Synopsis
Adams starts in chapter one by noting that all societies have their histories that make them proud. The Second World War is one of the histories that make the US proud. Events that took place in the past offer helpful insights in establishing some of the ways through which people solved their problems. For instance, he notes that the sinking of the Titanic ship serves as warnings to the new American generation while the Second World War serves as show of might.
The Second World War is very important to the American history because it shows the American power, bravery, optimism, and other good qualities. The American populace has forgotten all the bad things that happened during the Second World War and has turned the event into a shining legend of the good war.
In chapter two, the historian makes an effort of explaining why the US government engaged in the Second World. It was perceived that a group of dictators, including Hitler of Germany, Mussolini of Italy, Franco of Spain, and Hirohito of Japan, were interfering with the democratic ideals in the world.
For instance, Japan was so aggressive to an extent of invading Manchuria while Italy logged arms with Abyssinia in 1934. This was interpreted to mean that the aggressors would definitely interfere with the interests of Americans. An effort was made to ensure that aggressors are eliminated. In the third chapter, Adams describes the patterns of the Second World War, by describing how alliances were formed.
He notes that the war had a clear pattern from 1939 to 1945. In chapter four, he explains how the US was able to come up with weapons of mass destruction, which shocked the whole world. For instance, Japan was forced to surrender because it could not much the technologies of the US. In chapter five, he observes some of the reactions from foreign powers. The use of atomic bombs came as a surprise to a number of states.
This invited criticism from some quarters, including China. However, the US was supported by many states for restoring peace in the world. In chapter six, he explains the reactions of the local citizens. Even though many Americans supported the war, they did not approve the use of atomic bomb on human beings. In the last chapter, the historian notes that the international system changed greatly since major powers such as Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan were no more.
Review
The historian observes that the US was forced to engage in the Second World War in order to restore peace and tranquility. However, this is partly true because national interests influence the behavior of states in the international system. It is suggested that the US could have joined the war to safeguard its interests but not to salvage Britain and France. In Europe, states had coexisted for centuries with balance of power acting as the regulator of state behavior. Each state was considered a superpower meaning that there was no anarchy in Europe.
For instance, Britain encouraged the armament program advocated by the Germany government because it feared that Russia was becoming powerful. It is even suggested that the US played a role in encouraging Germany to accumulate weapons. This would definitely discourage Russia and other powers in Europe from engaging in aggression. Therefore, the suggestion that the US joined the war to save the world is misplaced. The US wanted to use the war to expand its economic and military empire.
Some analysts observe that the use of atomic bomb was a show off to the world because communism had threatened the interests of the US. In Japan, the leaders had agreed to step down and call off the war but the US went ahead to use weapons of mass destruction. This means that the US was determined to show the world that it had a military capability that could not be matched with any other.
In fact, the bombs had to be used in one of the communist states, even if it meant creating a temporary crisis with Russia. Communism had taken over territories that belonged to the US such as China and East Asia. The US was not happy about this. Japan never posed a security threat to the US because it did not have the capacity to withstand the American war.
Even though some historians claim that the bombing of the American canal was a major reason why atomic bomb was used, the US had other options, including sending troops to Japan and staying there permanently. Thomas Hobbes noted that life in the state of nature is anarchic, nasty, short-lived, and brutal. Similarly, life in the international system is nasty, anarchic, and brutal. Adams does not take note of this anarchy in his analysis.
The Second World War gave the US an opportunity to stamp authority. The US never joined the war to restore democracy as suggested by Adams. Adams understands the Second World War from an idealist perspective yet realism should be applied in comprehending the activities that took place during the Second World War.