Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat

World War II brought difficulties in the economic side of things. When the war ended, reduction in the consumption meant that less jobs for the people. Additionally, Americans’ were unemployable because of jobs not being

After World War II Germany was left devastated and in ruins. There had been massive destruction of the country’s infrastructure (Bessel 2011), it lacked political structure and economic activity had plummeted. There was a scarcity of food, fuel and housing and Germany was in no condition to clothe or feed its population (O’Dochartaigh 2003).

By the start of the great depression Japan had already began losing several major trading partners. Therefore their number of exports had decreased drastically, leaving many Japanese people unemployed . Famine had also began to take it's effect due to rice crop failure. To make matters worse Japan was running out of natural resources putting a halt to their industrial revolution. So in 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria, China in hopes to start creating an Asian empire and obtain more resources such as oil, rubber and slave labor. As Japan began invading more areas of China and Asia they took pride in their successful war leaders and developed a collective consciousness of their military accomplishments. Soon the Japanese government was military operated and their passion and dedication to nationalism had

In 1939 the U.S. began an embargo of aircraft and aircraft part against Japan (document c). In July 1941 the United States freezes all Japan assets and bank accounts (document c). Then came August 1941 when U.S imposed an embargo on oil shipment to Japan (document c). The United States had stopped all its trading with the necessities Japan needed. Japan had developed anger with each embargo U.S. had made which lead them to attack Pearl Harbor. In 1937 more than 70% if the oil Japan received was from U.S. (document d). In 1941 oil Japan had received from U.S. by degrees decreased to less than 40% (document d). 341 tons of oil dropped after America throughout time stopped trade with Japan (document d). This shows that the U.S. was trying to weaken Japan economy, so Japan responded by attacking Pearl

Japan also played a big role in the outbreak of World War II. Japan suffered significantly in the Great Depression, especially when China and the United States both placed trade barriers on Japanese imports. During the 1930s, the military established almost complete control over the government. Many political enemies were assassinated, and communists persecuted. Indoctrination and censorship in education and media were further intensified. Navy and army officers soon occupied most of the important offices, including the one of the prime minister. The military-dominated government was determined to create an empire in Asia. In 1931 Japan followed the example of Western nations and forced China into unequal economical

Although Japan changed in many ways from 1853 to 1941, there were also many factors that remained the same throughout the history of Japan. One such continuity was the maintained existence of a figurehead ruler controlled by other political authorities. The feudalistic emperor of Japan was the supposed “highest, most powerful authority” in the land, but was actually controlled by the military leaders- the shogun. Similarly, the militaristic emperor of Japan decades later continued to remain a figurehead ruler controlled by military and government officials. In addition, Japan continued to remain reliant on exports in order to maintain its economy. As a result of Japan’s small geographical size, the island nation had few natural resources and was forced to rely on exports to survive economically. The nation also grew increasingly reliant on other nations to provide materials and supplies that it could not provide for itself. This complete reliance on other nations was seen illustrated when the Japanese military was provoked to attacking another superpower- the United States, in response to the 1940 United States embargo

“World War II and the Depression are now nearly as far back as we can go in living memory, and so the loom large in our active folk story. And many who lived then were too young to understand it in its depth; they remember only that the war was a great victory” (Adams 115).

This research leads to the belief that the war spending in WW2 is what brought this country out of this depression. At the time of the war, over 11 million of United States population joined the military. Once the 11 million

As indicated by Document E, its ambitious endeavor costed “several billions of yen” and “well over 100,000 dead and wounded”. In addition to the heaping problems, America began an embargo on products Japan depended on for success, starting with aircraft and aircraft parts in 1939 and oil in 1941, and freezing all Japanese assets and bank accounts (Document C). The termination of imported oil was undeniably the most damaging. Document D indicates that prior to 1941, America supplied Japan with eighty percent of its oil; Document E claims that by 1943, the military would have no petroleum to utilize. Two months after the embargo, Pearl Harbor was bombed.

From the earliest times, war has existed as a painful reality. Stories are passed down from generation to generation about brave men fighting epic battles in ancient civilizations. Occasionally a different type of legend emerges: the homefront hero. In Ancient Greece and Rome, elderly statesmen prevented famine and raised supplies for their distant armies in wartime. From then on through history, those left behind, from the leaders of countries tested in resolve and commitment by wars to the ordinary citizens who rise above their routines to serve their countries, are powerful forces behind victories. World War II was no exception. While the soldiers abroad were undoubtedly true heroes of the war, the parents, siblings, and children they left behind also assisted in the war effort. No one remained truly unaffected by the war. Without the labors of women, the efforts of schoolchildren, and the institution of rationing, World War II could not have been won.

Have you ever really gotten to know the details behind Japan and America´s relationship during World War 2? There’s too the relationship then you think. It was because of America’s economic power that Japan decided to bomb us. Really it’s all about the economics. World War 2 was one of the biggest conflicts between Japan and America.

The breakdown rate during this time period for men ran as high as 90 percent. To make World War II into the best war ever, we must leave out the area bombings and other questionable aspects while exaggerating the good things. (Adams, 7) Adams continues on to discuss why the war really happened, who was responsible for the war, or an even better question who can we blame? After searching through numerous explanations for the crisis of 1930’s, Adams himself came to the conclusion that there were “no easy answers”. He discusses historical events

Germany emerged from World War I with huge debts incurred to finance a costly war for almost five years. The treasury was empty, the currency was losing value, and Germany needed to pay its war debts and the huge reparations bill imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war. The treaty also deprived Germany of territory, natural resources, and even ships, trains, and factory equipment. Germany’s population was undernourished and contained many widows, orphans, and disabled veterans living in poverty. The new German government struggled to deal with these crises, which had produced a serious hyperinflation.

Upon arriving to the mainland of Japan, many of the American occupation were stunned at the utter devastation that the Japanese had endured. It was a testament to both the bravery and spirit of their armies, as well as the foolishness of their leaders, that they were able to endure the war as long as they had. Having put most of their economic resources to the war movement, much of the civilian population was left in near famine. With the armies throughout the Pacific being repatriated on a daily basis (although many wouldn't return for year) the conditions became even worse. Despair and hunger set into the populace that was described as the "kyodatsu condition." With their colonies in Asia no longer in direct control, much of their food supply imports were cut off. Japan had relied heavily upon the importation of rice, sugar, and salt, but access was now severely restricted. To make matters worse, the United States decided to take a hands-off approach to rebuild the economy, a natural decision to punish a nation that caused so much devastation to others. Malnutrition was a leading cause of preventable death in many major cities, and the rapid rise of

Firstly, the financial aid from the strong state is the main factor that arose the economic miracle in Japan. When the cold war began, the U.S. government feared that a bleak economic prospects and instability in Japan would encourage the expansion of Soviet influence in the Pacific, and with a triumph of communism in China’s civil war, the prospective of East Asia seemed to be at stake (Miyazaki 1967). As a consequence, the concern about the spread of communism, which aroused the American officials to stress the expansion of chances for