Is it right to say that WWII was fought against the Japanese and the Nazi's? (US perspective only)?

Question

Rather than the Germans and the Japanese.

Based on political cartoons and such from the era it appears that the Germans were not seen as the enemy, only Hitler and his direct followers. Hitler is shown as the enemy and the Germans are shown as brainwashed into following him.
At the same time they come dangerously close to calling for the complete extermination of the Japanese people. Most things are directed at a general Japanese person rather than the Emporer.

"Unfortunately the term Nazi becomes synonymous with Germans, since it was the country at war, although many Germans would resent the appellation."

This is what my question is about. From the American perspective, was the war against the Germans or the Nazi's? And was it against the Japanese people or just their gov't?

Answer 1

From what I have been told by my grandparents and soldiers who had fought against the Germans or the Japanese you are right . We fought the Nazi's in Europe and the Japanese in the south pacific . With the Nazi's it was just Hitler and his group we where after because of the war that they started (it was not till we started to beat them in several countries that the news about the camps came out ) . With the Japanese it was Pearl Harbor and the sneak attack that made us hate the people not just the government . It was easier then to hate them as a people because of the attack . it made going to war against a nation than a government . The PR machine told us it was the country who wanted war not the government .

Answer 2

You should not overlook the role of Italy, the third so-called Axis power, in the conflict. Germany and Italy jointly declared war on the US in December 1941, following hard on the heels of the declaration of war by US in retaliation for the attack on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan. Some declarations may have been made with a view to arranging truces (as Hitler had hoped with Britain - but UK alliance with Poland put paid to that).

The situation is further complicated by the role of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania who enjoined with the Axis powers in1942, later relenting and assisting the Allies (US, Britain and the Soviet Union) in the final defeat.

Unfortunately the term Nazi becomes synonymous with Germans, since it was the country at war, although many Germans would resent the appellation. Warfare makes little concession to these niceties.

I do think that when you need to motivate people to fight there is no room for the kind of disintction you suggest. It is convenient in cartoons to personify the enemy and certainly the profiles of Hitler and Mussolini were higher than the Japanese Emperor (who remained remote from the ordinary populace). Whether the people are misguided or brainwashed is debatable - I think there is plenty to suggest that belligerance was ingrained in the culture and there was a willingness to fight which their leaders were able to deploy. Much of it is Jingoism pure and simple, and difficult when the war is over for many to reconcile.

Answer 3

At the time, Germany was controlled by the Nazi party. So a war against the Nazis was a war against Germany. There were people there who did not subscribe to the beliefs of the Nazi party but that can be said of any country in any war. There would have been people in Japan who did not want war. However, there were many that did. The war there was not one against those who wanted war but a war against the country. Interesting, also, how you did not separate the Japanese into the Imperialists and Japanese.

Answer 4

In a sense you are correct...the Nazi party was in control of Germany, thus the enemy of America...The polictical unit had to be destroyed to win.
In Japan, the culture was militarized, even the civilians were trained never to surrender.
The Japanese society had to be all but crushed to win, and only the Emperor demanding surrender allowed the Japanese to give up the war.

Answer 5

WW 2 was fought against Germany, not Germans, and Japan, not Japanese. We convinced ourselves of this so we could get on with the task of actually winning and not pussyfooting around like we did in all subsequent engagements.

Answer 6

From the US perspective, the Free French, Poles, Free Czechs, Norwegians.......and all the ones I've forgotten to mention were operating as governments in exile by 1942 , (or even Dec 1941) .........


.....so from US perspective they were fighting just the Germans and Japanese

Answer 7

there were a few others involved such as the italians and austrians and a few others but basically your statement is true.