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Johnathan Taylor Hoyle
Thesis Paper
Hist 400-A01
Dan Morrill
This writer contends that the
expansionistic nature of Japan, and The United States led to the failure of
a positive relationship through negative interactions, and that relationship
only worsened through time building on those feelings until the eventual
attack that brought about a war, and the use of the atomic bomb.
Beginning in the mid 1800’s The
United States had become a power that was prepared to take on the world.
This is easily seen in their relations and tactics with other foreign
nations. America in 1837 sent the ship Morrison to try to establish
relations with Japan; the ship failed miserably in their attempts. The trade
route was tried due to the fine silks, rice and opium. The United States had
always seen a profitable interest in the eastern Asian Sphere, but after
relations with China seemed to dwindle their eyes were set on Japan.
The United States had felt that the
Japanese were a weaker nation and could be easily influenced after the Civil
War; this is evident in their arrival with weapons and technology to train
troops during the Meji Restoration. The relationship built on those acts;
trade routes, forced unequal treaties, led to the hatred that came extremely
prevalent in Japan’s acts on Pearl Harbor in December 7, 1941, bringing
about America’s entrance into WWII.
Historiography
Arthur Walworth’s book Black
Ships off Japan contends that the act of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s
opening of Japan in 1853-1854 was the beginning act to the continuing drama
between Japan and the United States. Walthall states that this along with
the impact of American Evangelism; economic, political, and religious
pressures on a traditionally conservative Japan set in motion the outsight
and groundwork for the world we live in today.
In their book Yankees in the Lands of
Gods, Peter Wiley and Korogi Ichiro explore the arrival of American
influence in Japan, and the history that surrounds the interactions between
the two nations. The book follows the first and second openings of Japan,
but does begin with the tale of Ranald MacDonald who was the first to
explore the coast of Japan. The authors use the personal accounts and
documentations of Commodore Perry, and other officers to explore and expound
on the treaties and the interactions between the two nations, and their
officers. This book showing both sides of narrative helps to better
understand the situation looking through the context of the time.
Retribution the Battle for
Japan, 1944-1945 by Max Hastings excerpts that the war in Japan was at
it’s height in the last year of the war. The book shows the blood lust of
the war, and how Katsugo (death before surrender!), was a determining factor
to the mindset of the Japanese nearing the end of the war. Modern East
Asia edited by Patrick Ebrey; Anne Walthall , and James Palais is a
collective timeline written to show the history of modern Japan, China, and
Korea from 1600; this being beneficial due to the nature of relating the
nations and showing Japan’s brutal involvement within the others.
The Manhattan Project,
written by Cynthia Kelly is a book approved and issued by The Atomic
Heritage Foundation, is directed towards the minds; people, lifestyles,
development and issues surrounding the atomic bomb in the United States on
all fronts.
In The Pacific War Remembered,
edited by John T. Mason accounts of naval officers are used to show the
reality that war was a true hell. The officers accounts of Kamikaze pilots
and the atrocities that they caused by following the orders of their “God
Emperor”. These oral history accounts show that in the eyes of the beholder
one can truly see the way that the Japanese would not have surrendered
without dropping the Atomic Bomb.
Early Interactions and American Imperialism
From 1797 until 1837 American ships were
trading in Nagasaki under the Dutch Flag, this was requested by the Dutch
who could not send their own ships due to their involvement in the
Napoleonic Wars. The United States first made contact by the US Merchant
ship Morrison in 1837, with American businessman Charles W. King at the helm
for the attempt, but were thwarted and attacked several times. The hopes to
set up relations with Japan seemed to be bleak at best, it was another ten
years before the United States tried to open trade relations with Japan. In
1846, when US Commodore James Biddle was sent to open trade with Japan.
Biddle had in his position two ships, one being a warship armed with 72
cannons, though he was unsuccessful. Later in 1848 Captain James Glynn
sailed to Nagasaki and proved to be the first successful attempt to open
trade with “Closed Country” Japan, he was permitted to proceed. Glynn
reported back to the United States Congress that they should continue to try
and open the route but needed to return with a naval force to prove their
power, this set in motion for the arrival of Commodore Matthew Calbraith
Perry and the “Black Ships”; [1], [2] .
Matthew C. Perry was born into a naval
family with his father being Captain Christopher C. Perry, and his older
brother was Oliver Hazard Perry “ The Hero of Lake Erie” in the war of 1812.
Perry’s career began in the war of 1812 and soon there after was the main
officer in the opening of the Key West and Florida. Perry had proven he was
a worthy captain and was very interested in the advancement of naval
training. Perry had a major hand in the naval academy and was a major
supporter of the apprentice program in the Navy. Once Perry had shown his
interest in naval advancement he was moved to command the USS Fulton, which
was the first steam powered ship used by the American Navy, thus he earned
the name “Father of the Steam Navy”; [3] .
Perry had decided that eh should be straight forward and present in all
interactions before he set foot in Japan, “ I was well aware that the more
exclusive I should make myself and the more exacting I might be, the more
respect these people of forms and ceremonies would be disposed to me, hence
my object, and the sequel will show the correctness of these conclusions”
Perry July 1853; [4] . On July 2, 1853 the
American Squadron led by Perry had reached Edo Bay, Japan.
Perry had entered Edo Bay with 4 ships at
his command; the Susquehanna, Mississippi, Plymouth, and Saratoga. Perry’s
job was not only to open the trade with Japan but to protect his men and
fleet, he had positioned his squadron throughout Edo Bay in defendable and
well protected positions. Perry poised himself this way to be prepared to
defend and to attack against the weak wooden defenses of the Japanese;
[5]. The aggressiveness of Perry was
clearly seen in the notion that he ordered all of his captains to the
flagship and made sure that the same actions that had happened to Commodore
Biddle would not occur to him. Perry made four executive orders to his men;
1) not to let any ship surround any American ship; if they did they were to
be fired upon. 2) They were to make preparations to be boarded, with planks
ready, and to have muskets and cannon loaded, 3) to load the front bow guns
to the bay at the two fortifications on Uraga, 4) only three Japanese
officials were to be allowed to board a vessel at one time, and only three.
This assertiveness was one of the main keys to a demanding presence and a
positive interaction to opening trade.
After two and half years of planning the
American’s had finally reached The Land of the Gods and the Americans were
prepared for a relationship based of friendly trade or a warlike atmosphere
to accomplish their goal. Kayama Eizaemon was a Japanese witness to these
events; he was at artillery practice at Uraga. Kayama was the captain or
yoriki in charge of a Japanese guard boat Number Four, he loaded his
ship and went to the American ships, he saw something that was astonishing
to his own eyes; Kayama noticed that his fellow countrymen had been trying
to board the ships, yet they were being repulsed continually by both pikes,
and loaded muskets. This type of behavior had yet to be seen by the
Japanese; they had only years before boarded; attacked and repulsed the USS
Morrison. Kayama arrived and saw his fellow yoriki Kakajima
Saburonosuke being repulsed from the USS Susquehanna, Perry stayed in his
cabin and a Dutch interpreter was sent to speak to Kakajima. The two
yoriki joined their boats together and talked over what to do, the
decision was to let Kakajima to speak to an officer of comparable rank,
somehow the Americans thought that he was the vice governor of Uraga. The
terms were discussed and then Kakajima said he would return the next day
with a higher official from Edo. The Japanese were awe struck by the
aggressive tactics of the Americans and instantly a cloud shroud the
situation setting a bad indention in the minds of the Japanese. The
officials had returned to Edo and made the conclusion that the American’s
would have to go to Nagasaki. The problem with this was that the United
States had sent warning of their intentions a year prior and said that since
the Japanese knew the situation they should be prepared and that the
American ships would not leave Edo Bay. The deliberations took until July
14, 1853; the Japanese were worried about the consequences if the United
States found out about the weakness of their Emperor, and the leadership of
the Tokogawa Shogunate.
The Japanese, to the rest of the world were
lead by an Emperor who at the time was hidden away at His palace, and
guarded by Tokogawan spies. The Tokogawan Shogunate were a class of upper
class Japanese officials that had “advised” the emperor, when in reality
they truly ruled the country. The United States did not know this, that
being the worry of the Japanese. The letter that Commodore Perry had to
deliver was to be given to the emperor or a council member of his. The
Japanese dressed up a police official and made him act as if he was the
Governor of Uraga, and could speak on behalf of the emperor. After days of
stalemate and many possible skirmishes avoided the Japanese conceded to meet
on the shore of Kurihama Bay. The end result was that Commodore Perry would
return in one year with the answer of the Japanese; “When the interpreters
conveys these messages, the Japanese gave close attention. They asked that
the sentences be repeated. Then they wanted to know whether the Commodore
would return with all four vessels?” “All of them” Perry threatened, “And
probably more since these are only a small portion of the squadron!”
[6].
During the absence of the
American the Japanese feared what to do, and deliberated; but their leader
had also died that year, so the shogunate decided to try and to use this to
their advantage , and try and slow the steam monstrosities that were making
continual movement back to Japan. The Americans had been securing their
investments in China; fortifying ships, and bases during the past year and
were ready to return, yet once their bow was on Japan the Governor-General
of the Netherlands East Indies sent them a message explaining the death of
Japanese leaders and that a long morning process was needed, for the
Americans to wait. This was not to suit Perry as he knew that the Russians
and the French were also trying to make contact with the Japanese, this
letter only sped the American determination, and aggressive drive to trade
into Japan; [7].
Upon the arrival of Commodore Perry the
Japanese immediately put up a resistance to what would actually occur, and
where it would take place. After weeks of deliberation a location was agreed
on and the treaties were to set in place. Due to the American resolve of
Commodore Perry and his tactful pressure on the Japanese the Americans were
granted entry to trade at the ports of Shimoda, and Hakodate. The treaty
made clear, upon the request of Perry that America was a “most favored
nation, and could receive more freedom than those of other nations;
[8]. Thus the first “unequal treaty” of
Kanagawa was signed.
Japanese Imperialism and Takeover
Beginning in the 1870’s;
shortly after the arrival and departure of Commodore Perry, Japan began to
flex its muscle against other Asian countries as the American’s had done to
them. Japan first set its eyes on Korea, and with the forceful treaty of
Ganghwa in 1876 they forced Korea into foreign trade with Japan, then soon
after Japan took over Taiwan in 1895. The Japanese had pressured their way
into Korea and would occupy it militarily. This was the mainstay point in
the beginning step of Japans spread into early mainland Asia. The beginning
of the Russo-Japanese War in 1903 would prove as a standard for the purpose
of Japan to show its “metal” in the area of imperialism. The war was an
outcome of Russia wanting to have a fully operational year long port. The
Russians needed a port to be able to trade from in the warmer waters of the
Pacific Ocean and they set their eyes on Korea and Manchuria;
[9].
Japanese occupation was
manifested in the nonviolent
March 1st Movement
of 1919, where 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and
military. Beginning in 1939 more than five million Koreans were conscripted
as laborers for the Japanese government. During the rule of the Japanese in
Korea, not only were the familes forced to changed their last names to
Japanese; [10] ,
[11] . The Japanese had taken over all action forseen in Korea, and
this was to last until 1965. The occupation was known about worldwide and
accepted by the American government as seen per the Taft-Katsura agreement f
1905; [12] , in which the United States
acknowledged the actions made by Japan in return for Japan’s acquiescence in
the United States colonization of the Phillipines in 1906;
[13] . Japan had taken over all of Korea’s
diplomatic interactions, and though there were complaints and rebellions
against this the Japnese government forced a Korean king to abdicate in
1907. The nilitary was disbanded and all fell subject to being conscripted
into the Japanese army. Japan took control of the farming industry in Korea
as a first step, since Japan was not large enough to supply all of its
people with food grown internally , this helped to promote the islands
economic development.
Japan had
created a name for its expansionistic cause, it was to be known as the
Oriental Development Company. The company began to “buy” land in Korea for
purchase by Japanese settlers, and began to funnel capital into Japenese-owned
businesses;[14] . Any one who moved into
Korea, Japenses or other enjoyed a lifestyle far more extravagant than that
of a Korean citizen, both in privilages and education. During WWI Japan
enjoyed a fruitfull process that helped to elevate their global postion.
Japan’s alliance with Great Britain led to the gaining of all pacific
islands colonized by Germany, and led to gaining land in Manchuria. Before
the end of WWI Japan had inposed its infamous Twenty-One Demands on China.
At the time Great Britain, even
then it was shown and noticed that Japan was becoming overbearing on Asia.
Britain began to show a distaste to what seemed would become a Japanese
complete control over China. This was easily noticed due to Britain’s
involvement in Hong Kong, and other areas of China. China itself began to
become overly-pressured by the Japanese government eventually rising against
it with the May 4th Movement. The movement itself consisted of
five resolutions by Chinese students gathered in Tiananmen Square; 1)
opposed the granting of Shandong to the Japanese under former German
concessions, 2) draw awareness of China's precarious position to the masses
in China, 3) recommend a large-scale gathering in Pekin, 4) promote the
creation of a Peking student union, 5) hold a demonstration that afternoon
in protest to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The protest was quickly
rested by the entrance of the Chinese police and other officials, with the
death of one student as a result. The actions of Japan during WWI and the
expansionistic nature of Japn during these times led up to the years before
WWII, and what would eventually become Pearl Harbor.
The Years before Betrayal
In the years
surrounding the beginning of WWII The United States saw a great deal of
change inacting the world around it. The ending of WWI had left scars across
Europe and left a big purse in the hands of Japan, who had gained land, and
many perks to being an ally at the time. The League of Nations had been
created with the allies from WWI leading the pack, Japan was to be one of
these front runners that would abuse the power granted. The Japanese were
allowed to grow their navy due to being an ally, this in many eyes will
become a main downfall to the entrance in WWII. The United States had shown
itself to be the largest national power in the world, yet it only wished to
reatin its idealology of Isolationism. This was soon to be seen by some as
apolicy that should have been ostrasized, and by others as a policy that
should have never let itself loose the commanding grip it had.
Japan had began to gain spped in
Asia and it seemd that they were no where near willing to loose the
momentum. After Korea, and parts of Manchuria Japn got a taste for what
seemed to be the best meal ever had. They now set their eyes to conquer all
of Manchuria, and even China. Beginning in 1931 the Kwantung Army of Japn
took strides in Manchuria eventually enveloping the entire country in one
year. This set the staging grounds for entrance into China, and a more
properous lifestyle than ever imagined; [15]
. In 1932 Japan began into China with the initial bombing of Shanghai, this
was their cushion of war, to set the stage. The world had now fully seen the
intentions of Japan and were starting to worry, especially with Japan’s
leaving the League of Nations. With the absence of Japan from the League,
and their aggressive tactics in China becoming more prevalent witht eh
establishment of a manipulative government in Bejing, the world began to
wonder the full intentions of Japan. This became more and more distiguished
when Japan fully invaded China on July 7, 1937. As China began to see its
country being lost they relocatted their captial to Chongqing. As the world
was enveloped in what was going on in Europe with Hitler, eyes quickly
turned to see the atrocity that began to happen on December 13, 1937;
[16] .
The Nanjing
Massacre/Rape of Naking, known to some as the Japanese equivalent to the
concentration camps of Adolf Hitler. No one truly knows the fully extent of
deaths that succombed from the event but the details that are known lead one
to believe that dropping of the Atomic Bombs over Japan was a completely
justifiable event. Thousands of Japanese women; old and young, were subject
to continual rape until they were discarded and killed; men within the city
were slaughtered on sight most of the time, if not atrociously mutilated
before maimed. The Japanese government tried its best to cover up the event
and say that they were attacked and met with resistance, yet no soldiers or
any armed personal were near the area, an area of China was desecrated only
for a sex drive and lust for blood it seemed. Word spread around the world
in response to the actions of those Japanese soldiers involved. Japan itself
felt semi-ashamed of the act and found that enslving korean citizens was a
better way to settle a sexual drive for their soldiers. Thus Japanese
comfort women came to be, these women were of Korean descent and would
travel with the soldiers and when needed be subject to rape or sexual
favors. As a result of the Rape of Nanking, the United Staes put it’s first
embargo against Japan on the sale and exporting of war materials in 1938.
The United States trying to remain isolated and uninvolved in the war kept
its distance. In the spring of 1940 the U.S. Pacific Fleet was moved to
Pearl Harbor in Hawai, this was done to have the fleet centralized in case
of the need to quickly mobilize.
Three moves were left to be made
before the stage was set and all the actors were present for the
assimilation of WWII; these three being the signing of the Tripartite Mutual
Defense Pact by Italy, Germany, and Japan; the United States embargo of
scrap metal and Iron to Japan, and Britain and the United States final cut
off of trade with Japan. Now that The United States had shown its feelings
towards Japan, just like the case with Commodore Perry being that it would
cut off the nation before military pressure, Japan made the decision to
surprise the world and attack Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor
enlightned the world on how the Japanese would fight this war, and to how
they intende to help their own allies as best as possible. The United States
had cut off a major supply to the Japanese and they were wanting the chance
to prove themselves, with or without the help or enfluence of the United
States in this war. On December 7th, 1941 a surprise attack on
Pearl Harbor, “ Now, we were expecting the big carrier Enterprise to
come in that day before and she hadn’t come, so we thought, maybe those are
Enterprise planes. They were always playing war games out there, the
army against the navy, in surprise attacks. So we thought, maybe it’s the
crazy army air forces. They didn’t know when to quit. They even had to get
after us on a Sunday morning.” ; [17]. The total of the attack was 2,350 ,
including 68 civilians; 1,178 were injured, 1,177 of the military enlisted
were killed on the USS ARIZONA; [18]
.
The United States was not
prepared for the attack made that morning, it was this attack that brought
about its entry into WWII. The war began for the U.S. in Europe, but would
soon turn to the “Land of the Gods”. The United States made preperations
towards the war that was coming in the Pacific. The first staging ground in
the Pacific was not as expected. The United States during the first stages
of the war seemed to fail miserably with losses at the Phillipines; Burma.
It was not until the U.S. vistory at the naval battle of Midway June 4-7,
1942 that things began to turn around for the allies;
[19] . The Battle of Midway turned the page
and setting for the destruction of the Japanese navy, at Midway the Japanese
lost 4 fleet carriers and 200 experienced fighter pilots. The battle was
intended to be a surprise by the Japanese, yet they were not prepared for
the crippling loss. After Midway the battle for the Pacific turned to a
predominatly land battle; full of atrocity and mutilation. In 1943-1944 the
Allies made their move, and moved in the South Pacific. The Gilbert and
Marshall islands became a staging point in which the United Staes would
plan their land attacks. It was not until August 1944, the United States had
taken over the minor islands in the pacific, and were preparing for the
firebombing of Tokyo, and the attacks on Iwo Jima;
[20] . There were now in the same positioning as that of Coomodore
Perry when forcing the unequal treaties, “ As Naval stragtegy, this plan
forcasted one that proved effective in 1945” ;
[21] . Iwo Jima was to be the major staging point in which the United
States could attack Tokyo directly, the airfields at Iwo Jima would prove
essential to hopefully ending the war. At 02:00 on Febuary 19, 1945 the
battle began. Iwo Jima was an extremely fortified Island and by the first
night it would seem that the Japanese would provide a surprising fight, “ We
had a gross misconception of the enemy before we encountered them …They were
not jokes; they were not inept. We hated them enough to kill them, but we
did respect their ability. I often thought that if we did have to go to war
again, I would want them on our side.” ; [22]
. It would take the American soldiers on Iwo Jima a month to take the
island. This would have once seemed impossible, but due to the technology of
modern warfare a once impossible thought became a truly bloody reality. The
defenses that were set in Iwo Jima to some still remain the strongest held
defeses in the war. “ Captain Kouichi Ito, an army officer who remained a
lifelong student of Japan’s wartime campaigns, believed Iwo Jima was the
best conducted defensive operation of the Japanese war … he himself
participated on Okinawa.” ; [23] .
The war seemed to persist and
get only worse as the Americans gained a closer and closer to obtaining a
true foothold in Japan homeland. The last and most atrocious battle for
American soldiers on the Pacific Theatre would be on Okinawa. The main
reason to gain Okinawa was to have an airfield 340 miles from the main
Japanese islands. At Okinawa American soldiers would fully see the meaning
of katsugo, and would learn that just like in the United States; home
land soil is sacred soil, and anyone would die to protect it at any cost.
The best insight this writer has found to the ferocity of Okinawa was in the
writings of E.B Sledge. E.B. Sledge was an artillary Corperal in Company K,
on Okinawa and Peleliu.
Sledge refers to instances of
fellow Marines extracting gold teeth from the Japanese dead. One case,
Sledge views a removal while the Japanese soldier was still alive, then the
marine quickly drove his knife into the wounded Japanese soldier, Sledge did
not partake in taking “spoils." Sledges viewed another marine run over and
shoot the Japanese soldier. The marine then took his prize and drifted away,
cursing the others for their humanity;
[24].
Sledge also refers to maiming; decapitation, and castration on behalf of
Japanese soldier to American soldiers. The main problem with Okinawa was
that it was most secured island that the Americans had encountered, the
Japanese had used the island for artillery practice for years and truly knew
every inch of the island.
Takehido Udo, was the Japanese Colonel was in charge of the island and had
set up defenses along the island, throughout caves and secret tunnels, thus
making surprise attacks a constant predicament facing American soldiers,and
marines. The Battle for Okinawa took American troops from March 18 – June
23, 1945, thus making it the longest lasting land battle faced in the
Pacific. The land war hand ended and now American eleaders had met to
decide if they would need to invade mainland Japan. The problem facing them
was that President Roosevelt had made it clear when he entered the war that
a policy of “Unconditional Surrender” would be the only way to end the war.
The ending of WWI had left a bad taste in many mouths and this seemed the
only way to secure another world war from happening. Harry S. Turman was the
President at this point in the war due to Roosevelts passing on April 2,
1945. Truman knew that one of the conditions that would be needed to end the
war with unconditional surrender would have to be that the position of the
Emperor Hirohito, would have to be erradicated. Elsewise the power of Japan
would reside within one mans hands and this war could continue on, since he
was viewed as a God. “ To dethrone, or hang, the Emperor would cause a
tremendous and violent reaction from all Japanese … Haning the Emperor to
them would be comparable to the crucifixion of Christ to us. All would fight
and die like ants”; [25] . On June 18,
1945 Truman met with his chiefs of staff and asked three questions; do we
have to invade mainland Japan, if we invade what are the casualty costs,and
how important is Russian involvement? The answers that he heard where one of
the mainreasons that the atomic bomb was to be used. From July 16th
until August 2nd President Truman was at The Potdam Convention;
this being to draw details for Japanese surrender and all that they were to
entail. At this convention President Truman received conformation that the
Atomic Bomb testing had been succesful and knew that he had an ace of spades
in his back pocket to end this war. Truman had found his way out, to save a
million American lives, the decision was made, and the bombs were dropped on
Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945; and Nagasaki on August 9th,
1945.
The Reason for a Nuclear Season
The world would have
never developed the Atomic Bomb if it had not been for the intervention of
Leo Szilard, a Hungarian Jew. Szilard brought this to Albert Einstein who
wrote a letter to President Roosevelt that started it all. The letter was
written in fear that since the technology and scientific know-how was
present that Hitler, and Nazi Germany might be trying to produce such a
weapon. Otto Hahn in the years before had found out on how to split the
atom, Lise Meitner foud out fission of an atom, and how to cause a possible
destructive force by doing so. The United States enlisted Robert Oppenheimer
to lead the research on this issue, known as The Manhattan Project. The
United Staes began trying to enlist scientists to study the creation of such
a bomb. Scientists from around the world gathered into different locations
to do research. Los Alamos was the most infamous research facility, at Los
Alamos the bomb was to be built, and since nothing was there a “boom-town”
was built for the scientists, their apprentices, and familes to live in. The
peoblem with the idea of an atomis bomb was that it was to be made with
Uranium U-235; this was a hard goal to accomplish since U-235 was in an
extreme rare abundance. Therefore in Hanaford, Washington there was a
facilty whose only job was to take U-238; a componant of Uranium and
bombared it with neurons to create Plutonium, which was easier to create
than to search for U-235. In Oak Ridge, Tennessee was a facilty to
manufacture perct U-235 that was to be used for the first Atomic Bomb. The
two bombs that were created from the lab in Los Alamos were of Uranium 235
origin and Plutonium. The Plutonium bomb was the one in question as the
scientists knew that the U-235 bomb would work, there fore on July 16th,
1945 the bomb was sucessfully tested at the Trinity testing site in Arizona.
This is the bomb that Truman received word on while in attendance at the
Potsdam Convention.
Conclusion
This writer iniated this paper
advancing the thesis that the
expansionistic nature of Japan, and The United States led to the failure of
a positive relationship through negative interactions, and that relationship
only worsened through time building on those feelings until the eventual
attack that brought about a war, and the use of the atomic bomb. The
relationship that developed due to the first interactions of the two
nations, and the behaviors that aggressively occurred over the first 90
years led to distaste between the two countries. The aggressive actions of
the United States towards the expansionistic opening of trade with Japan,
through Commodore Perry and others, along with Japan’s aggressiveness in the
Asian Sphere led to an eventual meltdown of the two that came to a full
clash in WWII. The actions of both countries in WWII; through surprise
attacks, mutilation, and treatment of the deceased led to a hatred that this
writer feels made the dropping of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
necessary.
Endnotes:
[1]
Perry’s name is usually misspelled as Gailbraith
[2]
Sewall, John S. The log of the Captains Clerk: Adventures in the China
Seas p. 35
[3]
ibid, Sewall
[4]
Perry, Matthew Calbraith, The Japan
Expedition, 1852-1854; The personal journal of Matthew C. Perry ; Roger
Piney Edition ; Smithsonian Press, 1968
[5]
Wiley, Peter. Yankees in The Land of the
Gods , Viking Publishing; 1990
[6]
Walworth, Arthur. Black Ships Off Japan.
Archon Books; 1966
[7]
ibid pg. 155
[8]
ibid pg. 190
[9]
Ebrey, Walthall, Palais. Modern History
of Asia: from 1600 Houghton Mifflin Company; 2006
[10]
ibid pg. 466
[11]
Kim, Richard. Lost Names; University
of California Press, 1998
[12]
ibid pg. 466; Modern East Asia: From
1600
[13]
ibid pg. 466
[14]
ibid pg. 466
[15]
ibid pg. 469
[16]
ibid pg. 520
[17]
ibid pg. 520
[18]
Mason, John. The Pacific War Remembered.
U.S. Naval Institute; 1986 pg. 7
[19]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pearlharbor
[20]
ibid Mason, John pg. 91
[21]
ibid Modern East Asia pg. 521
[22]
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