In the late 1930s, much of Southeast Asia were European colonies.
The Dutch, the English, and the French, mostly.
The modern-day country of the Philippines was controlled by the USA.
The Dutch, the English, and the French, mostly.
The modern-day country of the Philippines was controlled by the USA.
Now, this period in the history of the world is extremely dark.
To truly understand why something happened the way it did, you’d have to turn around and investigate farther back in history.
We won’t be doing that today.
To truly understand why something happened the way it did, you’d have to turn around and investigate farther back in history.
We won’t be doing that today.
We’ll simply take it from a certain point in time because we have a specific lesson to learn from it.
So, back to the late 1930s.
The US and Japan were against each other.
So, back to the late 1930s.
The US and Japan were against each other.
In an effort to intimidate the USA, Japan started advancing and capturing territory in the south-east of Asia by directly fighting the European settlements.
In response to this, the USA put trade embargoes on Japan and cut off their crude oil supply among other items.
In response to this, the USA put trade embargoes on Japan and cut off their crude oil supply among other items.
The hope was that this move would weaken Japan as the country was small in size. It lacked many resources like crude oil and raw materials for metals.
Japan had enough reserves for 2 years but after that, they’d run out.
Japan had enough reserves for 2 years but after that, they’d run out.
They made a bold decision to capture big chunks of Southeast Asia from the Europeans and the Philippines from the Americans.
The Japanese wanted supremacy over the Pacific region.
The Japanese wanted supremacy over the Pacific region.
This entire region would be enough for Japan to get its resources and would serve as a major stronghold for the Japanese - something to deter the Americans and the Europeans.
In this period, the USA had one primary enemy - Germany. It was pouring all its efforts towards that conflict in Europe.
Japan succeeded in its plan.
Japan succeeded in its plan.
Pumped and motivated by this, the Japanese wanted to send another strong message to the USA - one they hoped would keep the USA scared and away from the Pacific for long.
In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, several American warships and aircraft were stationed.
In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, several American warships and aircraft were stationed.
In 1941, the Japanese attacked this site.
Hundreds of warplanes were lost and ships were sunk. Most American sailors at Pearl Harbor died - over 2000 of them.
It was an extremely well-coordinated move on Japan’s part.
Hundreds of warplanes were lost and ships were sunk. Most American sailors at Pearl Harbor died - over 2000 of them.
It was an extremely well-coordinated move on Japan’s part.
They succeeded in damaging the resources and morale of the Americans - though only temporarily.
Towards 1943, America began to push back.
Gradually, the American forces were able to regain land that had been taken over by the Japanese.
Towards 1943, America began to push back.
Gradually, the American forces were able to regain land that had been taken over by the Japanese.
The Japanese held honor in great regard.
Many times, upon facing enemy forces, they’d kill themselves to avoid being captured and imprisoned.
The losses, however, of both life and resources, were immense on both sides.
Many times, upon facing enemy forces, they’d kill themselves to avoid being captured and imprisoned.
The losses, however, of both life and resources, were immense on both sides.
There was no one side that was clearly better than the other.
The bloodshed continued into the mid-1940s.
Japan had been cornered and was fighting from mainland Japan. But they wouldn’t surrender.
The bloodshed continued into the mid-1940s.
Japan had been cornered and was fighting from mainland Japan. But they wouldn’t surrender.
Japan was in a tough situation - it had suffered huge losses of soldiers, ships, and planes. All this while its trade connectivity to the rest of the world remained suspended.
The USA wanted Japan to surrender.
The USA wanted Japan to surrender.
They kept air-dropping bombs in the country to get them to surrender.
The USA gave the Japanese an ultimatum.
When asked, the Japanese premier said, “mokusatsu”.
Mokusatsu in Japanese literally translates to ‘silent killing’.
The USA gave the Japanese an ultimatum.
When asked, the Japanese premier said, “mokusatsu”.
Mokusatsu in Japanese literally translates to ‘silent killing’.
The USA had had enough.
Seeing that the Japanese wouldn’t surrender, they decided to go with the option they had threatened to go with - complete destruction.
The USA had started a top-secret new project in 1941 - the Manhattan Project.
Seeing that the Japanese wouldn’t surrender, they decided to go with the option they had threatened to go with - complete destruction.
The USA had started a top-secret new project in 1941 - the Manhattan Project.
In 1945, after hearing the premier say “mokusatsu”, America decided to use what they developed from the Manhattan Project - the nuclear bomb.
On August 6, 1945, a Boing B-29 bomber plane named Enola Gay dropped the first every nuclear bomb to be used in a war on the city of Hiroshima.
3 days later, another nuclear bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki.
The cities were destroyed.
Lakhs of citizens died.
Japan surrendered.
The cities were destroyed.
Lakhs of citizens died.
Japan surrendered.
Those were the only two times anyone has used a nuclear bomb in a war, ever.
Lakhs of lives were lost over the years - both Japanese, American, and others.
This isn’t about which side was right or which was wrong. That’s a debate for another day.
Lakhs of lives were lost over the years - both Japanese, American, and others.
This isn’t about which side was right or which was wrong. That’s a debate for another day.
Here’s something chilling:
The Japanese premier said “mokusatsu” which means “silent killing”.
The translator to the Americans translated this as just that - silent killing.
‘Mokusatsu’ in Japan also is used to say, “no comments”.
The Japanese premier said “mokusatsu” which means “silent killing”.
The translator to the Americans translated this as just that - silent killing.
‘Mokusatsu’ in Japan also is used to say, “no comments”.
The Japanese premier didn’t say he wanted to continue fighting the Americans.
He was avoiding commenting on the situation - probably trying to delay the decision to a later point in time.
It was a giant miscommunication.
He was avoiding commenting on the situation - probably trying to delay the decision to a later point in time.
It was a giant miscommunication.
A miscommunication that if it hadn’t happened, would have saved lakhs of lives of innocent civilians.
We’re living in the information age where fake news and misunderstandings are common.
We’re living in the information age where fake news and misunderstandings are common.
Before taking any major decision be it an investment decision or otherwise, make sure your source of information and its interpretation is correct.
Several investors have lost money to murmurs that amounted to nothing in reality.
Several investors have lost money to murmurs that amounted to nothing in reality.
Several investors have lost money because they interpreted the correct information in the wrong way.
Everyone is trying to obtain more information.
Not many are trying to ensure the information is correct.
Do that.
Everyone is trying to obtain more information.
Not many are trying to ensure the information is correct.
Do that.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
