15 - The war in the Pacific, 1941–1945

Summary

The outbreak of war in the Pacific between Japan, the United States and the British Commonwealth nations can be attributed to two primary causes, as fallout from the war in Europe and as a result of a clash in Japanese-American policies in China. American and Japanese interests also clashed as a result of the war in Europe and were tightly linked to events in China. The dividing line between the two Pacific theatres namely, Southwest Pacific Area and Nimitzthe Pacific theatre ran right along the line of the next axis for Japanese offensive operations. With the effective destruction of the Japanese Fleet and the fall of the Philippines imminent, America and her allies were now poised to begin the final destruction of Japan. The Navy thought a blockade would starve the Japanese into surrender. The Army Air Forces was just as convinced that the strategic bombing campaign would end the war.