Recovery from the Pearl Harbor Attack
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. These bombings did not demolish the naval fleet of America but harmed it. Major damages were inflicted upon the United States, especially in the Arizona, Oklahoma, and Utah regions in terms of soldiers as well as equipment. This resulted in the United States declaring war against Japan. (Adams)
In response to this attack, Japan expected the American people to shudder and negotiate. Instead, the attack ended up uniting the Americans against Japan and the other Axis nations, resulting in the entry of the United States in World War 2. President Roosevelt took the necessary initiatives to prepare for the task ahead. (Adams)
An enormous amount of weapons were created which included tanks, ships, aircraft, high-tech guns, and nuclear weapons. For example, by 1944, the US had around 96,000 aircraft in its fleet. Even though this tremendous boost in weaponry did not earn them immediate success, the Japanese were beginning to feel the difference. (Adams)
The famous Doolittle bombing raid was accomplished in Japan by America on 18th April 1942. Even though this did not damage Japan seriously, it shattered their morale and boosted America’s. This was followed by the success in the Battle of Coral Sea and later, the battle of Midway where many Japanese personnel and carriers were destroyed. (Adams)
This series of victories for the United States, due to the strategies adopted and the much superior force of the Americans aided in their recovery after the Pearl Harbor attack and caused America to stand back on its feet and play a major role in defeating the Axis Powers in the war.
America’s role in defeating the Axis Powers
The preparations to defeat the Axis Powers started with directing resources to create a headquarters in Washington which would be used to direct the war efforts and to plan out the ground and air attacks. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, in 1942, emerged as a committee to discuss, advise, and coordinate the strategy of the war that they were going to fight alongside the allies (Murray). Later, in March, the organization of the War Department General Staff was done and three major divisions were made in the Army. The divisions were Ground Forces, Air Forces, and the Service Forces.
America played a major role in fighting with the Allies to defeat the Axis Powers. Britain, one of the major allies, needed huge amounts of weapons and other gear, such as vehicles and aid. America also provided a chunk of this much-needed aid to the Soviet Union.
U.S army stepped on British soil in early 1942 (Chen). It was not until much later when they began a full-fledged fight against the Axis. At that time, the air force was the only possible way to attack Germany. The Royal Air Force started the bombings on Germany in May 1942 (Chen). And air attacks against the continent were started by the Americans on July 4.
On several occasions, conflicts were encountered between the American and British leaders who wanted different approaches to the war. For example, General Marshall preferred an all-out invasion of Germany whereas the British did not want a confrontation to avoid casualties. Nonetheless, America utilized all of its available resources effectively fighting alongside the Allies in the War, and ended up playing a key role in defeating the Axis Powers.
America’s relationship, today, with the Axis Power countries
The three major countries in the Axis Power were Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Germany
The United States of America and Germany have a close bond today. Their shared values and interests cause them to be close allies. This friendship is mainly due to American efforts in the post World War 2 times. The United States provided Germany with political and economic support according to the Marshall Plan. Also, in the era of the cold war, America guaranteed liberty to the German people. If it weren’t for American support, Germany would not have been able to regain its sovereignty and national unity.
Germany fights alongside the United States in the war against terrorism and cooperates in solving international conflicts. As an example, Germany has about 8000 soldiers serving in the Balkans and Afghanistan. (United States of America)
Japan
Today, America shares a strong bond with Japan. This relationship started in 1952 when the Treaty of San Francisco was signed and lasts till today. The relationship is so good that about 47,000 US military servicemen are in Japan because of the invitation from the government of Japan. (Porter)
Even though America’s relations with Japan in the Second World War were extremely bitter, Japan became an ally of the United States in the Cold War period and was provided with big amounts of economic aid for development and stabilizing. It is because of this partnership that, today, the Japanese economy is so strong. (Porter)
Italy
The United States and Italy have very good relations today. Especially from the economic aspect, wherein 2008, Italy was the 12th largest trading partner of the United States. The exports from Italy to the United States totaled about $36.1 billion and the exports from the United States to Italy totaled around $15.5 billion. Italy’s military is dependent on the aircraft and machinery imported from the U.S. and there is around $28.4 billion U.S. foreign direct investment in Italy, as of 2007. (Background Note: Italy)
Reasons for good relations with the Axis Power countries
In today’s time, a country cannot afford to exist in isolation. This is the era of globalization and every country needs to maintain a good relationship with others to prosper. The same is the case with the United States.
The Axis Power countries are a few of the most advanced and successful countries in the world in terms of political stability, economic growth, technological advancement, and cultural values. It will be an absurd decision if the United States decides to be hostile against Germany, Japan, and Italy.
The United States needs good relations with these countries so that trade can be carried out and investments can come and in and efficiently go out of United States. This would be beneficial for both countries in terms of economic growth.
In today’s global environment, for a superpower like the United States, handling the country’s affairs is just part of the job. It also has to look into the international conflicts and problems and address them. For this purpose, it needs the support of other countries on platforms like the United Nations where a consensus and needed for any decision to be implemented. The United States, alone, will not be able to achieve much. For example, in the fight against terrorism, Germany has about 8000 soldiers serving in the Balkans and Afghanistan alongside the Americans. (United States of America)
Works Cited
“A Brief History of WWII.” World War II History Info. 2009. Web.
Adams, Mathew. “America’s response to Pearl Harbor.” Helium. 2009. Web.
“Background Note: Italy.” 2009. U.S. Department of State. Web.
Chen, Peter. “Bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, and Other Cities.” World War II Database. 2009. Web.
Murray, Williamon. “Thinking About revolutions in Military Affairs.” 1997. Web.
Porter, Keith. “The Relationship of the United States with Japan.” About.com. 2009. Web.
“United States of America.” 2008. Web.