During the Second World War, both the Japanese and the Americans believed in the ineffable power of their unique fighting spirit, but it was American ‘tactical culture’ that made the U.S. Army victorious over its Japanese opponents. In the decades since the war the prevailing attitude was that the American victory was inevitable, because of their overwhelming resources and superior firepower, and that the Japanese were always doomed to failure because they could never match the industrial might of the United States.While the Americans did eventually enjoy superiority in firepower and logistics, this view unfairly dismisses the fighting abilities of the Japanese forces. It also ignores the fact that over three-and-half years of vicious fighting were required to earn this victory.Both the Japanese and the Americans displayed the will to fight. Both sides wanted to win. The Americans’ will to win was centred in the belief that they were fighting for a profoundly moral cause and was exemplified by a grim determination to accomplish the job and return home. In contrast, the Japanese will to win was subverted by a strategic/tactical culture that promoted a will to sacrifice which became popularly misconstrued by Japanese soldiers and their leaders that their death in battle was the key to winning.Strategic culture was as important to the outcomes of the Pacific War as the imbalance of power. Effective weapons and equipment are vital to success, but they are only one element of combat effectiveness. Japanese strategic culture caused them to believe that they were not the only people with willpower and courage. Their hope of victory was based on their faith that spiritual superiority would neutralize materiel superiority. They were confident that the unique Japanese qualities of national will, discipline, and sacrifice would defeat the Americans. Japan’s failure in this regard was because their strategy implicitly accepted annihilation of their tactical forces as an acceptable substitute for victory.As this book shows, a will to win is the bedrock upon which military success is founded, and while effective weapons and equipment are vital to success, they are only one element of combat effectiveness. In exploring this subject, the author reveals how the contrasting strategic cultures of two adversaries in the Second World War influenced the course and consequences of the war.
