Abstract
This paper begins by identifying the five major ideas of the book "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II". The paper discusses the book's relevance and educational value and includes a recommendation of this book for readers interested in learning more about the history of Japan following World War II.

Outline:
Five Major Ideas of Embracing Defeat
Relevance
Educational Value
Recommendation

From the Paper
"One of the important ideas of Embracing Defeat was the important role of MacArthur. In overseeing American interests in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur became a "new, imperious figure of authority" (Dower, 1999, p. 40). It is ironic that Japan was criticized by Americans for having a ruler who was believed to hold deity-like powers but then have MacArthur act in a similarly seemingly omnipotent manner. Even American cartoonists noticed this when they "frequently resorted to a virtually identical hand of God iconography by depicting little Japan in the palm of the Allies or receiving MacArthur's orders from on high" (Dower, 1999, p. 69).
"A second important point made by this book is the profound impact of American occupation upon Japanese culture. American attempts to establish democracy in the nation extended beyond the political realm to include reforms aimed at changing the nation's culture. The American society was constructed as an example of a "mature, Western society" whereas Japan was the epitome of "a feudalistic, Oriental culture that was cancerous in and of itself" (Dower, 1999, p. 80).
"A third major premise of the book is that this is a unique moment in history. Certainly, there have been other occupations in history, but this moment in Japan is unique for several reasons. First is the relative difference in the level of experience of the conquered and the conqueror. While America had only been involved in World War II for a few short years, Japan had been waging war for over a decade. Furthermore, this is an example of the two groups having little cultural bonds. The difference in language and customs forced America to rule Japan only indirectly because the utilization of American power directly was simply not possible."

Tags:Nagasaki, atom, bomb, Emperor, MacArthur

Abstract
An analysis of the Japanese navy and WWII, that focuses on their inability to adjust to modern tactics. The paper argues that this inability, combined with superior American industrial power, dictated that if Japan did not win a quick victory, they would inevitably face defeat in a protracted campaign.

From the Paper
"During the first six months of World War II, Japan's navy stormed through the Pacific, putting the world on notice that the island nation was a force to be reckoned with. Four years later, however, the Japanese empire was in ruins and Nagasaki and Okinawa had been destroyed. The story of the Japanese involvement in the Second World War is one of hubris-the Japanese empire overreached its grasp and fell as a direct result of this. Simply put, the Japanese were not prepared and did not really..."

Tags:japan, world war ii, naval, power, fleet, pearl harbor, midway, strategy, aircraft, carriers

Abstract
The paper explains that the primary relationship between WWI and WWII is one that involves the continent alliances and the ideological construct of "total war" that defined major battles and nations that were involved in the conflict. However, the paper discusses how by WWII, it had become a truly global war with the involvement of Japan as a nation of the Far East that fought in the Pacific, not just in the Atlantic front of the west.

Tags:war, global, military

Abstract
This paper discusses three literary works that illustrate issues of race and racism during World war II. The paper reviews "Double Victory" written by Ronald T. Takaki, explaining the Selective Service Act, the epitome of segregation in the U.S. army. "War Without Mercy" by John Dower is outlined, illustrating the fact that the American people despised Japan more than they despised Germany during the Second World War. The paper contends that this was partially due to racism. The paper also describes the 1937 Japanese slaughter of more than 300,000 Chinese in Nanking, China, through a review of the book "The Rape of Nanking" by Iris Chang.

From the Paper
"According to Double Victory, the U.S. Army was segregated during WWII, due to President Franklin Roosevelt's refusal to integrate the armed forces. He had signed into law the Selective Service Act, which basically, according to Takaki, "prohibited the inter-mingling of 'colored and white' army personnel in the same regiments" (p. 23). This policy angered civil rights and black advocacy organizations, as it seemed to be putting forth the notion that Uncle Sam needed black soldiers to fight for freedom, which is symbolized by the U.S. Constitution (which states that "all men are created equal"), but there would be racial segregation among the military fighting forces because blacks aren't as good as whites."

Tags:nanking, japanese, segregation

Abstract
This paper describes the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The writer gives statistics in order to highlight the devastation. Also included is an eye-witnesses' testimony. The paper concludes by posing moral questions about the bombing of innocent civilians.

From the Paper
"It was on August 6th, in the year 1945, at 8.15 AM, Japanese time, that the United States of America dropped its first ever atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, so that its usefulness to the enemy could be completely destroyed. According to the then President of the United States, the bomb "...had more power than 20,000 tones of TNT ", and it was also infinitely more powerful than the blast power that the British Grand Slam, purportedly the largest bomb in the history of the world, had. The immediate and direct consequence of the bomb was that more than four square miles of the entire city of Hiroshima were completely and irrevocably destroyed, 66,000 people were killed instantaneously, and 69,000 more were seriously injured. Three days later, another atomic bomb, equally powerful, was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, Japan, and this bomb managed to destroy about 1.5 square miles of the city, and kill about 39,000 people, while injuring 25,000 more. The very next day, the Japanese government asked to surrender, under the 'Potsdam Declaration'. "

Tags:World, War, II, atomic, bomb, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Japan, surrender

Abstract
The paper begins by examining the main causes of WWII, with a focus on Adolph Hitler and Germany's role as the major aggressor in the conflict. It examines Hitler's philosophies, his anti-Semitic sentiments and his bid to establish the Third Reich. The paper then provides a time-line of events which began with Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 and ended with the landing of Allied troops in North France on June 6th, 1944 and the dropping of the atom bomb in 1945 which forced Japan into surrendering. The paper concludes with the results of the war and a graph showing the percentage of deaths in each country involved in the war.

From the Paper
"Despite these advances, the summer of 1942 was the worst time period of the war for the Allies. Axis forces were conquering Egypt, penetrated the Caucasus and launched a giant offensive against Stalingrad and sinking Allied shipping fleets and an accelerated rate. But the Axis powers couldn't go on for very much longer. Their militaries were showing signs of wear and were getting tired. But the United States and Russia were just gearing up to fight with their huge reserves. Though the war had been going very badly for the Allied powers up to this point, the turning point came when Britain leveled the Axis in North Africa in October, 1942. Soon after this, on November 8th, 1942, the US invaded Algeria. The Americans and British were soon joined by the French Free Forces of General de Gaulle, and by the regular French forces that were passed to the Allies after the surrender of Admiral Darlan. (History Channel)"

Tags:World, War, II, Pearl, Harbor, Stalingrad, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Axis, Allied, ww2

Abstract
This paper discusses, from different perspectives, the 1941 attack of the Japanese Imperial Army on Hong Kong and the brutal Japanese occupation there till the end of the War in 1945. It examines three scholarly articles that are seen to relate to the same broad topic of how events during World War II in Asia continue to shape thinking on Japan, more than 50 years later, in matters of power and strategy involving China, Japan, the U.S. and other influences. June Teufel Dreyer is introduced as an American follower of East Asian affairs and the author of an article on Japan and China that seems more American in scope than Asian. Richard J. Aldrich's study of British secret intelligence in Asia during World War II is then discussed in relation to Hong Kong. The third paper is by Kent Fedorowich on a British diplomat's view of Hong Kong before the colony fell to the Japanese.

Outline:
Introduction
On Sino-Japanese Rivalry
Allied Intelligence in World War II - Hong Kong
Hong Kong on the Eve of its Occupation
Concluding Remarks

From the Paper
" When Hong Kong fell to the Japanese, civilians were interned and thousands of Indian, British and Canadian soldiers that had tried to defend the colony became prisoners of war, many of them dying of disease, starvation and general abuse. (CBC 1972) Consulting Greenhous's summary of the 2,000 Canadians defeated at Hong Kong's struggle against the Japanese showed the takeover as something that people in Hong Kong would remember for many years. (1997) The soldiers fought from December 8 to 18, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army often killing the wounded just as they viciously attacked civilians. When the Japanese took control of the colony the people lived on tiny rations, the actual takeover as brutal as anywhere in Asia the Japanese conquered. The people of Hong Kong till the lapse of 1997 were used to seeing Communist China as a place of oppression and perhaps unwanted designs on the future of Hong Kong, but Japan stayed in mind as the greater enemy, and a potential new threat. "

Tags:British, secret, intelligence, china, colony

Abstract
This paper argues that some elements of pre-World War II Japanese culture proved to be advantages to the processes of economic reconstruction as they took hold in the first decades after 1945. If the Japanese recovery is looked at in terms of class and economy only, the Japanese defeat in World War II signaled a complete break from the imperial ethos, which had dominated national culture and contributed to practically every aspect of Japanese cultural and economic life. When Japanese post-war economic development is explored in ways which include cultural advantages, however, the so-called "miracle" of reconstruction begins to seem somewhat more predictable.

Abstract
This paper examines the experiences of Allied prisoners of war during World War II. It compares the POWs of the Japanese with those of Germany and gives special attention to the Australians who were imprisoned by these forces. It starts with a general discussion of the circumstances of the war followed by a comparison in the areas of facilities, diet, healthcare, labor, recreation, torture and female prisoners. This comparison is made by looking at examples of the experiences of individual POWs and POW camps and its purpose is to show the reader the variety of experiences and it does not purport to be an assessment of the complete POW experience of the two nations.

From the Paper
"Fought on a number of fronts between 1939 and 1945 World War 2 can be separated into three conflicts. The Middle East and the Mediterranean between 1940-42. The Eastern front from June 1941 and the Japanese Pacific from December 1941. The war originally started when the Germans invaded Poland, causing France and the UK to declare war, while the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour incited the USA to declare war on Japan. Australia's involvement has generally been contributed to a widespread political and emotional commitment to Britain. The need for defence from the Japanese if they chose to move south was also a factor and in total 550,000 Australian men and women served in the armed forces."

Tags:airforce, allied, ambon, army, camp, detention, navy, soldier, starvation, torture

Abstract
This paper describes the pre-World War II Japanese code machine known as Purple, and how US cryptanalysts broke it. Additionally, the paper discusses the distinction between codes and ciphers, further examining the technology of the Purple machine and the means of breaking its code. The paper concludes with an analysis of the US failure to prevent Pearl Harbor along with later successful use of decoded Japanese secret information.

From the Paper
"Prior to its entry into the Second World War the United States had no overall national intelligence-gathering and interpretation agencie. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the ancestor of the CIA, was only established after the US entered the war. Both the exigencies of war and the shock of the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor led to a dramatic expansion and coordination of intelligence gathering which was then institutionalized in peacetime by the National Security Act ..."

Tags:codes, OSS, Japan, crytananalysts, Pearl Harbor, ciphers, japan, intelligence (military/diplomatic), world war II, pearl harbor