Skip to main content

What were some similarities between the European and Pacific theaters during World War II?

The main similarity between the European and Pacific theaters of operation during World War Two was the nature of the adversary against which the United States and its allies were fighting. Both Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany were governed by militaristic autocratic regimes. Japan, under Emperor Hirohito and, more significantly, Hideki Tojo, was entirely militarized with the goal of expanding its territory and access to natural resources, leading to the invasion of Manchuria in 1931...

The main similarity between the European and Pacific theaters of operation during World War Two was the nature of the adversary against which the United States and its allies were fighting. Both Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany were governed by militaristic autocratic regimes. Japan, under Emperor Hirohito and, more significantly, Hideki Tojo, was entirely militarized with the goal of expanding its territory and access to natural resources, leading to the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and subsequent invasions of Southeast Asia and the Philippine Islands. (Japan had already, in 1919, colonized the Korean Peninsula.) Germany was governed by the National Socialist German Workers Party, or the Nazis, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Hitler, like Tojo, was determined to expand his country's borders both to incorporate more territory with which to feed its large and growing population and to secure access to natural resources, specifically the oil fields of the Caucasus and Romania. Whereas Japan had invaded China and Southeast Asia both to secure land for growth and to access resources, including oil and rubber, Germany invaded Russia and the Ukraine for the same reasons. 


Both the European and Pacific theaters represented expansive regions requiring enormous numbers of troops and ships, and both involved military operations designed to move Allied troops closer and closer to enemy homelands. The European theater actually started in North Africa, as U.S. and British forces found it necessary to defeat German forces there in order to gain a foothold with which to eventually attack Continental Europe (through Sicily and mainland Italy). In the meantime, Allied forces were gradually built up in England for the purpose of ultimately invading Europe from the north--the D-Day landings of June 1944.


The comparison with the Pacific theater involved the "island hopping" campaign orchestrated by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. Because of the range limitations of American bombers, island chains across the Pacific had to be secured so that the U.S. could construct airfields on the islands that could then accommodate those bombers and extend their range closer and closer to mainland Japan. The battles for these island, such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Corregidor, were among the most intense of the entire war, and U.S. Marine Corps and Army fatalities were enormous. The toll in Japanese lives was even greater, due in no small part to the fanaticism that had been instilled in Japanese troops defending the islands.


Another similarity between the European and Pacific theaters involved the efforts of the United States and Great Britain to resupply its forces over long ocean routes. German submarines in the Atlantic and Japanese submarines in the Pacific both exacted a costly toll on Allied shipping.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some tensions between men and women in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is a largely male-driven play. Calpurnia and Portia are the two main female characters, and they are both wives of major characters. Calpurnia is Julius Caesar’s wife. She makes public appearances with him, but there may be some awkwardness between them because of her inability to have children. He publicly tells Antony to touch Calpurnia to cure her of barrenness when he runs the Lupercal, a “holy race” and fertility festival. Calpurnia has... Julius Caesar is a largely male-driven play. Calpurnia and Portia are the two main female characters, and they are both wives of major characters. Calpurnia is Julius Caesar’s wife. She makes public appearances with him, but there may be some awkwardness between them because of her inability to have children. He publicly tells Antony to touch Calpurnia to cure her of barrenness when he runs the Lupercal, a “holy race” and fertility festival. Calpurnia has nightmares about Caesar’s death. She claims that she is not naturally super...
Post a Comment
Read more