Trident Conference
World War II was one of the unforgettable events that happened in world history. It showed both the kindness and wickedness of people. This was the time when evil and terror reigned for the materialization of world dominance. For years, people tried to eradicate this compromising situation by fighting for freedom and humanity through self-sacrifice and undying respect for mankind. Even though this incident have brought forth tremendous grief and pain to many WWII survivors, it still served as a tool in realizing the destructive consequences of violence and greed in the global society. But most importantly, WWII demonstrated the ability of every individual to bounce back from a massive devastation and their capacity to show the inner altruist in them.
The year 1939 started the 6 years of conflict between the Allied and Axis forces which was instigated by Germany. As years passed and the Germans tried to expand their sphere of influence, France, Great Britain and Russia emerged as the power players in defending the territories of other European countries. Later on, Germany was joined by Italy and then Japan who propagated terror in Asia. This triumvirate had posted some trouble for the Allied forces which provided a huge advantage for the Axis forces. However, by 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, US joined the Allied forces that boosted their efforts to put an end to communism and terrorism (Braakhuis, 2008). The US provided the manpower, warfare equipment and financial resources that the Allied forces badly needed. The new and stronger coalition paved the way for the allies to a gain a foothold in their war campaign. After this, intense planning was conducted in order to strategically prepare for the impending invasion of Europe and Asia. Numerous military operations were carried out in various geographical settings. Each Allied force was assigned to a specific area where they were directed to liberate the people and annihilate the German army. But the ultimate goal was to invade the heart of Germany and Japan in order to directly attack the source of the problem.
Among the three Allied forces, the US was perceived as the most powerful and influential. Because of this notion, they have headed the military operations as well as the political initiatives towards their impending invasion. The Americans wanted to do a cross channel invasion while the British proposed to fortify their lead in Africa and the Russians were a little preoccupied on defending their territory against the Germans. Because of these differences, the Allied forces experienced some setbacks in advancing their goals. At the early part of the formation of the alliance, the Americans and the British merged their military strengths that changed the dynamics of the coalition. However, this union did not only result to the creation of different military strategies and operations but also internal conflicts between top military officials from the US and England. These two nations argued about how they would conduct their cross-channel invasion in Europe and Asia. To end their differences, a conference was held called Arcadia wherein both decided to build a unified command thus the establishment of the Combined Chief of Staffs and Joint Staff Mission which was focused on coordinating and synchronizing the military efforts of these two countries (Buell, et al, p. 181-184). After a year, another conference codenamed Casablanca was held to further polish the plans and strategies of the alliance. It seemed that the British were more prepared than the Americans in voicing out their ideas. During the meeting, many suggestions on how to implement their military plans were laid out to the point that the two forces experienced contradicting views on how to advance the invasion in Europe and Asia leaving their operations unable to produce climactic results. The ultimate goal of overcoming the German and Japanese forces was still far from being achieved in 1943 (Buell, et al, p. 181-184).
By 1943, another conference which was called Trident was held that was participated by England and the US. Prior to this, the Americans wanted to prove to the British that they have the necessary capabilities and expertise to pull off their overlong due plan for a “cross-channel invasion.” More so, President Roosevelt eagerly wanted to pursue the invasion in the earliest time possible. His staff supported this plan and they recommended that their troops do not engage in “another limited operation in the western Mediterranean.” Also, they plan to utilize the resources already available in their area and at the same time assisting USSR while threatening the German forces in Italy and in the south of France. Because of this, the Americans opted the “seizure of Sardinia” rather than conducting operations in the eastern Mediterranean which would require more resources. Their opposition for the eastern Mediterranean plan insinuated their resistance towards “British imperial interest.” As a result, the achievement of a compromise for the cross-channel invasion with the British became slow and restricted in terms of execution and resources (Buell, et al, p. 188).
The Trident conference was intended to eliminate this obstacle in the speedy implementation of the plans for the liberation of Europe and Asia. It was held in Washington, DC on May 12, 1943 wherein Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt along with their respective military advisers were the key participants in this significant gathering. The conference provided “greater optimism for the future that had been shown at Casablanca four months earlier” (Matloff, 1990, p.126).
On the day after the conferees assembled, news came of the end of organized resistance in North Africa. In the Pacific, U.S. forces had completed the Guadalcanal and Papua Campaigns and were engaged in seizing Attu. On the Eastern Front the Soviet forces, having withstood the siege of Stalingrad, were continuing their counteroffensives. The Battle of the Atlantic was turning in favor of the Allies. Preparations were going forward for HUSKY. Again the question was, “What next?” Against the British predilection for deferring long-range over-all plans, the U.S. staff was ready to press the importance of long-term versus short-term planning. (Matloff, 1990, p.126)
In the span of 14 days, the Americans and the British argued about various strategic issues. The conference was convened by Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt who were only present 6 times for the entire duration of the discussions. Meanwhile, the Combined Chiefs of Staffs were the only ones who met on a daily basis. The priority topic for the conference was the looming need for the “cross-Channel and Mediterranean operations.”
At the start of the Trident, it was apparent that President Roosevelt showed a strong support for his military staff and because of this “Prime Minister Churchill and his staff had to face a more united and aggressive American team.” When the argument grew more tensed, “it became easier to define the areas of agreement and disagreement between the British and American cases.” However, in order to achieve concrete results, both sides realized that they had to concede with the ideas and perception of each other to reach a common ground that they can both advocate (Matloff, 1990, p.126-127).
After hours of intense debates and arguments, the Trident conference produced several points that were agreed upon by both parties. In favor for the British, “the invasion of Italy with a postponement of their promised land-offensive against the Japanese and to aid the Chinese in Burma” was given a go signal. According to Churchill, the attack on Italy would help distract the military forces of the Germans “from the Eastern Front” which would help the Red Army to intensify their offensive. Meanwhile for the Americans, their proposed invasion of France on May 1944 by crossing the channel finally got the support of the British. This plan would be later on fortified by Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion. In Asia, the Americans were given the freedom to “attack the Japanese-held Marshall and Caroline islands.” Moreover, the Trident conference paved the way for the Americans to gain their status as a powerful and significant nation “as Roosevelt and his American commanders demanded, and got, a double-demand of military resources to carry on campaigns in both Europe and the Pacific, while the British had to concede several of their requests” (Chen, 2008).
References
Braakhuis, W. (2008, September 4). The World At War. Retrieved December 18, 2008, from http://www.euronet.nl/users/wilfried/ww2/ww2.htm
Buell, T. B., Bradley, J.N., Dice, J.W., & Griess, T.E. (2002). The Second World War. New York: Square One Publishers, Inc.
Chen, P. (2008). Trident Conference. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=66
Matloff, M. (1990). Strategic Planning For Coalition Warfare 1943-1944. US: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Emperor Hirohito
Emperor Hirohito was one of the enigmatic characters of World War II. He was the leading figure who commanded the Japanese Army in waging a full out war with the Allied forces. More so, he served as the “124th Emperor of Japan.” It was during his term that the Japanese “witnessed dramatic transformations in Japanese life, including the status of the Emperor himself” (Toshio, n.d.).
Before Hirohito was revered as a mortal, his status as an Emperor was perceived to possess divinity. Many of his constituents treated him as “emperor of heaven” who was not human but a “living embodiment of the Japanese people” (Toshio, n.d.).But on August 15, 1945, the Japanese heard the elusive voice of their emperor. This marked a monumental event in the history of the Japanese because this was the very first time that an emperor have ever directly spoken to his subjects. Though his speech was in support for the American way of restoring democracy, he still managed to invoke a sense of national unity among his people. Because of his acceptance of the American constitution, denunciation of his divinity and the aim to “Japan’s first democrat,” he was spared from being put on trial for his war crimes (PBS Online, 2008). After the war, Hirohito carried on being a “symbolic emperor.” He regularly interacted with the commoners and he fostered civil and diplomatic relationships with other countries (Gibney, 1999).
After Emperor Hirohito’s reign for almost 62 years, the Land of the Rising Sun or Japan was able to rise above its tribulations and tragic experiences. Japan rose like a “Phoenix out of the postwar rubble to become one of the world’s richest countries.” Through this remarkable recovery of Japan and its people that Hirohito was venerated as the “living symbol of his people” (Gibney, 1999).
References
Gibney, F. (1999). Emperor Hirohito. Time Magazine, 154. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/hirohito1.html
PBS Online. (2008). Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989). Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/peopleevents/pandeAMEX97.html
Toshio,U. (n.d.). Hirohito. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.grolier.com/wwii/wwii_hirohito.html
