"he gave heed unto them" - An Empire in the Pacific 70 Years Ago

Around Tokyo

An Empire in the Pacific 70 Years Ago

Once or before WWII, Britain colonized India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. and France colonized Cambodia and Vietnam, while the Netherlands colonized Indonesia and the US colonized the Philippines.

Then, immediately before WWII, the US took a hostile policy against the Empire of Japan that had been pulled into a cruel war by Chinese politicians into mainland China since 1937.  The Roosevelt administration froze Japanese assets in the US and declared an embargo on export of crude oil to the Empire, while the US was the major source of oil for the Empire at the time.  The great fleets of the Imperial Navy would soon lose their fuel.

Accordingly, the Imperial Government in Tokyo decided to take oil fields in Indonesia by force as the Netherlands would not provide oil for the Empire.  For the Imperial Navy to reach Indonesia, it had to attack first US military bases in the Philippines.  To isolate the US troops in the Philippines, the Imperial Navy thought, US naval bases and fleets in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, should be destroyed.

Consequently, after WWII, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and even the US lost their colonies in Southeast Asia.

But, battles between the Imperial military and the US forces were so fierce and severe.  During the three and half years from December 1941 to August 1945, two million Japanese soldiers were killed while 100,000 US soldiers were also killed.  Accordingly, many citizens in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines, were involved in the war to lose their lives.


From Imperial Japan's point of view, those western colonialists should also take responsibility for those Asian victims.  Especially, the responsibility of the US is large as it had actually triggered the Japan-US War before the Pearl Harbor Attack.      

From Imperial Japan's point of view, those Asians who didn't join the Empire in the great war against western colonialists were enemies of Asia.

Whether or not you could accept these views, two million Japanese soldiers died believing this justice of the Empire in the Pacific regions 70 years ago.

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Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.