War of the USA and Japan: years, causes, losses

In August 1945, two nuclear bombs exploded over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending a four-year war in the Pacific, the main opponents of which were America and Japan. The confrontation between these two powers became an important component of the Second World War and had a significant impact on its outcome. At the same time, today's alignment of forces in the international arena is largely the result of those long-standing events.

What caused the fire in the Pacific Ocean

The cause of the war between the US and Japan lies in the conflict between these states, exacerbated by 1941, and in an attempt by Tokyo to resolve it militarily. The greatest contradictions between these powerful world powers arose in matters related to China and the territory of French Indochina - the former French colony.

Rejecting the "open doors" doctrine proposed by the US government, Japan sought to fully control these countries, as well as over the territory of Manchuria that it had previously seized. Because of the persistence of Tokyo in these matters, the talks in Washington between the two countries did not bring any results.

But this claim was not limited to Japan. Tokyo, considering the United States, Great Britain and other colonial powers as its rivals, did its best to force them out of the South Seas and South-East Asia, thus capturing sources of food and raw materials that were located in their territories. It was about 78% of the world's rubber production in these areas, 90% of tin and many other riches.

The beginning of conflict

By early July 1941, the army of Japan, despite protests from the governments of America and Great Britain, had seized the southern part of Indochina, and after a short time came close to the Philippines, Singapore, the Dutch Indies and Malaya. In response, America imposed a ban on the importation of all strategic materials to Japan and simultaneously frozen the Japanese assets that were in its banks. Thus, the outbreak of the war between Japan and the United States was the result of a political conflict that America tried to resolve with economic sanctions.

It should be noted that Tokyo's military ambitions extended up to the decision to seize part of the territory of the Soviet Union. This was announced in July 1941 at the imperial conference by Japanese Minister of War Todzio. According to him, it was necessary to start a war with the goal of destroying the USSR and gaining control over its rich natural resources. True, at that time these plans were clearly unworkable due to lack of forces, the bulk of which was aimed at war in China.

The tragedy of Pearl Harbor

The war between the US and Japan began with a powerful blow to the US naval base of Pearl Harbor, caused by aircraft from the ships of the United Japanese Navy commanded by Admiral Yamamoto Isoroko. It happened on December 7, 1941.

On the US base, two air raids were committed, of which 353 aircraft became participants, who rose from six aircraft carriers. The result of this attack, the success of which was largely predetermined by its unexpectedness, proved so devastating that it put out a significant part of the American fleet and became a truly national tragedy.

In a short time, the enemy's aviation directly at the berths destroyed four of the most powerful battleships of the US Navy, of which only 2 with great difficulty was restored after the war. Another 4 ships of this type received serious damage, and were permanently disabled.

In addition, 3 destroyers, 3 cruisers and one minelayer were sunk or seriously damaged. As a result of the enemy bombing, the Americans also lost 270 planes, which were at that moment on the shore airfield and on the decks of aircraft carriers. To crown it all, torpedo and fuel storage facilities, piers, a shipyard and a power station were destroyed.

The main tragedy was considerable losses of personnel. As a result, the attack of Japanese aviation killed 2404 people and injured 11,779. After this dramatic event, the US declared war on Japan and officially joined the anti-Hitler coalition.

The further offensive of the Japanese troops

The tragedy that took place in Pearl Harbor disrupted a significant portion of the US Navy, and since the British, Australian and Dutch fleets could not make Japan's naval forces a serious competition, it gained a temporary advantage in the Pacific. Further military actions Tokyo was in alliance with Thailand, a military treaty with which was signed in December 1941.

The war between the US and Japan gained momentum and initially brought a lot of trouble to the government of F. Roosevelt. So, on December 25, Japan and Thailand jointly succeeded in suppressing the resistance of British troops in Hong Kong, and the Americans were forced to immediately evacuate their bases located on the nearby islands, abandoning equipment and property.

Up until early May 1942, military success invariably accompanied the Japanese army and navy, which allowed Emperor Hirohito to take control of the vast territories that included the Philippines, Java, Bali, Part of the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. In the Japanese captivity there were about 130 thousand British servicemen.

A turning point in the course of military operations

The US war against Japan was developed only after the sea battle between their fleets, which occurred on May 8, 1942 in the Coral Sea. By that time, the United States was already fully enjoying the support of the Allied forces in the anti-Hitler coalition.

This battle entered world history as the first in which the enemy ships did not draw together, did not fire a single shot or even see each other. All military operations were carried out solely based on them by aircraft of naval aviation. This was, in essence, a clash of two carrier groups.

Despite the fact that during the battle, none of the opposing sides succeeded in gaining a clear victory, the strategic preponderance, however, was on the side of the Allies. Firstly, this sea battle stopped the successful, until then, advance of the Japanese army, with the victories of which the war between the US and Japan began, and secondly, it predetermined the defeat of the Japanese fleet in the next battle that took place in June 1942 in the area of the atoll Midway.

In the Coral Sea, two main Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk - "Shokaku" and "Dzuikaku". This turned out to be an irreparable loss for the Imperial Navy, as a result of which the victory of the United States and its allies in the next naval battle broke the course of the entire war in the Pacific.

Attempts to retain previous gains

Having lost 4 more aircraft carriers, 248 warplanes and their best pilots, Japan has lost the opportunity to effectively operate at sea outside the areas covered by coastal aviation, which was a real catastrophe for her. After that, the troops of Emperor Hirohito could not achieve any serious success, and all their efforts were aimed at keeping the previously conquered territories. Meanwhile, the war between Japan and the United States was still far from over.

During the bloody and heavy fighting that lasted for the next 6 months, in February 1943 the US troops managed to capture the island of Guadalcanal. This victory was the implementation of part of the strategic plan for the protection of maritime convoys between America, Australia and New Zealand. Later, by the end of the year, the United States and the allied states took control of the Solomon Islands and the Aleutian Islands, the western part of New Britain, southeast of New Guinea, and the Gilbert Islands, which were part of the British colony.

In 1944, the war between the US and Japan became irreversible. Having exhausted its military potential and lacked the strength to continue offensive operations, the army of Emperor Hirohito concentrated all forces on the defense of the previously occupied territories of China and Burma, giving the enemy further initiative. This caused a number of defeats. So, in February 1944, the Japanese had to retreat from the Marshall Islands, and six months later - from the Mariana Islands. In September, they left New Guinea, and in October they lost control of the Caroline Islands.

The collapse of the army of Emperor Hirohito

The war between the United States and Japan (1941-1945) reached its culmination in October 1944, when the victorious Philippine operation was undertaken jointly by the Allies. In addition to the American army, it was attended by the armed forces of Australia and Mexico. Their common goal was the liberation from the Japanese of the Philippines.

As a result of the battle that took place October 23-26 in Leyte Bay, Japan lost the bulk of its navy. Its losses were: 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 11 destroyers, 10 cruisers and 2 submarines. The Philippines was completely in the hands of the Allies, but individual clashes continued until the end of World War II.

In the same year, having a significant preponderance in manpower and technology, the US troops successfully conducted an operation to seize the island of Iwo Jima from February 20 to March 15, and Okinawa from April 1 to June 21. Both of them belonged to Japan, and were a convenient springboard for air strikes against its cities.

Especially crushing was the raid on Tokyo, carried out by the US Air Force on March 9-10, 1945. As a result of the massive bombardment, 250,000 buildings were turned into ruins, and about 100,000 people were killed, most of whom were civilians. During the same period, the war between the US and Japan was marked by the offensive of the Allied forces in Burma, and the subsequent liberation from the Japanese occupation.

The first atomic bombing in history

After August 9, 1945, Soviet troops launched an offensive in Manchuria, it became quite obvious that the Pacific Campaign, and with it the war (1945) Japan-US completed. However, despite this, the US government undertook an action that had no analogues either in previous or subsequent years. He ordered the nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The first atomic bomb was dropped on the morning of August 6, 1945, on Hiroshima. It was delivered by the US Air Force B-29 bomber, named Enola Gay in honor of the mother of the crew commander - Colonel Paul Tibets. The bomb itself was called Little Boy, which means "Baby". Despite its affectionate name, the bomb had a capacity of 18 kilotons of TNT and claimed lives, according to various sources, from 95 to 160 thousand people.

Three days later, another atomic bombing followed. This time, its goal was the city of Nagasaki. Americans, inclined to give names not only to ships or planes, but even to bombs, called it Fat Man - "Fat Man". Delivered this killer, whose power was 21 kilotons of TNT, the B-29 bomber Bockscar, piloted by the crew under the command of Charles Sweeney. This time, from 60 to 80 thousand civilians became victims.

Japan's surrender

The shock of the bombing, which ended the years of the war between the US and Japan, was so great that Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki appealed to Emperor Hirohito with a statement on the need for an early cessation of all military operations. As a result, six days after the second atomic strike, Japan declared its surrender, and on September 2 of the same year a corresponding act was signed. The signing of this historic document ended the US-Japan war (1941-1945). It was the final act of the whole World War II.

According to reports, the US losses in the war with Japan amounted to 296,929 people. Of these, 169,635 are soldiers and officers of land units, and 127,294 are military sailors and infantrymen. At the same time, 185,994 Americans were killed in the war against Hitlerite Germany.

Did America have the right to strike nuclear strikes?

Throughout the post-war decades, disputes over the appropriateness and legitimacy of nuclear strikes at the time when the war (1945) Japan-USA was almost completed have not been calmed down. As most international experts note, in this case the fundamental question is whether the bombings that claimed tens of thousands of lives were necessary to conclude a treaty on the surrender of Japan on conditions acceptable to the government of President Harry Truman, or were there other ways to achieve the necessary result?

The supporters of the bombing claim that thanks to this extremely brutal but justifiable, in their opinion, measures, it was possible to force the Emperor Hirohito to surrender, while avoiding the mutual victims inevitably associated with the forthcoming invasion of American forces in Japan and the landing of troops on the island of Kyushu.

In addition, they cite statistical data as an argument, from which it can be seen that each month of the war was accompanied by a mass death of the inhabitants of the countries occupied by Japan. In particular, it is estimated that for the entire period of the stay of the Japanese troops in China from 1937 to 1945, about 150,000 people perished each month. A similar picture can be traced in other areas of the Japanese occupation.

Thus, it is easy to calculate that without causing a nuclear strike that forced the Japanese government to immediately surrender, each subsequent month of the war would take at least 250,000 lives, far exceeding the number of victims of the bombing.

In this connection, the now-grateful grandson of President Harry Truman, Daniel Truman, in 2015, on the day of the seventieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, recalled that his grandfather did not repent for the rest of his days in the order given to him and declared the undoubted rightness of the decision. According to him, it greatly accelerated the end of the military confrontation between Japan and the United States. The world war could also last a few more months, if not for the decisive measures of the US administration.

Opponents of this point of view

In turn, the opponents of the bombings say that without them the United States and Japan suffered significant losses in the Second World War, which, due to civilian casualties among the two cities subjected to nuclear attacks, is a war crime, and can be equated with state terrorism.

On the immorality and inadmissibility of nuclear bombing, many American scientists who personally took part in the development of this deadly weapon made statements. His earliest critics are prominent American atomic physicists Albert Einstein and Leo Sylard. Back in 1939 they wrote a joint letter to US President Roosevelt, in which they gave a moral assessment of the use of nuclear weapons.

In May 1945, seven leading American experts in the field of nuclear research, led by James Frank, also sent their message to the head of state. In it, scientists pointed out that if America first uses the weapons developed by them, it will deprive it of international support, will trigger the arms race and in the future will undermine the chances of establishing control over this kind of weapons in the world.

Political aspect of the issue

Leaving aside arguments about the military expediency of inflicting an atomic strike on the cities of Japan, we should note another possible reason why the American government decided to take this extreme step. This is a demonstration of power with the aim of influencing the leadership of the Soviet Union and personally on Stalin.

When, after the end of World War II, there was a process of redistribution of spheres of influence between the leading powers that had defeated fascist Germany shortly before, Truman deemed it necessary to demonstrate to the world who at the moment possesses the most powerful military potential.

The result of his actions was the arms race, the beginning of the Cold War and the notorious Iron Curtain that divided the world into two parts. On the one hand, official Soviet propaganda intimidated the people with a threat that allegedly came from "world capital" and created films about the war with Japan and the United States; on the other, they did not tire of talking about the "Russian bear", which bent on universal and Christian values. Thus, the atomic explosions that thundered at the end of the war over Japanese cities, echoed throughout the world for many decades.