Section III Summary
• Japan’s offensive in the Pacific and the Far East was driven primarily by its need for resources and an outlet for its excess population.
• China was a crucial factor in defeating Japan in the Pacific, as China became a major drain on Japan’s manpower and material resources.
• The events in Europe in 1940 had an effect on the fighting in the Pacific, as Japan was allowed to gain a foothold in Indochina and to shape a closer relationship with Germany.
• Planning for war between the United States and Japan had a long history in both countries, and by 1939 each saw the other as the most likely opponent in a Pacific war.
• The decision for war had been all but reached by October 1941, and Japanese attempts to negotiate an understanding with the U.S. met with little support from militarists in Tokyo.
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a tactical victory for Japan, but it was not a long-term strategic one, as many of the ships damaged would see action again, and the more valuable repair facilities and fuel dumps around Pearl Harbor were spared.
• American racial perceptions of the Japanese as monsters were reinforced by the events of the Bataan Death March after the fall of the Philippines in 1942.
• The fall of Singapore dealt a serious blow to Great Britain’s position among the people of Southeast Asia and would undermine Britain’s ability to carry out offensive action against the Japanese.
• American fears regarding an invasion of Japan itself were largely shaped by their experiences during the April 1945 invasion of the island of Okinawa.
• The key to final Japanese surrender was the combination of the use of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war in August 1945.
• Japan’s offensive in the Pacific and the Far East was driven primarily by its need for resources and an outlet for its excess population.
• China was a crucial factor in defeating Japan in the Pacific, as China became a major drain on Japan’s manpower and material resources.
• The events in Europe in 1940 had an effect on the fighting in the Pacific, as Japan was allowed to gain a foothold in Indochina and to shape a closer relationship with Germany.
• Planning for war between the United States and Japan had a long history in both countries, and by 1939 each saw the other as the most likely opponent in a Pacific war.
• The decision for war had been all but reached by October 1941, and Japanese attempts to negotiate an understanding with the U.S. met with little support from militarists in Tokyo.
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a tactical victory for Japan, but it was not a long-term strategic one, as many of the ships damaged would see action again, and the more valuable repair facilities and fuel dumps around Pearl Harbor were spared.
• American racial perceptions of the Japanese as monsters were reinforced by the events of the Bataan Death March after the fall of the Philippines in 1942.
• The fall of Singapore dealt a serious blow to Great Britain’s position among the people of Southeast Asia and would undermine Britain’s ability to carry out offensive action against the Japanese.
• American fears regarding an invasion of Japan itself were largely shaped by their experiences during the April 1945 invasion of the island of Okinawa.
• The key to final Japanese surrender was the combination of the use of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war in August 1945.