World War 2 Part 1

coordination with the Dutch and the British, the U.S. was running a very
successful oil embargo against Japan. At that time the Japanese were
advancing on China and French Indochina and, because they imported
90% of their oil, they became desperate. A lack of oil threatened to end
all of their war efforts and as they were refusing America’s demands to
stop fighting China, the Japanese decided that war with America was
inevitable, their only hope was to attack first.

The decision by Japan to attack the United States remains
controversial. Study groups in Japan had predicted ultimate disaster in
a war between Japan and the U.S., and the Japanese economy was
already straining to keep up with the demands of the war with China.
However, the U.S. had placed an oil embargo on Japan and Japan felt
that the United States' demands were unacceptable. Facing an oil
embargo by the United States as well as dwindling domestic reserves,
the Japanese government decided to execute a plan developed by the
military branch largely led by Osami Nagano and Isoroku Yamamoto to
bomb the United States naval base in Hawaii, thereby bringing the
United States to World War II on the side of the Allies. On September 4,
1941, the Japanese Cabinet met to consider the war plans prepared by
Imperial General Headquarters, and decided

Vice Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the chief architect of the attack on
Pearl Harbor, had strong misgivings about war with the United States.
Yamamoto had spent time in the United States during his youth when
he studied as a language student at Harvard University (1919–1921)
and later served as assistant naval attaché in Washington, D.C...
Understanding the inherent dangers of war with the United States,
Yamamoto warned his fellow countrymen: "We can run wild for six
months or maybe a year, but after that, I have utterly no confidence."

was an Italian politician and journalist who was the leader of the
National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista, PNF). He ruled Italy
as Prime Minister from 1922 to 1943; he constitutionally led the
country until 1925, when he dropped the pretense of democracy and
established a dictatorship.

was a devout Catholic schoolteacher. Owing to his father's political
leanings, Mussolini was named Benito after Mexican leftist president
Benito Juárez, while

A guy

launched the largest amphibious invasion in history when they
assaulted Normandy, located on the northern coast of France, on 6
June 1944. The invaders were able to establish a beachhead as part of
Operation Overlord after a successful "D-Day," the first day of the
invasion

was the largest confrontation of World War II, in which Germany and its
allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in
Southern Russia.

. It began with a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a
six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian Campaign.

Starting in December 1937, events such as the Japanese attack on USS
Panay, the Allison incident, and the Nanking Massacre swung Western
public opinion sharply against Japan. Fearing Japanese expansion,the
United States, United Kingdom, and France assisted China with its
loans for war supply contracts.

In 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina, attempting to stymie the flow
of supplies reaching China. The United States halted shipments of
airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline to Japan, which
the latter perceived as an unfriendly act. The United States did not stop
oil exports, however, partly because of the prevailing sentiment in
Washington: given Japanese dependence on American oil, such an
action was likely to be considered an extreme provocation.

Japan and the U.S. engaged in negotiations during 1941, attempting to
improve relations. In the course of these negotiations, Japan offered to
withdraw from most of China and Indochina after making peace with
the Nationalist government. It also proposed to adopt an independent
interpretation of the Tripartite Pact and to refrain from trade
discrimination, provided all other nations reciprocated. Washington
rejected these proposals. Japanese Prime Minister Konoye then
offered to meet with Roosevelt, but Roosevelt insisted on reaching an
agreement before any meeting.The U.S. ambassador to Japan
repeatedly urged Roosevelt to accept the meeting, warning that it was
the only way to preserve the conciliatory Konoye government and
peace in the Pacific.[ However, his recommendation was not acted
upon. The Konoye government collapsed the following month, when the
Japanese military rejected a withdrawal of all troops from China

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial
Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941.
The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United
States' entry into World War II.

was the illegitimate child of Maria Anna Schicklgruber. The baptismal
register did not show the name of his father, and Alois initially bore his
mother's surname Schicklgruber

a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary. He
was leader of the Nazi Party, and rose to power in Germany as
Chancellor in 1933 and Führer in 1934. During his dictatorship from
1933 to 1945, he initiated World War II in Europe by invading Poland in
September 1939

created a public image as a celibate man without a domestic life,
dedicated entirely to his political mission and the nation.

approaches to Antwerp free and the country up to the Maas River
cleared, the Battle of the Scheldt was over and the crucial supply line,
essential to fuel the Allied advance to liberate Europe, was secured

formations to open up the shipping route to Antwerp so that its port
could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe.

controlled the Scheldt river which connected the port of Antwerp to the
North Sea. As long as the Germans held control of the sea approaches
and the long winding estuary, Allied shipping to the port would be
impossible. The mere occupation of Antwerp was not enough; all the
lands surrounding the Scheldt would have to be liberated first.

The island was attacked from three directions: across the causeway
from the east, across the Scheldt from the south, and from the west by
sea. To hamper German defence, the island's dykes were breached by
heavy Royal Air Force bombing, which flooded the central area and
allowed the use of amphibious vehicles.