Japan opens her boundaries.....

World War II: A Modern Perspective

How much do you know about World War II? Many of us are aware of the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II that claimed the lives of more than 2,300 troops but are oblivious to our counter attack on the Japanese; the use of weapons of mass destruction i.e. the "Atomic Bomb." World War II was the direct result of instability of industry and infrastructure created in Europe by World War I. World War II began two decades later and would be the modern war in which world powers would attempt to flaunt their supremacy by using weapons of mass destruction (W.M.D.) to force nations into submission and enforcing various treaties on the defeated nations. During the course of this blog we will examine the conflict between the United States of America and Japan. Of course this is a broad overview and much research should be done to get an in-depth view of the world stage events that lead up to the most devastating war of all time.

The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945 rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the bombs hypo center.

Japan is an island nation in East Asia and has a rich history in trade especially after being "forced" to open her boundaries to the outside world. The key word "forced" should be examined especially since Japan had on many occasions traded with the Dutch who were Westerners. On March 31, 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry and the "Black Ships" of the United States Navy decided to take action and through fear and intimidation instituted the Convention of Kanagawa. It is important to understand how other nations viewed the United States to get a better understanding of the historical significance of the war that claimed more lives than any prior military engagement. In the upcoming weeks I will address many themes of World War II specifically, the atomic bombing of Japan and the reasoning for such inhumane actions.

Ratification of the Japan-US Treaty of Peace and Amity, or "Convention of Kanagawa", 21 February 1855. Diplomatic Record Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan).