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The Axis alliance, especially Japan had to suffer huge problems during the Second World War. Of these, the major problem was of the fuel shortage. Japan’s extensive use of its aircraft carries as it was main force of the country and the only hope for defeating the allied forces did not help the country at all. Although Japan did outnumber the allied forces in the matter guns power but was defeated significantly in attrition. It was the attrition that made Japan lose the war in the pacific. The Japanese army and navy truly lacked all the resources and the development required to replace the loss faced in the pacific.
“the supremacy of nations may be determined by the possession of available petroleum and its products.” (Coolidge 1924). This statement by president looked like a prediction of the coming future. Japan’s shortage of fuel turned out to be major problem for the country to sustain its initial rather successful position. “Primary strategic aim of U.S. Strategic Air Forces is now to deny oil to enemy air forces.” (Spaatz 1944). Furthermore the economic policies of Japan before and during the war played a negative role as long as japans’ chances of winning the war were concerned.
Japan was more into extending its borders than creating an army with a strong backup. It all started for Japan after the attack of Pearl Harbor which started a true war between the two forces. At that time Japan was a major force in the pacific with its aircraft carriers and the hopes of winning the war on the basis of its naval strength were high. . On 6th and 9th august 1946, America dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing millions and forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally.
Unthinkable Destruction The atomic bombs dropped by American aircrafts had devastating effects on the two cities. They destroyed the cities completely leaving nothing but rubble. Japan, struck by such a major disaster was forced to surrender unconditionally as there were no other options left for the country. The two bombs killed 66,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000 in Nagasaki, destroying the two sixties completely. A total area 5 and a half square miles was left in rubbles. Apart from those who died immediately, millions were left to mourn with major radiological injuries, flash burns and mechanical injuries leading to disabilities.
Apart from these immediate effects that the bombs caused, the infrastructure of the two cities were completely devastated and they were not fit anymore for the human to live in. the radiological damages appeared years after the bombings as the new births has congenital anomalies and newborns usually died in the early years of their lives. Survival and Revival The war had left Japan with nothing but just a little more than debris, its 40% infrastructure was now in rubbles and the country knew it would take long to get things back to normal.
It was with the help of international funding: especially America as Japan was now occupied by America that the process of revival started and a little hope arose of taking the country back to its original shape. After the war, the Japanese industries were supplied by funds and the strong workers who were originally post war soldiers to work in and contribute in the
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