War Without Mercy Summary
Initially the United States had been reluctant to enter World War II when it begun, but the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 the catalyst that spurred the nation to enter the war. The main target the US declared war on was not the Nazis of Germany, but rather Imperial Japan. The forces of Imperial Japan would ultimately become the principle enemy in the Pacific War. The Pacific Theater would span until 1945, the United States was motivated to ensure retribution for the lives lost in Pearl Harbor and at the same time to assist its allies against the axis forces. In the final year of World War 2, it appeared that the United States however was willing to end the conflict with the Japanese as quickly as possible. The United States brought
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The concept of bushido, and honor was deeply engrained in Japanese culture. Not only were soldiers expected to fight to the death and to never surrender to the enemy, they also dehumanized their opponents. The Imperial Japanese Army had since the United States had entered the war, began propagandizing the enemies they faced. The book War without Mercy gives various examples of how the Japanese public saw and exemplified the United States. The book takes note of one article referred to as “The Bestial American People”. The article refers to the “real meaning of American individualism … in fact, the Americans desired to destroy ‘the divine state of Japan’ simply to gratify their insatiable carnal desires” (Dower 1986, 243). In addition the article the book mentions also portrays Americans as sadists, killing newborns via drowning and torturing Japanese prisoners of war in manners inhumane and cruel. Specifically, the article mentions that American soldiers tortured Japanese soldiers that was characterized as “only beasts and barbarians could do such things… certainly, humans could not” (Dower 1986, 243). The Japanese public and the Imperial army would find justification in the fight against the United States, believing they were combating a nation that was threatened their way of life. The total war mentality and the ideologies the public undertook made it difficult for the United States for the majority of the war to force Japan to surrender. As the United States captured more and more territory from Japan bringing them closer to a possible land invasion, it seemed that Japan was still fighting to the bitter
The concept of bushido, and honor was deeply engrained in Japanese culture. Not only were soldiers expected to fight to the death and to never surrender to the enemy, they also dehumanized their opponents. The Imperial Japanese Army had since the United States had entered the war, began propagandizing the enemies they faced. The book War without Mercy gives various examples of how the Japanese public saw and exemplified the United States. The book takes note of one article referred to as “The Bestial American People”. The article refers to the “real meaning of American individualism … in fact, the Americans desired to destroy ‘the divine state of Japan’ simply to gratify their insatiable carnal desires” (Dower 1986, 243). In addition the article the book mentions also portrays Americans as sadists, killing newborns via drowning and torturing Japanese prisoners of war in manners inhumane and cruel. Specifically, the article mentions that American soldiers tortured Japanese soldiers that was characterized as “only beasts and barbarians could do such things… certainly, humans could not” (Dower 1986, 243). The Japanese public and the Imperial army would find justification in the fight against the United States, believing they were combating a nation that was threatened their way of life. The total war mentality and the ideologies the public undertook made it difficult for the United States for the majority of the war to force Japan to surrender. As the United States captured more and more territory from Japan bringing them closer to a possible land invasion, it seemed that Japan was still fighting to the bitter