Luce, andhistorians in general for that matter, would say World War II starts even earlierthan that, and that it didnot start inEurope, but in China. The year it beginsin today’snarrativeis 1931,simultaneous to the events we have been discussing in the past two weeks.
Theconflict starts inManchuria, aregionof northern Chinarich in resources. This iswhere it all begins for the Japanese.
Thereare many reasons for starting here, and geography and mineral deposits havemuch to with it. Japan is anisland. The country wanted to buildships, but it doesn’t have the raw materials to build them.
Themilitarists—believing that spending on armaments would lift Japan out of theworldwide depression–wanted to build airplanes, but they didn’t havethe fuel deposits to get them off the ground.
Everythingthe country needed to build an offensive war machine, which would be steel,oil, coal, rubber–thesame resources that fueled America’s economic growth at the beginning of the 20th century–needed to beimported.
Japanneededa resource rich area to exploit in order to build its war machine. It was not just Japan, but also the Germanswho recognized that China was resource rich.
TheGermansoffered to give the Chinese Army military training and advisors in exchange fornatural resources from China, specifically, the mineral tungsten.
Duringthe war, there was a worldwide shortage because China’s economy wasdisrupted. The country was home to overhalf the world’s supply, but the destruction wrought by the Japanese putproduction to a standstill.
Inthe 20th century, mankind had created many modern marvels of technology thatwere good for killing people.
Wetalked about how automobiles changed American lift. But new weapons changed the face of warfare,making it productive on an industrial scale.
Submarineshad been perfected, mounted with torpedoes, and could sink enemy ships instealth.
Airplanes,meant to transport humans, were mounted with cannons, bombs, and rockets, andfought in the air, but could also drop bombs on cities and people on theground.
Machineguns could not be handheld. Tanks, thedistant overbearing cousin of the farm tractor, would be mounted with heavycannons and shielded by inches of armor plate.
Thisiswhere Tungsten came in. It was used tocreate armor piercing shells that could shatter heavy armor, specifically thatof tanks. How would this destroy a tank? ILLUSTRATE WITH LASER POINTER
Whydid I take the time to illustrate this? What is the point?
Theslowbuilding up of the forces of the Axis powers, and the eventual unleashing oftheir war machines upon the world, was supported withthe ores and natural resourcesfrom China and other regions for a decade prior before the United States gotinvolved militarily.
Todaywe are going to discuss World War II and Americanculture. How did the war impact people’slives? How did American culture changebecause of it? How were women impacted?
Let’s pick up with theAmerican century. Luceobviously wants people to get involved in it. The whole thing has a serious tone… but at least onFebruary 17, 1941, it’s a hollywood party!!!
Luce isabsolutely correct in his article, the United States is untouched by war but inthe war. He argues the United States hasinterests in shaping the war’s outcome if American values are going toultimately prevail.
Theyneed to prevail according to him.
Hisarticle did not make the United States go to war. Luce probably would say a higher powerdrew the United States into war after a decade of isolationism.
Yousee, conflicts had broken out across the world.
Usually, thedates given for World War II are between 1939-1941. For the United States, the war begins in 1941when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. ForGreat Britain and France, it begins in 1939.
Somepeoplesay it starts in 1937when theItalians invade Ethiopia. Others wouldsay it begins when the Germans march through Europe and annex Austria andCzechoslovakia.
Lucewould probably say that the war started even earlier then that. Where would he start it?
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