Democracy’s Finest Hour, 1941-1945
Chapter 17
1. Though both formidable foes, what were the main differences between Germany and Japan entering into another world war? Pg. 590 Germany was well prepared technologically and was out to literally conquer the world. Japan, however, had no illusions about being able to sustain itself if the war “lasted three years.” They felt it would be lucky for them to last 6 months to a year.
2. If Japan was so unprepared for war, why did they pursue it full force? Pg. 591 Culture and racial overtone play a critical part in understanding this intriguing subject. Japan had been dawdling in China for three years when America threatened to cut off credit to them thereby cutting Japan’s ability to get petroleum. The Japanese felt threatened by the U.S. that it was leading the charge to isolate Japan from the rest of the world. The Yamato race, according to the Japanese, were the superior race and certainly superior to the “mongoloid mix” of Americans. Therefore, they would force a massive attack on the U.S., crippling their navy, then move into Burma and the rest of Asia, commandeering their militaries, thereby building Japan’s. General Hideki Tojo, known as the Razor – a ruthless man, planned to “shock and awe” the Americans into submission quickly. He planned an all out assault on America’s naval fleet at Pearl Harbor and then planned to attack and “swallow” up all of Asia. Japan was steeped in tradition and Bushido warrior (Samurai – death over defeat) tactics.
3. Though devastating and frightening, the attack on Pearl Harbor was not a success for the Japanese because of these four reasons. Pg 594 1) Yamamoto did not take the carriers as part of his winnings, 2) Most of the carriers would be salvaged and used against him, 3) He failed to destroy the oil storage facilities, 4) He awakened “a sleeping giant” in the American people.
· Roosevelt was later accused of having prior knowledge of the Pearl Harbor disaster. It has been proven false. On Dec. 8th, he asked congress for a declaration of war against Japan. Three days later, Germany declared war on the United States. Though he recognized the danger of Nazi Germany and the evil of Hitler, Roosevelt would not enter the U.S. into war because it might jeopardize his popularity. He knew it would happen sooner or later, but he put it off as long as possible for his own gain.
4. According to the authors, how would the war’s outcome have been different had Roosevelt declared war “on our own timetable”? pg. 596-597 Hitler’s strategic “blitzkrieg” may have been stopped, perhaps the Holocaust may have been avoided, Hitler may not have invaded Poland and/or Russia. FDR was more worried about his popularity than the millions of people whose lives were in jeopardy.
5. Compare Hollywood’s support of WWII and Vietnam, etc. Pg. 599 WWII Hollywood was extremely supportive and hundreds put their careers on hold to support the country and do their civic duty. Today… Hollywood are pacifist wimps…. Most of them.
6. Movies, music, books, art, etc. were all engaged in propaganda in America. What sentiments were they promoting? Why was it necessary according to the authors? Pg. 599 Support for the war. Donald Duck as a war hero, racist tunes against Japanese or Germans, or Italians, etc. Necessary because Americans, as a rule, didn’t have a clue that other cultures were natural born killers and ruthless. We didn’t understand that mentality. Needed to know the inherent dangers.
7. Why was the American military so successful? (Let’s not compare it to today’s… why get depressed, huh?) Pg. 599. The war totally galvanized the country in support of the war. A groundswell of patriotism and sacrifice by all Americans with winning as the goal could not help but result in a successful military.
8. What did the U.S. do with its large numbers of POW’s? pg. 604 Put them in camps like in Arizona. One man escaped into the vast desert only to be later captured in the buttes trying to get out of the heat.
· The very traits of the New Deal that had denounced self-reliance, individual effort and capitalism, were trashed because of the need for capitalists.
9. What was the “Manhattan Project”? pg. 605 Emerged with a letter to FDR by Albert Einstein warning him that Germany could have a nuclear bomb. The U.S., United Kingdom, and Canada were involved. It started in Manhattan, New York where it got its name.
10. Describe the effectiveness of America’s “strategic bombing campaign” against Germany. Pg 606-607 Allied bombing was devastating and played a key role in winning the war for the following reasons: 1) a significant number of German planes left the Eastern Front where they could have taken out Russian tanks, 2) The bombing destroyed much of Germany’s war production capabilities: oil, more aircraft, submarines, etc. 3) Germany lost many pilots and planes from the bombing campaign.
11. Explain the significance of “Bataan” in the Pacific theatre. Pg. 608 Eleven thousand Americans on the Batann Peninsula were marched inland on hot jungle roads with no food or water. They were tortured and left to die on the road.
12. Most Americans had an exaggerated and distorted view of the Japanese. Referring back to question #2, why were we so afraid of the Japanese? What did FDR do with most of the Japanese-Americans during this time? Pg. 608 Rounded them up and put them in “relocation camps” or “internment camps”.
13. Compare the “western way of war” to the German, Russian, Japanese, Middle-Eastern way of war. pg. 609 We have used “water boarding” as a means to get information.We paid reparations to the Japanese because we realized internment camps had been wrong. We are humane and believe in the value of life and the individual whereas other countries do not.
14. What was significant about the “Battle off the Coral Sea”? pg. 610 First naval engagement fought solely from carrier-launched aircraft. After the Yorktown was damaged, the US was left with only the Enterprise and the Hornet in the eastern Pacific to confront the entire Japanese fleet.
15. What was the “Miracle at Midway”? Pg. 610-611 (HISTORY.COM BATTLE AT MIDWAY) Just six months after the vicious attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attempt to lure the remaining US fleet into the Pacific near Midway Atoll. In an amazing turn of events, US fighter planes attack the Japanese carriers and exposed fleet of Zeros (planes). Over 300 trained Japanese pilots were killed as well as destroying and debilitating the entire Imperial Naval fleet of Japan.
16. What was “Operation Torch” and how did it affect Hitler’s forces? Pg. 612 Britain and America joined forces to annihilate the Axis powers in Africa. This stopped any attempt of Hitler to link up with the Japanese forces. In May 1943, more than a quarter million German and Italian soldiers surrendered, dealing Hitler his first serious defeat and securing the Mediterranean for the Allied navies.
17. What happened to Mussolini? How did Hitler co-opt him? Pg. 613 After Italy surrendered to the Allied forces, the Italians were furious at Mussolini and his very unpopular war. He escaped and hid until the Nazi’s helped him escape and reinstated him as a “puppet” dictator. Of course, Hitler was really calling the shots. Mussolini was eventually captured by Italian partisans and hung in the public square along with his mistress, Clara Petacci.
18. What was the reaction of world leaders to the Invasion of Normandy, or D-Day? Pg. 617. Churchill and Roosevelt thought it was ingenious; despite the fact that Eisenhower and Patton had changed the original plan. Though too many troops lost their lives, it was a definite turning point in the war and facilitated France’s freedom from Germany.
19. What happened to Hitler? Pg. 620 Committed suicide with his new wife, formally his mistress.
20. Why did Roosevelt, the leader of the free world, not do something about the plight of the Jews and Hitler’s goal for a Judenfrei (Jewish free) Germany? Or about the mass murder inflicted by Stalin in Russia? Pg. 622 Roosevelt was in total denial that it was even happening. He pandered to Stalin and felt like he was basically a good guy. Though he had all kinds of influence and pull, he exercised none of it to help the Jews.
21. What happened to the “Displaced Jews” after the Holocaust? How did the U.S. view the Zionist State? Pg. 621 Many were too afraid to return back to Poland, Germany, France, etc. The United Nations decided through the Balfour Declaration that they could occupy Israel, which was under British rule, and that Israel would become an independent state. Roosevelt did not support a Zionist State and did nothing to help the Jews. He died unexpectedly and Truman took over totally support the Jews and their move to Israel.
22. Explain the significance of the battles of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Pg. 623-625 The Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower. It was the second major offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan.[8] The objective was to deny the use of these bases by the Japanese to threaten supply routes between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The Guadalcanal campaign was a significant strategic combined arms victory by Allied forces over the Japanese in the Pacific theatre. Guadalcanal marked the transition by the Allies from defensive operations to the strategic offensive in that theatre and the beginning of offensive operations that resulted in Japan's eventual surrender and the end of World War II. Iwo Jima: The U.S. invasion, charged with the mission of capturing the three airfields on Iwo Jima,[2] resulted in some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of World War IIThe battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands, and the Imperial soldiers defended their positions tenaciously. Iwo Jima was also the only U.S. Marine battle where the American overall casualties exceeded the Japanese. The battle was immortalized by Joe Rosenthal's photograph of the raising of the U.S. flag on top of the 166 m (545 ft) Mount Suribachi by five Marines and one Navy Corpsman. The photograph records the second flag-raising on the mountain, which took place on the fifth day of the 35-day battle. The picture became the iconic image of the battle and has been heavily reproduced. Okinawa: the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War.[4 Japanese used a “Typhoon of Steel” referring to the vast number of Kamikaze attacks used and from the sheer numbers of war ships that invaded the island from the Allied forces. Hirohito refused to give in. Even the women and children were trained to fight the Allies. “Death before Defeat” Even with the declaration of the “Potsdam Proclamation” that required “unconditional surrender” the Japanese looked at with complete contempt and only dug their heels in further committing even more severe atrocities to POW’s. 23. What three reasons are cited by the author that justify the dropping of the atomic bombs? Pg. 628-630 1) Invading Japan would cost more American lives, 2) They also calculated the thought process of Hirohito and the Japanese concept of “Death over Defeat” and realized that without complete annihilation, they would just continue to fight and sacrifice lives, regardless of what it was doing to their own people, 3) The Japanese proved to be as depraved and vile as the Nazis and that part of the peace agreements would be to completely dismantle the samurai Bushido way of war.
