to promote economic trade and self-determination, further strengthening their friendship. -
Pearl Harbor
The United States could not fight a two-front war and thus regarded Germany as more of a threat than Japan. On December 7th 1941, the Japanese attacked Peal Harbor, which was located in Hawaii. U.S. military leaders knew the Japanese would attack at some point in time, but never expected it to take place at Pearl Harbor. President Franklin Roosevelt responded by declaring war on Japan and her allies. -
Japan’s Drive for a Pacific Empire
Simultaneously (in regard to the Pearl Harbor attack), the Japanese launched bombing raids on Hong Kong (British-controlled) and Guam and Wake Island (both controlled by the United States). Less than a year later, Japan attacked the Philippines, Malaya, Dutch East Indies and Burma, quickly emerging as true conquerors, abandoning the anti-colonialist idea of “East Asia for the Asiatics”. It became evident that Japan was gaining power and influence, even considered “unbeatable”, as she now posed a -
The Americans Fight Back
Vexed and raged, the Americans were desperate for revenge. Under the command of James Doolittle, the United States successfully bombed Tokyo, which significantly raised American morale and decreased Japan’s confidence. The Allies slowly and progressively turned the tables around, especially in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Although the Allies suffered more casualties, they sopped Japan’s southward advance and instilled a belief that the Japanese were not invincible. -
The Battle of Midway
In the Battle of Midway, the Americans turned the tide of the war in the Pacific to their favor, triumphing over the Japanese. The Japanese were targeting Midway Island but through code breakers (one of many technological innovations during World War II), the U.S. Pacific Fleet attacked the Japanese fleet, destroying 332 Japanese planes, four aircraft carriers and one support ship. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
As one of the largest naval battle in World War II, The Battle of Leyte Gulf, which took place at the Philippines, eliminated Japan as a fighting force in the war. The Japanese were extremely desperate to halt the Allied advance as they started organizing kamikaze attacks. With over 100,000 losses, the Allies gained control of the Pacific. The Imperial Japanese Navy would not be involved in any large-scale naval operations after losing disastrously. The Allies also conquered former Japanese terr -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
In order to truly defeat the Japanese in the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur and the United States had to take control of Japanese-controlled islands, which were dispersed in the Pacific. In order to resolve the conundrum, Douglas MacArthur decided to seize islands that were not only vulnerable, but also close to Japan. Upon hearing the news that Japan was in the process of building a vast air base on Guadalcanal, the United States endeavored to prevent Japan from completing the construction. -
Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
To quickly end the war, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, decimating the cities’ population. After the bombing, the Japanese finally surrendered to Douglas MacArthur. Moreover, the bombing also had integral impacts on life after World War II. The advent of these nuclear weapons contributed to initiating the Cold War and between the U.S. and USSR while also laying the foundations for the nuclear arms race.
