NAVY HISTORY - The Pacific War

Prelude

The 1930’s witnessed the rise of authoritarian elements in several governments around the world from Stalin’s Soviet Union, Italy and Spain’s’ Fascist governments, Nazi German and the Emperor centric militarism of Japan. At these political movements gained power and began to exercise their expansionistic tendencies the League of Nations began to lose any relevance in helping control, mitigate or deter the victimization of vulnerable countries.

In the East Asian sphere, Japan began a ever quickening infiltration into mainland areas with a hobbled China being the main target of Japanese expansion. The Japanese Army grew in political poser and influence and wanted to spread out colonization efforts throughout East and Southeast Asia. The Pacific was an area which British Navy power was in retreat, so resistance was minimal to Japanese moves. As success met success, the Japanese continued to pressure surrounding powers and continued staking out large areas of China cumulating in the rape of Nanking and a drive into the interior intended to eliminate both Mao’s communist forces and Search Results Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist troops.

These moves caused alarm in consternation in London, Washington, Australia, Canada, and many other countries. In Canada steps were begun to build up coast defences on the west coast in order to build Esquimalt, Vancouver and Prince Rupert into coastal fortress areas in case of Japanese aggression.