did singapore have to fall to the japanese in WWII? Flashcards
(21 cards)
why did war break out in Asia Pacific in 1941?
there was the rise of Nazi Germany, which led to the the outbreak of WWII in Europe.
there was the rise of modern Japan, which led to the outbreak of WWII in Asia Pacific
why did the British have to fight a war against Germany?
After WWI (in which Germany lost), the Germans became very poor. The Germans wanted change and Hitler built the German military into something very powerful. From there, it started taking over neighbouring countries. In 1939, there was an INVASION OF POLAND and Britain decalred war on Germany.
what happened after the French lost?
After the French lost in the 1940, the British had to fight against Germany alone. Hence, the British had to balance the defence of its homeland in Europe against its vast overseas empire.
Then why did the Japanese launch an attack on SEA?
Japan had imperalist interest in SEA.
why did the japanese have imperalist interest in SEA?
The Japanese wanted to build an empire in Asia that would provide them with necessary land & resources that they needed. However, Japan was a mountainous and heavily forested area which lacked natural resources that they needed.
what happened between the Japanese, British and Americans?
Upon hearing the Japanese plans, the British and Americans were not happy which led to a conflict.
Thus, Japan’s interests in SEA posed a threat to British Malaya and Singapore.
The rising threat of Japan.
British realised that Japan posed a possible threat to their empires. Singapore and Malaya were important to the Japanese as they would give Japan access to many resources & control over the vital shipping route of the Straits of Melaka
why was the “Singapore Strategy” executed?
After WWI, many British soldiers died, resulting in low military troops to protect the colonies in Asia.
why was SIngapore the chosen one?
Due to SIngapore’s strategic Geographical location and importance of a port, the British decided to construct a naval base, in which Sembawang was the chosen location for the naval base.
what was the “SIngapore Strategy”?
If a war ever occurs, the British will send a fleet of warships to the base to protect the large overseas empire. While on the way, Singapore will have to rely on local defences by the British.
Was the naval base effective?
No, the naval base was not effective. This is because the British priority was to protect Britain instead of its other colonies, like Singapore.
Japanese preperations for invasion
The Japanese had made many preperations before the outbreak of WWII. They had sent spies to Malaya and Singapore to gather information for the military. They also set up a special research unit to look more into jungle fighting and the training of their soldiers.
Who was the ‘mastermind’ behind the preperations?
Colonel Masanobu Tsuji
What did Colonel Masanobu Tsuji do?
He had made the decision not to attack Singpore from the sea. He planned for the Japanese forces to land on the beaches of Southern Thailand, advance downwards to Malaya and to Singapore from the North.
The defence of Malaya
Defending Malaya was crucial as Singapore could not be held if Malaya had lost. Hence, the British had plans to prevent an enemy from landing in Northern Malaya
So, what was the plan of the defence of Malaya?
Hoping to deter potential enemies from invading their colonies, they planned to build military airfields in many parts of Malaya to provide bases for aircrafts to defend it from hostile landings.
British Forces (weaknesses)
Defending the colonies in the Far East were low priority to the British as they were busy fighting the war in Europe, hence, the British were only able to spare poorly trained and insufficent number and quality of troops.
Forces that defended Malaya and SIngapore came from different parts of the British Empire, which made it difficult to understand one another due to the language barrier.
The soldiers who were poorly trained, did not feel like it was their duty to sacrifice themselves for the defence of the colonies.
who led the British forces?
General Arthur Percival (was experienced and capable officer but had not led such a big group of military force before)
what ships did the British send?
Due to the war happening in Europe, the British were only able to send a small fleet of warships of which included 2 battleships, HMS Prince of Wales & HMS Repulse, and also a small number of escorting ships. (FORCE Z)
what happened to the planes and ships?
In 1941, the 2 battleships were sank and the planes were bombed by the Japanese. With the loss of their naval and air superiority in the region, the British were only able to rely on the British army to repel the attacks of the Japanese.
Japanese Forces (strengths)
the troops were experienced and well-supported with weapons, aircrafts, warships and tanks.
they used the knowledge of the Malayan jungle and decided to bring light tanks and bicycles to move the soldiers around quickly and catch the enemy by surprise.
During the battle of Malaya, the British were often caught off guard, resulting them to abandon their supplies, leaving them for the Japanese use.
