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World War Chapter 2 Summary

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(1.) In 1931, Japan began to show signs of aggression to its western neighbor, China. Japan’s successive attacks on China from 1931-1937, eventually led to a “special undeclared war” in which the aggressor deployed no less than 15 army divisions to China (Carroll 2007, 187-188). Japan attacked China for the following reasons: “the disastrous impact of the Great Depression, Japan’s perceived need for assured markets, sources of food and raw material, and areas of settlement for a country deemed to be overpopulated.” However, the reason Japan was able to attack China with ease is because of “China’s division and weakness” and their personal “mainland ambitions” (Carroll 2007, 187). I believe that the Sino-Japanese conflict—aroused from the Marco …show more content…

I agree with his comparison. The similarities are quite interesting. Both the Confederacy and the Japanese engaged in a war that they were not prepared for. Each aggressor initiated the attack, and hoped for an early defeat. Neither of those happened. The time period of the Civil War and the Second World War is also similar. The author also draws an interesting point concerning its reliance on a European power in the hopes that it could serve as a springboard to defeating the United States. An interesting point that the author states that I completely agree with is “both the confederacy and Japan had to win quickly or not at all” (Carroll 2007, 200). This is seemingly the only way each nation could stand a chance against a stronger, more powerful contender. I stand with Willmott’s comparison of the American Pacific to the Union’s Civil War effort. I think his argument could be improved by stating the fact that both wars against the U.S. had historic tension before ensuing the major attack. For example, for the Civil War: States’ rights, Slavery. On the other hand, for Japan, the War Plan Orange, and cutting off shipping

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