Why didn't the US focus on Japan first in WW2 (Short Animated Documentary)
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Date: 2025-12-23
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Comments and reviews: 20
paulkurilecz4209
One thought rarely mentioned in most stories about WWII was that it was really about ending imperialism. Both Germany and Japan (and initially Italy) basically saw no difference between what they were doing was no different than what the European and to some extent the US had done previously. Many people also don't realize that the victorious Western powers had to relinquish their various colonial areas after the war. Even the US turned over control of the Philippines to local control. Some required convincing such as England giving up control of India. It is also one of the reasons why little support was given to France in its support of South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam. Many viewed France's efforts there as just a veiled attempt to regain control of its Southeasr Asian colonies. Some were different such as Hong Kong which the British claimed was the result of treaty with China and fun fact, Britain did not want to turn Hong Kong over to the Chinese Communists.
I really like the way you give a high-level overview to various periods in history.
Fun Fact: The B-36 bomber development started in about 1940 when there was a significant concern that Britain might fall to the Germans and in order to fight against the Germans by flying bomber missions from the North American mainland to the European mainland was needed. Then the target changed in the late 40's and early 50's and a means of delivering nuclear bombs to the Soviet Union was thought to be needed.
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One thought rarely mentioned in most stories about WWII was that it was really about ending imperialism. Both Germany and Japan (and initially Italy) basically saw no difference between what they were doing was no different than what the European and to some extent the US had done previously. Many people also don't realize that the victorious Western powers had to relinquish their various colonial areas after the war. Even the US turned over control of the Philippines to local control. Some required convincing such as England giving up control of India. It is also one of the reasons why little support was given to France in its support of South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam. Many viewed France's efforts there as just a veiled attempt to regain control of its Southeasr Asian colonies. Some were different such as Hong Kong which the British claimed was the result of treaty with China and fun fact, Britain did not want to turn Hong Kong over to the Chinese Communists.
I really like the way you give a high-level overview to various periods in history.
Fun Fact: The B-36 bomber development started in about 1940 when there was a significant concern that Britain might fall to the Germans and in order to fight against the Germans by flying bomber missions from the North American mainland to the European mainland was needed. Then the target changed in the late 40's and early 50's and a means of delivering nuclear bombs to the Soviet Union was thought to be needed.
reply
davehopping7212
Roosevelt and Stalin had a gentleman's agreement; each would stay neutral as long as the other did too. Barbarossa changed all that and FDR was desperate to help his pal in Moscow, even though the Russkis had through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact made Germany's Eastern flank safe, enabling the Reich to invade Poland and start WW2. In a diabolically brilliant Machiavellian move, Roosevelt almost instantly browbeat Congress into embargoing oil to Japan, whose ten years of atrocities in China had suddenly become unbearable to America.
See, as a former Assistant NavSec FDR knew Japan's naval aviation capabilities, and as a politician knew both Japan's oil dependence on us AND the redwood-sized chip on that Nation's shoulder. He set the trap by first burying code intercepts showing the Kido Butai's preparations for Pearl Harbor and then baited it by deploying all those beloved-but-obsolescent battleships there, all the while making sure the admirals kept everything nice and unready. The Japanese took the bait on December 7th and so outraged the American public that declaring war was a slam-dunk. Right on cue, the rest of the Axis declared war and we were all in, with the full backing of the American people.
And Bob's your uncle.
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Roosevelt and Stalin had a gentleman's agreement; each would stay neutral as long as the other did too. Barbarossa changed all that and FDR was desperate to help his pal in Moscow, even though the Russkis had through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact made Germany's Eastern flank safe, enabling the Reich to invade Poland and start WW2. In a diabolically brilliant Machiavellian move, Roosevelt almost instantly browbeat Congress into embargoing oil to Japan, whose ten years of atrocities in China had suddenly become unbearable to America.
See, as a former Assistant NavSec FDR knew Japan's naval aviation capabilities, and as a politician knew both Japan's oil dependence on us AND the redwood-sized chip on that Nation's shoulder. He set the trap by first burying code intercepts showing the Kido Butai's preparations for Pearl Harbor and then baited it by deploying all those beloved-but-obsolescent battleships there, all the while making sure the admirals kept everything nice and unready. The Japanese took the bait on December 7th and so outraged the American public that declaring war was a slam-dunk. Right on cue, the rest of the Axis declared war and we were all in, with the full backing of the American people.
And Bob's your uncle.
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ChromiumPenguin
While the US was rather unprepared for war at a tactical level the opposite was true at a strategic level. For instance, throughout the interwar years the US Navy held large scale exercises in the Pacific that not only refined doctrine but also served as the foundation for carrier based warfare. Battleships weren't obsolete just yet, but the majority of the Navy leadership recognized that carriers were the way forward. Once the war started the Navy was able to effectively fight the larger, more experienced Imperial Navy in part because the basic doctrine had already been learned. Then once the Navy started getting modern fleet carriers and escort carriers in sufficient numbers there really was no stopping them.
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While the US was rather unprepared for war at a tactical level the opposite was true at a strategic level. For instance, throughout the interwar years the US Navy held large scale exercises in the Pacific that not only refined doctrine but also served as the foundation for carrier based warfare. Battleships weren't obsolete just yet, but the majority of the Navy leadership recognized that carriers were the way forward. Once the war started the Navy was able to effectively fight the larger, more experienced Imperial Navy in part because the basic doctrine had already been learned. Then once the Navy started getting modern fleet carriers and escort carriers in sufficient numbers there really was no stopping them.
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iwalkenquicksand
It was always about Germany. The US government had been trying for years to get the American people to be ok with getting involved in ww2. The US had several moves out there to try and create a situation so that we'd be attacked. The blockade of Japan was only one. One of note were shipping arms and ammo on civilian craft to the UK hoping they could claim that Germany attacked civilians if one of the ships were targeted. Germany's rise and third position politics threatened the notion that economic prosperity was the only important job of government. This is why capitalism sided with communism to stop Germany. True nationalism is too dangerous to existing power structures.
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It was always about Germany. The US government had been trying for years to get the American people to be ok with getting involved in ww2. The US had several moves out there to try and create a situation so that we'd be attacked. The blockade of Japan was only one. One of note were shipping arms and ammo on civilian craft to the UK hoping they could claim that Germany attacked civilians if one of the ships were targeted. Germany's rise and third position politics threatened the notion that economic prosperity was the only important job of government. This is why capitalism sided with communism to stop Germany. True nationalism is too dangerous to existing power structures.
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siprus
To be honest Fighting Japan first would have been just non-nonsensical for many reasons.
First of all Brits and Soviet, weren't really in position to help with Pacific theater before Germany has been deal with for obvious reasons. Secondly, Pacific theater was mainly naval war, so army couldn't do much to help there. Lastly if for example Soviet declared war on Japan this owuld have meant massive split front for them, in addition to USA support for Soviets being cut off.
The actually plan was practical in many senses. It got USA utilize it's Army resources as soon as possible and allowed both Germany and Japan been dealt with massive military advantage.
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To be honest Fighting Japan first would have been just non-nonsensical for many reasons.
First of all Brits and Soviet, weren't really in position to help with Pacific theater before Germany has been deal with for obvious reasons. Secondly, Pacific theater was mainly naval war, so army couldn't do much to help there. Lastly if for example Soviet declared war on Japan this owuld have meant massive split front for them, in addition to USA support for Soviets being cut off.
The actually plan was practical in many senses. It got USA utilize it's Army resources as soon as possible and allowed both Germany and Japan been dealt with massive military advantage.
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ShockerTopper
We didn’t crush Japan in WW2 to begin with. The use of a new horrific weapon that caused them to surrender isn’t the same as winning a war’ in the traditional sense. That’s like using a Game Genie in the game of war and cheating. Besides that Japan was willing to expend every person in the country rather than give in before some higher ups overruled that. However if America hadn’t been pusscakes about their fighting then things would’ve been differentJapan may not have won but they would’ve caused so many more casualties (10’s of thousands for sure.
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We didn’t crush Japan in WW2 to begin with. The use of a new horrific weapon that caused them to surrender isn’t the same as winning a war’ in the traditional sense. That’s like using a Game Genie in the game of war and cheating. Besides that Japan was willing to expend every person in the country rather than give in before some higher ups overruled that. However if America hadn’t been pusscakes about their fighting then things would’ve been differentJapan may not have won but they would’ve caused so many more casualties (10’s of thousands for sure.
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davidfoster2629
We did not, and still don't, look at at the theaters the same because all the occupied people being killed by the Japanese at insanely high rates were not white. Indonesians, Malays, Philippinos, Koreans, Chinese. They didn't count. Even today people complain about how the Japanese civilians faired at the end of the war, and it just ignore the what, multi millions of civilian casualties they supported whole heartedly in other nations.
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We did not, and still don't, look at at the theaters the same because all the occupied people being killed by the Japanese at insanely high rates were not white. Indonesians, Malays, Philippinos, Koreans, Chinese. They didn't count. Even today people complain about how the Japanese civilians faired at the end of the war, and it just ignore the what, multi millions of civilian casualties they supported whole heartedly in other nations.
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danlorett2184
OK this kind of reverses the whole battle of the atlantic thing. By the time Pearl Harbor happened Germany was basically already at war with the USA. They'd been sinking our ships and killing our sailors for a LONG time. That's why they declared war: they considered it an acknowledgement of reality and they WERE allies by treaty with Japan. The UK only narrowly avoided starvation in 1940 by heavy US intervention.
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OK this kind of reverses the whole battle of the atlantic thing. By the time Pearl Harbor happened Germany was basically already at war with the USA. They'd been sinking our ships and killing our sailors for a LONG time. That's why they declared war: they considered it an acknowledgement of reality and they WERE allies by treaty with Japan. The UK only narrowly avoided starvation in 1940 by heavy US intervention.
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DardanellesBy108
If anyone is interested: The destroyer in the background towards the end is USS Abner Read which was sunk November 1944 in a Kamakazi attack. Also I was questioning the use of the M3 tank in the video so I looked it up. Dumb A me didn’t realize they were used during WW2. Turns out they were used extensively in North Africa. History Matters knows what he’s doing. Thanks for another great video!
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If anyone is interested: The destroyer in the background towards the end is USS Abner Read which was sunk November 1944 in a Kamakazi attack. Also I was questioning the use of the M3 tank in the video so I looked it up. Dumb A me didn’t realize they were used during WW2. Turns out they were used extensively in North Africa. History Matters knows what he’s doing. Thanks for another great video!
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straightalk7206
It's simple. Britain was getting its but kicked and needed help. It's a proven fact that 1) Britain knew about Pearl Harbor before it happened and 2) Roosevelt had tried to get into WW 2 based on a inicdent with a Japanses submaraine. What isn't proven but likely true is Roosevelt also had foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor. Japan was a means to an end and that end was saving the Brits.
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It's simple. Britain was getting its but kicked and needed help. It's a proven fact that 1) Britain knew about Pearl Harbor before it happened and 2) Roosevelt had tried to get into WW 2 based on a inicdent with a Japanses submaraine. What isn't proven but likely true is Roosevelt also had foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor. Japan was a means to an end and that end was saving the Brits.
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ZiaAnnouncer
Because what they really had wanted was to get into the war in Europe and just like in WW I the people didn’t care about events outside of the US. (and rightfully so. Thus, yet another false flag (standard go to for any civilization) had to be concocted. So they cornered Japan, forcing them to strike out all the while knowing the strike or strikes would target Manila and/or Pearl.
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Because what they really had wanted was to get into the war in Europe and just like in WW I the people didn’t care about events outside of the US. (and rightfully so. Thus, yet another false flag (standard go to for any civilization) had to be concocted. So they cornered Japan, forcing them to strike out all the while knowing the strike or strikes would target Manila and/or Pearl.
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brentboswell1294
It's because the Nazi regime represented a clear and present danger to the way of life of our European brothers in arms, and parts of European society, whereas we were more confident of defeating the Japanese, especially with the help of our allies in the Pacific. The success of the Manhattan Project after V-E day definitely gave us an easier out in defeating imperial Japan.
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It's because the Nazi regime represented a clear and present danger to the way of life of our European brothers in arms, and parts of European society, whereas we were more confident of defeating the Japanese, especially with the help of our allies in the Pacific. The success of the Manhattan Project after V-E day definitely gave us an easier out in defeating imperial Japan.
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darkangel2347
Resources are finite. In theory, you want to send resources to everywhere they’re needed but in the real world this is impossible. A famous case of this is the requests to bomb Auchwitz by the US Jewish community. But it did not happen as leaders and commanders said it was too low a worthy target and limited bomber planes and pilots were needed elsewhere.
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Resources are finite. In theory, you want to send resources to everywhere they’re needed but in the real world this is impossible. A famous case of this is the requests to bomb Auchwitz by the US Jewish community. But it did not happen as leaders and commanders said it was too low a worthy target and limited bomber planes and pilots were needed elsewhere.
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BalthasarGelt-x2d
Before watching: the idea was that the European allies were in a much more precarious position. This was before Stalingrad and El Alamein round 2. It wasn’t clear whether the Soviet Union would collapse or if Britain would hold on in Africa.
Also, the US did actually did concentrate more effort on Japan early on despite its official strategy.
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Before watching: the idea was that the European allies were in a much more precarious position. This was before Stalingrad and El Alamein round 2. It wasn’t clear whether the Soviet Union would collapse or if Britain would hold on in Africa.
Also, the US did actually did concentrate more effort on Japan early on despite its official strategy.
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beowulf1312
It did focus on Japan. Although the policy was Germany first with Great Britain in agreement, the fight against Germany in the first year of the USA's late involvement in WW2 was mostly a British affair. American troops didn't arrive in North Africa until April 1943 when the Germans were already retreating and disentangling from Africa.
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It did focus on Japan. Although the policy was Germany first with Great Britain in agreement, the fight against Germany in the first year of the USA's late involvement in WW2 was mostly a British affair. American troops didn't arrive in North Africa until April 1943 when the Germans were already retreating and disentangling from Africa.
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Kelnx
I would say the Europe First plan also placated FDR, who was a typical Europhile like many of the elite in the US were (and often still are for some reason. It's also pretty clear the FDR underestimated the threat Japan might pose to the US as he saw them as basically subhuman and just assumed the US Navy would easily take care of them.
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I would say the Europe First plan also placated FDR, who was a typical Europhile like many of the elite in the US were (and often still are for some reason. It's also pretty clear the FDR underestimated the threat Japan might pose to the US as he saw them as basically subhuman and just assumed the US Navy would easily take care of them.
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danpatterson8009
If the map at 2: 57 is intended to show the extent of German expansion at the time of Pearl Harbor, there seems to be a lot missing. Remember that people in positions of power in 1941 were old enough to remember, if not actually serve in, the Great War. Memories of that might well have made Europe a priority in their minds.
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If the map at 2: 57 is intended to show the extent of German expansion at the time of Pearl Harbor, there seems to be a lot missing. Remember that people in positions of power in 1941 were old enough to remember, if not actually serve in, the Great War. Memories of that might well have made Europe a priority in their minds.
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gundam_Chaos
They know China will hold against Japan. If Soviet win in Europe, they can bring have Soviet help beat Japanese.
The reason why Japan total surrender outside of atomic bomb was Japanese army in Manchukuo was beaten by Soviet. Japan lost an expansion territory and they had no reason to keep the war.
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They know China will hold against Japan. If Soviet win in Europe, they can bring have Soviet help beat Japanese.
The reason why Japan total surrender outside of atomic bomb was Japanese army in Manchukuo was beaten by Soviet. Japan lost an expansion territory and they had no reason to keep the war.
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history_matters
the things japan did to china was as bad if not worse than what the nazis did. our relationship with china these last 80 years has been a result of our betrayal
we propped up their beaten emperor and let him remain in power. and we utterly abandoned the chinese that had been raped and brutalized
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the things japan did to china was as bad if not worse than what the nazis did. our relationship with china these last 80 years has been a result of our betrayal
we propped up their beaten emperor and let him remain in power. and we utterly abandoned the chinese that had been raped and brutalized
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stevecox7570
Because FDR was queer for the soviets. He wanted into that war to really end the depressions, and it didn't truly completely end until we were in it. He was actively committing acts of war such as the neutrality Patrols, as early as mid 1940. I still think he sucked Stalin's dick at Yalta.
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Because FDR was queer for the soviets. He wanted into that war to really end the depressions, and it didn't truly completely end until we were in it. He was actively committing acts of war such as the neutrality Patrols, as early as mid 1940. I still think he sucked Stalin's dick at Yalta.
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