1934 Pacific: American Ambassador Davis declares that Japan is a grave security threat:

In the United States, anti-Japanese sentiment had its beginnings well before World War II. As early as the late 1800's, Asian immigrants were being discriminated against in the United States. Laws were passed that openly discriminated against Japanese, as well as Chinese, Korean, and Filipinos. Many of these laws stated that Asians could not become citizens of the United States and could not hold basic rights, such as owning land, which was greatly detrimental, since many of the immigrants were farmers and had little choice but to become migrant workers. Some cite the formation of the Asiatic Exclusion League as the start of the anti-Japanese movement in California. In the twentieth century many Americans regarded Japan as an enlightened country in the Far East that had success in emulating the West and exerting itself as a colonial power, much like many powerful European countries at the time. However, this perception began to change as more reports of Japanese brutalities in its conquered territories began to pour into the American press and helped change public opinion on Japan. Its invasion of China in 1931 and subsequent annexation of Manchuria certainly did not do much to reverse this trend. In addition, efforts by the China lobby to plea the United States to help strengthen China to push Japan out of China also played a role in shaping American foreign policy. As more and more unfavorable reports of Japan came to the attention of American government, embargoes on oil and other supplies were placed on Japan, partly out of genuine concern for the Chinese populace and partly of American interest in the Pacific. Furthermore, the American population became very pro-China and anti-Japan, an example being a grass-roots campaign for women to stop buying nylon stockings, because the material was procured from Japan through its colonies. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, American public opinion was decidedly pro-China, with witness reports by Western journalists on various atrocities committed against Chinese civilians further strengthening anti-Japanese emotion.

1936 Holocaust: A new Nazi press campaign aimed at totally eliminating Jews from German economic life begins.

1937 Netherlands: The Dutch People's Party, a new anti-Semitic political party, is established in Holland.

1938 Ribbentrop-Bonnet Pact: A new declaration of nonaggression and friendship is signed between Germany and France, providing a mutual guarantee of their common borders. Hitler disavows any interest in Alsace-Lorraine, and during the coming months, will cite this as proof of his peaceful intentions.

1939 World War II: Various:

State Secretary in the German Foreign Office (Weizsaecker) to the German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg):

Supplementing telegraphic instruction of December 2, the following additional instruction was issued today to all the important missions: In conversations regarding the Finnish-Russian conflict, you are requested to make use of the following considerations: Only a few weeks ago Finland was about to come to an understanding with Russia, which might have been achieved by a prudent Finnish policy. An appeal to the League of Nations by the Finnish Government is the least suitable way of solving the crisis. There is no doubt that British influence on the Finnish Government-partly operating through Scandinavian capitals-induced the Finnish Government to reject Russian proposals and thereby brought on the present conflict. England's guilt in the Russo-Finnish conflict should be especially emphasized. Germany is not involved in these events. In conversations, sympathy is to be expressed for the Russian point of view. Please refrain from expressing any sympathy for the Finnish position. End of telegraphic instruction.

Britain agrees to send arms to Finland, which is fighting off a Soviet invasion.

Helen Ernst:German resistance fighter and poster artist, is arrested by the Gestapo.

Ethiopia: Pietro Badoglio resigns as viceroy.

1941 World War II: Various:

Roosevelt to Japanese emperor: "Prevent further death and destruction":

On this day, President Roosevelt—convinced on the basis of intelligence reports that the Japanese fleet is headed for Thailand, not the United States—telegrams Emperor Hirohito with the request that "for the sake of humanity," the emperor intervene "to prevent further death and destruction in the world."

The Royal Australian Air Force had sighted Japanese escorts, cruisers, and destroyers on patrol near the Malayan coast, south of Cape Cambodia. An Aussie pilot managed to radio that it looked as if the Japanese warships were headed for Thailand—just before he was shot down by the Japanese. Back in England, Prime Minister Churchill called a meeting of his chiefs of staff to discuss the crisis. While reports were coming in describing Thailand as the Japanese destination, they began to question whether it could have been a diversion. British intelligence had intercepted the Japanese code "Raffles," a warning to the Japanese fleet to be on alert—but for what?

Britain was already preparing Operation Matador, the launching of their 11th Indian Division into Thailand to meet the presumed Japanese invasion force. But at the last minute, Air Marshall Brooke-Popham received word not to cross the Thai border for fear that it would provoke a Japanese attack if, in fact, the warship movement was merely a bluff.

Meanwhile, 600 miles northwest of Hawaii, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, announced to his men: "The rise or fall of the empire depends upon this battle. Everyone will do his duty with utmost efforts." Thailand was, in fact, a bluff. Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was confirmed for Yamamoto as the Japanese target, after the Japanese consul in Hawaii had reported to Tokyo that a significant portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet would be anchored in the harbor—sitting ducks. The following morning, Sunday, December 7, was a good day to begin a raid.

"The son of man has just sent his final message to the son of God," FDR joked to Eleanor after sending off his telegram to Hirohito, who in the Shinto tradition of Japan was deemed a god. As he enjoyed his stamp collection and chatted with Harry Hopkins, his personal adviser, news reached him of Japan's formal rejection of America's 10-point proposals for peace and an end to economic sanctions and the oil embargo placed on the Axis power. "This means war," the president declared. Hopkins recommended an American first strike. "No, we can't do that," Roosevelt countered. "We are a democracy and a peaceful people." (History.com)

The FBI monitors an early morning telephone call in Japanese from a Dr. Mori in Honolulu to a Tokyo newspaper reporter. The message details such things as flying conditions around the islands, the number of searchlights and soldiers in town, and what ships are moored in Pearl Harbor. The Doctor then notes that the "Poinsettias and hibiscus" (obvious code words) are blooming in Honolulu. Translated by the FBI, the information ends up on the desk of General Short's intelligence officer by 4:00. Short, the Army half of the Army-Navy co-command at Pearl, is presented with the information at 5:30. His reaction is recorded: the message was quite in order, that it described the situation in Hawaii as it was, and that possibly there was nothing very much to be excited about the content of the message.

Tokyo to Washington:

1. The Government has deliberated deeply on the American proposal of the 26 th of November and as a result we have drawn up a memorandum for the United States contained in my separate message . . . . 2. This separate message is a very long one. I will send it in fourteen parts and I imagine you will receive it tomorrow. However, I am not sure. The situation is extremely delicate, and when you receive it I want you please to keep it secret for the time being. 3. Concerning the time of presenting this memorandum to the United States, I will wire you in a separate message. However, I want you in the meantime to put it in nicely drafted form and make every preparation to present it to the Americans just as soon as you receive instructions."

Memorandum from the Imperial Government to the United States Government (Part 14 of 14):

7. Obviously it is the intention of the American Government to conspire with Great Britain and other countries to obstruct Japan's efforts toward the establishment of peace through the creation of a new order in East Asia, and especially to preserve Anglo-American rights and interests by keeping Japan and China at war. This intention has been revealed clearly during the course of the present negotiation. Thus, the earnest hope of the Japanese Government to adjust Japanese-American relations and to preserve and promote the peace of the Pacific through cooperation with the American Government has finally been lost. The Japanese Government regrets to have to notify hereby the American Government that in view of the attitude of the American Government it cannot but consider that it is impossible to reach an agreement through further negotiations.

Tokyo to Berlin:

We would like to avoid bringing about any situation likely to result in an armed clash with Soviet Russia until strategic circumstances permit it; and so get the German Government to understand this position of ours...explain to them at considerable length that insofar as American materials being shipped to Soviet Russia through any point lying within the scope of our intelligence are concerned, they are neither of high quality nor of large quantity, and that in case we start our war with the United States we will capture all American ships destined for Soviet Russia. Please endeavor to come to an understanding on this line.

Dutch and British pilots spot a Japanese invasion fleet at Singapore.

Barbarossa:General Georgy Zhukov launches a huge Soviet counteroffensive, pushing back the freezing Germans from Moscow. Constant pressure during the winter will force the Germans back to 40 miles from Moscow.

1942 World War II: Various:

Poland:The SS locks 23 Poles--men, women, children--into a cottage and barn, and burns them alive on suspicion of sheltering Jews.

Stalin to FDR:

I welcome the idea of a meeting between the three heads of Governments to establish a common strategy. To my great regret, however, I shall be unable to leave the Soviet Union. This is so critical a moment that I cannot absent myself even for a single day. Just now major military operations - part of our winter campaign - are under way, nor will they be relaxed in January. It is more than likely that it will be the other way round. Fighting is developing both at Stalingrad and on the Central Front. At Stalingrad we have encircled a large group of German troops and hope to complete their destruction."

1944 World War II: Various

Westwall is reached by the US 95th Infantry division.

Churchill to FDR:

As we are unable to meet, I feel that the time has come for me to place before you the serious and disappointing war situation which faces us at the close of this year. Although many fine tactical victories have been gained on the Western Front and Metz and Strasbourg are trophies, the fact remains that we have definitely failed to achieve the strategic object which we gave to our armies five weeks ago. We have not yet reached the Rhine in the northern part and the most important sector of the front, and we shall have to continue the great battle for many weeks before we can hope to reach the Rhine and establish our bridgeheads. After that, again we advance through Germany. 2. In Italy the Germans are still keeping twenty-six divisions - equivalent to perhaps sixteen full strength or more - on our front. They could however at any time retreat . . . . We have secured weighty advantages from "Dragoon . . . .  (the landing in Southern France) for the battle on the main front . . . . On account of the obstinacy of the German resistance on all fronts, we did not withdraw the five British and British-Indian divisions from Europe in order to enable Mountbatten to attack Rangoon in March . . . . The vast-scale operations which you have conducted in the Pacific are at present the only part of the war where we are not in a temporary state of frustration. 6. We have however, happily, to consider what the Russians will do. We have Stalin's promise of a winter campaign, starting, I presume, in January. On most of his immense front he seems to have been resting and preparing, though only about three or four German divisions have come over to face Eisenhower . . . . I have tried to survey the whole scene in its scope and proportion, and it is clear that we have to face, in varying degrees of probability: (a) A considerable delay in reaching, still more in forcing, the Rhine on the shortest road to Berlin. (b) A marked degree of frustration in Italy. (c) The escape home of a large part of the German forces in the Balkan Peninsula. (d) Frustration in Burma. (e) Elimination of China as a combatant. When we contrast these realities with the rosy expectations of our peoples, in spite of our joint efforts to damp them down, the question very definitely arises . . . . What are we going to do about it?

FDR to Stalin:

In regard to a proposed Franco-Soviet Pact along the lines of the Anglo-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance, this government would have no objection in principle if you and General de Gaulle considered such a pact in the interests of both of your countries and European security in general. I am in complete agreement with your replies to General de Gaulle with regard to the post-war frontier of France. It appears to me at the present time that no advantage to our common war effort would result from an attempt to settle this question now and that its settlement subsequent to the collapse of Germany is preferable.

FDR to Churchill:

You will have seen from my reply to Stalin on his talks with de Gaulle that our views are identical on the two questions which he raised. I still adhere to my position that any attempt to include de Gaulle in the meeting of the three of us would merely introduce a complicating and undesirable factor . . . . I fully appreciate the advantages which you see in a possible tripartite Anglo-Franco-Soviet Pact. I am somewhat dubious, however, as to the effect of such an arrangement on the question of an International Security Organization, to which, as you know, I attach the very highest importance. I fear that a tripartite pact might be interpreted by public opinion here as a competitor to a future World Organization, whereas a bilateral arrangement between France and the Soviet Union similar to the Soviet-British Pact would be more understandable. I realize however that this is a subject which is of primary concern to the three countries involved.

1945 Nuremberg Tribunal: Continuation of Griffith-Jones Presentation of the Case on Aggressive Wars Against Poland, the United Kingdom, and France. Beginning of F. Elwyn Jones' Presentation of the Case on Aggressive Wars Against Denmark and Norway.

Edited by Levi Bookin (Copy editor)
levi.bookin@gmail.com

 
 



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