WWII_Ch2_background

=**World at War Background Information**=


 * __Outbreak of the War in the Pacific__:**

The **Manchurian Incident** was the first instance of Japan showing hostility, which would become more common in it's future. This event took place in 1931. Japan was controlling Korea and were using the ports in Korea to ship raw materials from Manchuria to Japan. Japan wanted more of Manchuria's resources without having to pay for them. Japan's Kwangtung army blew up a railroad bridge in Manchuria and blamed the incident on China. It was planned by Japanese Colonel Seishiro Itagaki and Lieutenant Colonel Kanji Ishiwara. When it was over, Japan was controlling all resources in Manchuria. Anyone in Japan who opposed imperial expansion would be killed. Japan changed the name of Manchuria to Manchukuo. This Manchurian Incident, also called the Mukden Incident took place September 18, 1931.

Sporadic fighting took place through the 1930s, but nothing major until 1931. Also, since 1931, the Kwangtung Army occupied Manchuria having set up a puppet state (there was a working government, but Japan controlled the government of Manchuria) under the name Manchukuo. In 1937, a full-scale war broke out when forces clashed at the Marco Polo Bridge outside of Beijing. A Japanese soldier claimed to be looking for a soldier. China said they would look but shots were fired. Japan quickly took major coastal cities in China. The Chinese Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-shek, were hurt by poor training and lack of supplies. This **Sino-Japanese War** marked the start of the war in the Pacific. During this war, the Rape of Nanking took place. In December of 1937, Japanese army units were outside of the city, which was the Nationalists' capital (not the actual Chinese capital). The Chinese were unable to defend the city and left it as an open city (cannot be bombed). However, Japan bombed the city and executed Chinese soldiers and civilians. Theft, rape, and abuse throughout the city was committed by Japanese soldiers. In addition, Americans were being evacuated on the //U.S.S. Panay//, which was ordered attacked by the Japanese high command. Japanese airmen protested but were overruled and attacked the ship and it was sunk. The Japanese blamed the airmen for the attack. FDR didn't want war with Japan and therefore, suppressed the film footage and accepted monetary compensation from Japan. By 1938, Japan and China were fighting to a stalemate. The Chinese woudl suffer greatly under the rule of the Japanese. In China, the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek had been battling Communists under Mao Tse-tung, but both would fight against Japan.

__**Outbreak of the War in Europe**__**:**

By March 1939, Hitler had built up his army and built an air force, remilitarized the Rhineland, absorbed Austria into Germany, and taken all of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France were unwilling to go to war to save Czechoslovakia, but did sign a treaty with Poland guaranteeing Polish sovereignty. Hitler knew the only way he could get more territory would be by going to war. Therefore, Hitler asked his advisors to prepare plans to invade Poland. These plans became known as Case White. The strategy was to attack Poland and accept war against France and Britain. The plans were to be ready for June of 1939. The only possible problem would be Soviet intervention since Poland is the only nation between Germany and the USSR. Hitler didn't want to make the same mistake that Germany made in WWI by getting into a two front war. As a result, a pact was signed on August 23, 1939 by the foreign ministers of Germany (Ribbentrop) and the USSR (Molotov). The plan was part economic since Germany got food and raw materials and the USSR got finished products, but it was also a non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR. This pact came as a shock to everyone in the world since the Nazis ranked the Communists in the same strata as Jews. However, Germany was now free to invade Poland. The pact had secret parts too that were not immediately evident. The USSR was going to be able to take the eastern part of Poland when Germany invaded. Also, the USSR would be able to take the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). On **September 1, 1939** Germany invaded Poland. Using his Blitzkrieg tactics, Germany was occupying Warsaw (the capital) by Sept. 27. The USSR invaded Poland from the east (secret part of the pact) and controlled the eastern part of Poland. Sept. 3, Britain and France declared war on Germany even though neither had plans or the ability to save Poland. France attacked the next day and was pushed back. Britain moved 158,000 troops into France, but all were not well equipped. Hitler had an undefeatable attitude. The United States proclaimed neutrality.

The USSR, after taking eastern Poland, looked to take Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and move into Finland. The USSR wanted to reclaim land that was part of the Czarist Empire. The USSR invaded Finland on November 30, 1939, which began the **Winter War**. Hitler had told Stalin he could do what he wanted with that territory. The Baltic nations agreed to become part of the USSR but Finland fought. Carl Gustef Emil Mannerheim was a Finnish military leader who built a defensive line on the Karelian Isthmus to defend. The Moscow Peace Treaty ended the conflict on March 12, 1940 with the USSR getting some territory but Finland remaining independent. The USSR didn't use their best troops and Finland's ski troops fought effectively. In addition, the harsh coldness was an advantage for Finland.


 * __American Isolation to Involvement__:**

The United States under Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed neutrality. Sentiment in America was that of isolation. There was a strong sense of betrayal after World War I. American fought in a European war and lost a lot of lives and got nothing in return. In addition, the war was destructive and expensive. Isolationists were those who felt WWI was a mistake and we should not get involved in another foreign war. In addition, the **Merchants of Death Theory** was developed by H.C. Engelbrecht, which said special interests and big businesses profit from war and led the U.S. into WWI. The Senate set up the Nye Committee led by Gerald Nye found the Merchants of Death Theory to be true. In response to public opinion (and being in the Great Depression), the U.S. passed several neutrality acts: (1) arms embargo to belligerent nations, (2) no loans to belligerents, (3) Americans cannot travel into the war zone, and (4) no travel on belligerent planes or ships. FDR would begin to regret the acts and tried to convince Congress to lift the arms embargo to help Britain and France. He corresponded directly with Churchill instead of using diplomats. However, the belief of isolation was the prevailing opinion. In addition, during the first winter of the war, there wasn't much fighting (except the Winter War). Senator William Borah referred to everythign as the Phony War. Obviously, he turned out to be wrong.

The U.S. started to become more active in response to the rise of Hitler. The **Destroyers for Bases Deal** was made with Britain on September 3, 1940 in which Britain got 50 old U.S. destoyers and the U.S. got 99 year leases on several British bases in the Pacific. Churchill pressed for even more aid. The **Lend-Lease Program** was approved in March of 1941, which FDR said that the U.S. would supply the means to stop Germany and the nations who got supplies would be able to pay later (overturned the Cash and Carry Policy). The U.S. would be the "Arsenal for Democracy." FDR said the U.S. should help preserve the four freedoms: (1) freedom of speech and expression, (2) freedom of worship, (3) freedom from want, and (4) freedom from fear.

The Atlantic Conference was a secret meeting between FDR and Churchill in August of 1941 off the coast of Newfoundland to work out the procedures for the lend-lease aid. They developed the **Atlantic Charter**, which was a basic statement of war aims and common principles. Some examples of parts included no territorial gains of changes, the right of the people to choose style of government, and abandon the use of force as a policy. It appeared that the U.S. was getting closer to joining the war. More involvement seemed to be growing when FDR ordered U.S. naval and air units to patrol the western Atlantic to warn Britain of the pressence of German subs, hardly a neutral act. In September of 1941, a German U-boat was engaged with the U.S. destroyer //Greer//. FDR responded by authorizing destroyers to attack German subs. After German sub attacks, FDR convinced Congress to authorize arming U.S. merchant ships. Each incident in the northern Atlantic led America more and more into the war.

In terms of Japan, Tojo Hideki was the premier of Japan controlling the day-to-day decisions as well as the military. Tojo hated the United States and favored war. However, Emperor Hirohito insisted the Japanese government try to work a deal with the U.S. FDR and Secretary of State Cordell Hull took a tough stance with Japan, while Army Chief of Staff George Marshall and Chief of Naval Operations Harold Stark warned about the U.S. having inadequate forces. Hull had to make Japan a tougher offer for peace that originally intended and Japan took it as an ultimatum. Therefore, Japan made its final decision for war with the U.S. on November 29, 1941. The location of the attack...Pearl Harbor.

On September 27, 1940, Japan had signed the **Tripartite Pact** with Germany and Italy, which officially formed the Axis. While Germany (and on a minor scale Italy) expanded in Europe, Japan was expanding in China and the Pacific. They knew the only possible threat to them would be the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. had an oil embargo on Japan. Therefore, Japan planned the attack. While planning, Japan was acting aas if they were willing to negotiate a peace, while they were actually planning an attack on the U.S. naval base. **Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku** was planning the attack. The plan was dangerous since Japan had to go 3,500 miles without being detected and had a very rigid timetable. Military officers and government personnel didn't see Pearl Harbor as a threat since the water was shallow. The biggest fear was sabotage so the ships and planes were bunched together. To counter the shallow water, the Japanese put buoyant wooden fins on the torpedoes so they wouldn't sink into the floor of the harbor. Yamamoto saw success in the Pacific only happening if they were able to knock out the U.S. Pacific fleet. He recognized the importance of air power and woud use carriers to launch attacks. Using aircraft carriers to launch attack planes would be new in WWII. Yamamoto had been an opponent of war with the U.S. but did recognize the industrial potention of America. Therefore, he felt a major blow to the U.S. Pacific fleet would give Japan at least 6 months to expand their power in the Pacific. He also felt that the U.S. might negotiate a settlement.

The attack on Pearl Harbor would take place on **December 7, 1941**. In the morning, two enlisted men reported a large number of aircraft approaching from the northwest. An inexperienced lieutenant (Kermit Tyler) told them not to worry assuming the plans were a flight of U.S. B-17 bombers that were to come from California later that morning. Japan had completely surprised the military personnel at Pearl Harbor. **Admiral Husband Kimmel** was in command of the navy and **General Walter Short** in command of the army at Pearl Harbor. In terms of damage, more than 2,400 Americans lost their lives. The Japanese losses totaled only 29 planes destroyed and 70 damaged. Of the 8 U.S. battleships, Japan sank 4 and damaged the others. Japan destroyed 160 aircraft and damaged 128 other. The Japanese did achieve the element of surprise and was able to cripple the U.S. naval fleet in the Pacific. In the morning, a U.S. destroyer reported that it attacked a Japanese sub but Kimmel didn't issue a general alert believing the incident was not serious enough to warrant such action. Short's radar system was understaffed and lacked experienced personnel. Both Kimmel and Short may have been victims of bad luck rather than negligence, but both were held responsible and relieved of their command. In defense of Kimmel and Short, few saw Pearl Harbor as a serious target due to the shallow water. In response to the attack, Japanase Admiral Yamamoto said he feared all that they did was "//awaken the sleeping giant//." In the end, this was true because U.S. factories and industry mass produced war goods. Japanese failures included not getting the U.S. carriers, which weren't at port and they called off the third wave, which missed the onshore oil facilities.

In the aftermath, FDR wanted to send a message to Japan. The U.S. declared war on Japan December 8, 1941 saying that December 7 was a "//day that will live in infamy//." Germany declared war on the U.S. December 11, which made the war a world war. Hitler expected the U.S. to concentrate forces first on Japan and then Germany, which would give him time to expand territory and power. FDR approved of a plan led by Colonel James Doolittle, which were the **Doolittle Raids** to launch bombers off of aircraft carriers, bomb Japan, and then land in China.

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