Japan

Japan Expansionism outline
GD= suffered esp w/ high tariffs from China + USA

↑ unemploy + desire control access to raw mats to grow ship + car industries

1931 =invade Manchuria, → access to timber, coal, iron, gold
-saw Chinese = racially inferior
-37 E China/ expected easy victory, but US supply Chinese military w/ equip

1935: Nashin-ron = aim bring Pacific + South E Asia under ‘sphere of influence”

Aims + Consequences of Pearl Harbour

Aim: Discourage US enter war
-remove threat US Pacific fleet so can expand → S.E Asia
-revenge for trade sanctions + military assistance 4 China

Consequences:
-↑ support for enter war in US. 8 Dec dec war on J
-3 aircraft carrier X PH → pacific fleet still strong
-11 Dec = G on US → involve in Euro theatre

Diplomatic change 41
-9 Dec: PM John Curtin dec on Japan b4 seek approval from B
-8 Dec: J invade Malay, troops stationed there since 40

Curtain order redeployment Aus troops Nth Africa + ME → Pacific against wishes of Churchill
-27 Dec 41: Curtin announce change in relationship w/ USA + Bri

Argue Aus survival must = first, even rely on US X Britain, believe should help shape P war strat instead simply follow B decisions
-Aus cant depend solely on B 4 protection cus already commit to fight in Eur

Fall of Singapore 1942
-8 Feb: invaded through marshland, 200 light tanks + 500 aircraft
J = tech+ artillery superior, Allies = X tanks, ↓ anti-tank weap, B preoccupied

Singapore = important 4 trade + defend B interests in Asia
-B main military base + where Pacific Naval fleet operate from
-Believed Singapore X taken

J conquer Malay by air supre+ travel through jungle (bike), notice weakness
-fortified S coastline + neglect N marshland, crucial mistake, expect coastal attack
-soldiers unevenly distributed → inadequate reserves available repel attack

Consequences fall Singapore
Aus & Bri
-surrender= 85k troops captured inc 15k Aus PoWs (Changi/labour camp)

B4 Sing= Churchill believe J X invade Aus + saw defence of India = priority
→ disagree w/ Bri= Church want return Aus 7^th Div sent to defend Burma + Curtin refused b/c responsibility = defence of Aus.

Fall out, aus gov felt B commanders made mistakes/ Churchill X keep promise never abandoned Singapore, so ↓ trust
-held Aus partly responsible = accused Aus troop ill-discipline
→ weak relationship + offer ↓ assistance rest of war

Fight of North Aus
-after fall of Singapore Japan continued push southwards

J aims= capture airfields within bombing distance of Aus
(PNG, Solomon Islands + Fiji so cut off Aus from allies)

Mid-March 1942 J defeat AIF allied troops (dust east indies) + Indo, est headquaters in PNG
-Gen (commander of allied forces in Pacific). Macarthur arrive in Melb, → USA establish main base in Aus, (120k US soldiers)

Coral sea
4^th-8^th May, 1942
Aircraft carriers = key to Naval supremacy, X replac easily. Destroy gives signif advantage of your opp

Aim: take Port Moresby + Solomons Islands → cut off Aus
-Allies aware of attack b/c code = cracked w/out J realizing

Consequences:
-J= Shoho sunk + 2+ bad damaged (unavailable 4 Midway)
-US ships damage h/w repair quickly

Significance
-1^st time J advance stop
-loss + damage of J aircraft carriers evens balance in Pacific
-1^st battle Aus + USA fought together= success

Battle of midway - half way b/n USA + J/ key air + naval base
-lost 3k men, 300 aircraft, 4 carriers
3-6^th of June

Aim: create outer perimeter of empire = protect J mainland
-destroy naval fleet, knock US out war.

Cracked code= allow USA lay trap.
-J focus on bomb Midway airfield + naval base, USS Yorktown surprised J
(thought being repaired, cocky)
-Bad decisions abt refuel. Instead refuel after bomb Midway, order attack on Yorktown → refuel+ rearm delayed → US send 2 bomb waves during this refueling (J = vulnerable)

Significance of midway

-BIggest defeat 4 Japan, X expansionism, X longer protect supply ships
-US air supre – stop supply war materials to J
-X able to cut off Australia

PNG
-J = no plan to invade Aus but plan to

Cut Aus supply line with US by est bases in south-west Pacific islands. 
→ Port Moresby

Why want
-protect Dutch East Indies, had oil, tin mines + rubber plantations.
-deny allies a strong base → launch attacks against strategic targets e.g Rabaul + bombing missions on N Aus
-close Torres Strait + Timor Sea to Allied shipping

Kokoda July – November 1942-

Both sides = poor equip, lack food + ammo throughout.
-July 42: J forces landed at Gona + battalion sent to defend Kokoda
-captured, had only airfield on trail = could bomb Port Moresby
-halted advance 40km from Port, unable maintain supply line  + reinforcements arrive from AIF (Sept) → withdraw

Nov = Aus recapture Kokoda

Cond at Kokoda
-not decisive victory 4 Allies

Neither side’s commanders realize impact conditions would have
-Jungle= dense, track = single file/ steep ridges
-torrential rain → ground = mud
-↑ altitude = altitude sickness + cold conditions (X light fire)

Malaria, dysentery, scrub typhus, tropical ulcers
Ate bully beef + hard biscuits= lack sufficient rations 4 conditions

Huge morale boost for Aus soliders + public
-show ability of soldiers adapt to jungle cond
-although inexperience, didn’t crumble under pressure of enemye
-ensure Aus X cut off from Allied forces in Pacific, J abandon PNG plan

POW jap

Geneva Convention = Principles for treatment of POWs
-Notify kin + Red Cross of capture + receive relief mail
-Provided Food, clothing,  shelter + medical care

X signatory to GC
-X prepare large no. of POWs, believe surrender = dishonourable ↓ respect 4 POWs, death rate = close 36%, over 50% nurse POWs
Diet= hard biscuit w/ beef spread / veg spread + rice

Harsh physical discipline used on POWs + own troops = beatings common
-most common = face-slapping w/ bamboo stick or shovel
-guards = unpredictable / an action that → savage beating one day might → laugh + cigarette next, psychological torment

Changi - Main Japanese POW camp
-Military barracks + civilian prison

Built accommodate 1.5k / housed 11.7k by end of war
-after Fall of Sing, POWs order march → Changi ~29km
-took whatever could carry= food, clothing, bedding

Sent to all parts of empire, force → labour camps= Taiwan, Manchuria, Burma
→ dangerous journey, US subs sunk any J cargo ships
1943: cond ↓, officer stripped of responsibilities + command directly from J
-rations cut= about ½ recommend daily intake/ no work= no food
-medical supplies ↓, ↑ in disease