I wrote this rather quickly so please excuse the grammar errors.
The negative parts of war being death, dismemberment, loss
of love ones and property is the most that everyone can agree with. Hollywood
has promoted it, rap music glorified it as reporters use it as a stepping stone
for their career. But the positive parts of war are often missed until enough
time has passed to see the results of it.
As with the traditions of warfare in Europe and Asia, the
victory takes everything as the loser becomes subject to a new ruler. As the
Kingdom of Israel was conquered and absorbed into the Babylonian Empire. Even
as the Roman Empire conquered other nations they set up puppet governments to
handle the local subjects. Much like how Communist Russia controlled the
bordering communist countries.
Many kingdoms have been absorbed into another country. China
is one example of this as small kingdoms were combined into one nation through
war. Even Great Britain and Japan are another examples of small kingdoms united
into one Nation.
But that changed in the 20th century as the major
countries involved were powerless to stop it. Not even 170 years old as America
changed the course of warfare and forgiveness in Europe and Asia. Long ago in Europe,
England and France were always at war with each other for centuries. Each new
ruler of these countries would plan out warfare that went on for over a hundred
years. Or they would trade relatives off in marriage to ease tensions between
one another.
In Asia, Japan and China/Mongolian would always rage war
with each other. Majority of the time Korea would be caught in the middle of
it. The last time China tried to evade Japan, they used Korean slave labor to
build the Chinese sailing fleet using Korean natural resources. With the trade routes
opened with America, Japan began to embrace Western technology. The main reason
was to be better prepared for the next Chinese invasion.
America was still young. So young in fact that a civil war
broke out. Two different forms of thinking of leadership and respect of human
life were played out as being declared the bloodiest war ever recorded in human
history. The winner of this war decided the course of thinking and lifestyle of
America. The Northern side won leading to a huge expansion as a nation and
people. The country grew even larger as the Industrial Revolution fully
embraced the nation in creating a huge economic boost.
The 20th Century
At the beginning of the 20th century two nations
continued the age old quest of warfare. Germany and Japan. Germany basically
tricked two other countries into the 1st world war just to claim
land and resources for their own. Japan, having learned Western warfare
tactics, began subjugating weaker countries like Korea to build up Japans
military forces. Eventually both nations joined together to combine their
strengths and intelligence.
The lessons learned from battles between England and Germany
help Japan prepare for their 1st battle with America at Pearl
Harbor. This battle took America truly by surprise as years before Japan gave
America many Cherry Blossom trees that were planted throughout Washington DC. A
thriving trade route between both nations leading many politicians, military
officials and people well educated to considered Japan an ally of America.
Japan’s military leaders were trained and well prepared.
They planned their battle with America as they have with other wars in the
past. A hit and run attack thinking America would be too afraid to counter it
or attack back at them. But the ruling Japanese leaders didn’t count of two
things. One, they could have been half way to the Mississippi River before the
U.S. government could counter an attack. American was an agrarian nation
transitioning to an industrial production nation. American didn’t have a strong military force
nor wanted one.
Second, America became extremely pissed. Japan was viewed as
a friendly nation to America. Doing what has been called a cheap shot, a hit
and run tactic. An act of vandalism looked upon as a sick joke. At least when
Germany attacked America they stayed around. Honor in wartime is important and
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was viewed as dishonorable.
America was at war. An unproven nation of cocky people
experiencing war, outside of their borders. England had to help the American
forces at first. But as time went on the American military grew up very
quickly. To the point the United States were leading other nations. In providing
soldiers, money, mass production of food, weapons and war supplies while
housing prisoners of war. And as the war in Europe and Asia both came to an end
America stood as a super power nation.
Civil War
With the victor goes the spoil. Unlike many other nations in
history past, America didn’t do what was expected to happened Germany and
Japan. Germany was broken into four different sections with each section
controlled by America, England, France and Russia. America made it clear that
Germany would stay as one country as it was being rebuilt. Only Russia refused
and kept control of their section of Germany. Their rule over what became known
as East Germany ended when the Berlin Wall came down in 1990.
Japan was to have a similar fate as well. China was to get
Hokkaido. Korea was to get everything from Kyushu to the Okinawan Islands as
America acquired the middle section of what was left of Japan. General
MacArthur went against having a trial for war crimes on the Emperor of Japan and
his family and instead used the Emperor to rebuild Japan into a nation that
would never repeat those crimes again. The Emperor went along with this not only
for the future of a better Japan but because the Japanese military were months,
if not days, from transitioning over to a communist form of leadership with
plans to kill the Japanese Royal family.
The reason America went this way towards two nation that
were killing millions of people, conquering so many weaker nations was due to
the lessons America learned from the Civil War. A time that the American people
were killing fellow Americans, neighbor’s even family members for what they
believed was right for the nation. Americans on both sides of the Civil War
were very religious. The Southerners that lost the war were told by General
Grant to go home and care for their families. Even allowing them to take their
weapons with them. And when President Lincoln was killed, many Southerners who
considered him an enemy mourned his death as a great tragedy to the nation. The
Christian values that were very strong then were still present after World War
Two.
America still looked towards these two nations as friends. Making
sure that each nation could stand on their own, even improving their way of
life. Japanese girls could finally go to school for the first time. America
sent plane after plane into Berlin during the Berlin Blockade making sure the
people there were well supplied with food and other provisions.
Even during the Korean War after the cease fire was
proclaimed, America stayed and helped to rebuild the Korean society. After
years of Chinese and Japanese occupation the American Government could have
easily taken over the southern part of Korea as a military position towards
communist China and Russia but they didn’t. They gave everything they could to
help the Koreans to stand back on their feet stronger than ever.
These three nations; Germany, Japan and Korea became
Superpower Nations. Leading the whole world with new technologies that we take
for granted now. Cars, electronic gadgets, medicines; the list is a mile long.
But they would never be able to achieve any of this without the support and
love of a nation that went against the established norms. America viewed the
people of these countries as equals.
If England and France had their say, Germany would be nonexistent
with Great Britain having lands bordering France. The Japanese language would
be a dead language as the people there would all be speaking Chinese now. As
well as Korea would be a lost nation where China rules completely there now.
That is the established norm of warfare when the victor goes the spoils.
Unlike World War 1 &2 and the Korean War, Vietnam was a
political war controlled by Congressional politicians to abandon it later by taking
away all the money going to the war. Leaving
nothing to save the missing and dead servicemen still held prisoner there.
The Gulf War was simply liberating a country that was taken
over by its neighbor. The Afghan and Iraq War is still being fought out even
though it’s officially over but America is doing what it has done so in the
past; rebuilding those countries so they can stand on their own. Even against
the wishes of those like the Taliban that want to continue to dominate and oppress
the people there.
What came out of these nations so far has spread to other
countries in that region. People now have a voice and a vote in their political
process. Countries like Egypt, Libya and Syria are fighting against their oppressed
government to have the freedoms that they never had before.
In all these wars people have died and sacrificed a lot. But
where America was able to truly do what it has done so in the past has created
new Nations stronger and better than ever before. Mistakes were made as that is
part of being human. But never giving up until the job is done is what America
has done best. In time if that influence was to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan
like it had in Germany, Japan and Korea then in years’ time these two nations
could be the next super power nations of the world with a government, religion
and lifestyle of their own choosing.
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