Art of Africa and the Pacific Islands Chapter 35

The civilian population, culture and infrastructure of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia (Pacific Islands) were completely changed between 1941 and 1945, due to the logistical requirements of the Allies in their war confronting Japan (taemfaet and daidowa in Micronesian or sahaya kana tuta in Melanesian).^{[1] [two]} At the beginning of the war some of the islands had experienced up to 200 years of colonialism from Europe and its colonies, some on the verge of being fully annexed, others close to independence. The early on Japanese expansion through the western Pacific so introduced a new colonial system to many islands. The Japanese occupation subjected the ethnic people of Guam and other Pacific Islands to forced labor, family separation, incarceration, execution, concentration camps, and forced prostitution, only too created opportunities for advanced education.^{[3] [4]}

The Pacific Islands then experienced military activity, massive troop movements, and limited resource extraction and edifice projects as the Allies pushed the Japanese back to their home islands.^[5] The juxtaposition of all these cultures led to a new understanding amidst the ethnic Pacific Islanders of their human relationship with the colonial powers.

The Pacific until 1941 [edit]

Occupation of High german-Samoa, 1914

By 1941 the Pacific Islands had been on the periphery of many wars between the great powers of Europe and America. Japan too had been slowly extending its influence along the edge of the western Pacific for much of the 20th century leading up to World War II. After the initial scramble for positions by the Spanish, Dutch, English and French, Guam had been ceded to America and German language-Samoa had inverse hands in the First World War.^[six]

Christianity had been spread to every inhabited island and been adopted to varying extents. The interior of New Guinea was largely unexplored by Europeans. However, the rest of the Pacific was fully in the control of colonial powers, every bit the Pacific Islands were comparatively slow in the creation of Independence movements.^[7]

Attitude of the visiting armies [edit]

Due to the vast corporeality of information recorded past the Allied armies in comparison with the local populations of the Pacific many of the events of the fourth dimension are seen from their perspective.^[viii] It had been decided that Britain and its colonies would take a secondary function in the Pacific, and so information technology was mostly Americans that passed through the Islands on their way to war.^[9] They appeared in the Pacific largely unannounced due to security concerns. In the view of 1 French colonist "if martians had landed among usa we would non accept been more surprised".^[x]

Virtually of the military machine personnel from the continental U.Due south. had never earlier left their homeland or experienced whatsoever culture other than their own. Americans experienced the Pacific Islands including the U.Southward. organized incorporated territory of Hawaii through picture palace and books which divided the inhabitants into submissive hula dancers or cannibals.^[11] Also the American military was segregated at this time further leading to the civilisation shock that awaited many in the Pacific Islands. American views on race also led to disagreements amongst the Allies, as New Zealand officers would accept dinner with their Fijian counterparts, while Americans would not.^[12] Similar racial tension was to lead to a riot in Wellington, New Zealand when American soldiers would not allow Māori into the Allied Services Lodge.^[13]

Once the servicemen arrived they quibbled near their disillusionment with local women and never fully inverse their preconceptions of local men.^{[14] [fifteen]} As John F Kennedy reported from the Solomon Islands "Have a lot of natives effectually and am getting concord of grass skirts, war clubs, etc. We had ane in today who told us about the last man he ate".^[16] In the Solomon Islands by this stage of the war the missionaries had been evacuated, which would have only increased misunderstandings between the Methodist locals and the new arrivals. While some foreign servicemen respected the locals for their fitness, friendliness and piece of work ethic, almost viewed the indigenous people equally culturally and biologically inferior. However, equally the American men were ordered to treat the locals fairly, and the visitors provided many economic opportunities, relations were virtually always peaceful.^[12]

In order to prevent the spread of diseases such every bit malaria to the American troops in Melanesia efforts were made to separate the ii groups. Treatment was also given to locals for a variety of ailments in order to protect the servicemen. This forth with the perceived positive treatment of African Americans led to a more often than not positive view of Americans among the populace of the Solomon Islands. This skilful stance was but marred by infrequent theft of local goods, unwanted advances towards women and at least one example of bestiality by American servicemen.^[17]

Changes to culture [edit]

Generally the effect of informal interactions between the visiting armies and the local inhabitants had a far more lasting effect than the formal war machine activities. The sharp distinction between colonizer and colonized once broken, especially past shared military service were difficult to restore.^[xviii]

The dwelling house comforts the American armed forces brought to the Pacific changed the aspirations of many local peoples. This included the eating habits of those in the Solomon Islands through to the way choices of women in New Zealand.^{[19] [20]}

In those societies, like New Zealand, where a portion of the young men enlisted, every bit well as working in the fields and factories, women volunteered for Cherry-red Cross work and took up the professional person positions left vacant by the men.^[21]

In communities that had very little contact with Europeans before the war, the sudden inflow—and rapid departure—of such an unfathomable mass of men and machines had lasting religious furnishings, such as the so-chosen "cargo cults".^{[22] [23]}

Employment [edit]

In New Caledonia employment past the armed forces represented the offset introduction to currency (46 cents a day) for many. This was accompanied with health intendance and training in many tasks including driving. This was seen every bit inappropriate and leading to arrogant behavior by some French colonists. Uniforms were too given to local workers as a way of creating discipline and a hierarchy.^[24]

The indigenous New Caledonians (Kanak) noted with interest that the African American soldiers, while segregated, could outrank white Americans. They judged that this system was superior to the one they lived in nether French rule.^[24] Asian indentured servants in New Caledonia could not officially exist employed past the Americans, however, they were heavily involved in the black marketplace supply of appurtenances and labor that developed. Their absence put force per unit area on the efficiency of the local nickel mines.^[25]

Environmental impact [edit]

The deforestation, dumping of ordnance and spread of invasive species throughout the Pacific all affected the environment.^{[26] [27]} On some pocket-sized atolls runways were built covering most of the available land. This, forth with the introduction of rats destroyed the breeding location for many sea birds.^[28] The war in the Pacific was partly i for resources, the nickel in New Caledonia made the island a target attracting a US occupation force.^[nine]

Aftermath [edit]

During the war resource that could be reused in America were oft sent back for recycling. However, at the end of the war an estimated nine million metric tonnes of American equipment still needed to be returned from the Pacific. Most of it was sold to the colonial governments or abandoned. In New Guinea reselling this scrap would be the only assisting business concern until the 1950s.^[29]

Arrival and divergence of foreign troops

Location	Military	Arrival	Departure	Population	Troop numbers	%	References
Fiji	New Zealand, U.s. of America			259,638	12,000	five	[30]
Guam	Japan	Dec 1941	August 1944	22,290	xviii,000	81	[31] [32]
Hawaii	The states of America	Before 1939	Subsequently 1945	423,330	253,000	lx	[31] [33]
New Caledonia	United States of America	March 1942	June 1944	53,000	100,000	187	[25] [34] [35]
New Zealand	United states of america	June 1942	July 1944	1,600,000	45,000	3	[20] [36]

See also [edit]

• Home front during World War 2
• Japanese occupation of Guam
• Japanese occupation of the Dutch E Indies
• United states of america dwelling front during World War 2

References [edit]

1. ^ Williamson Murray, Allan R. Millett, A War to be Won: Fighting the Second World War, Harvard University Press, 2001, p. 143
2. ^ White et al 1989, p. 3.
3. ^ Werner Gruhl, Purple Japan'south Globe War 2, 1931–1945 Archived January one, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Transaction Publishers, 2007 ISBN 978-0-7658-0352-8
4. ^ Lindstrom et al 1990, p. 33.
5. ^ Bennett 2009, p. 179.
6. ^ Fischer, Steven Roger (March 13, 2013). A History of the Pacific Islands. Macmillan International Higher Education. ISBN9781137088123.
7. ^ "Pacific Islands – Independence movements". Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved January 22, 2019.
8. ^ Lindstrom et al 1990, p. 7.
9. ^ ^{a b} Ahrens 2006, p. 12.
10. ^ Ahrens 2006, p. 11.
11. ^ Ahrens 2006, pp. 21, 28.
12. ^ ^{a b} Ahrens 2006, pp. 23–24.
13. ^ "Battle of Manners St: United states of america wartime invasion had racist side". Stuff . Retrieved January 22, 2019.
14. ^ Ahrens 2006, p. 21.
15. ^ Bennett 2009, p. 37.
16. ^ Ahrens 2006, p. 23.
17. ^ Ahrens 2006, pp. 24–25.
18. ^ Lindstrom et al 1990, p. 13.
19. ^ Ahrens 2006, p. 15.
20. ^ ^{a b} "U.s.a. forces in New Zealand – US Forces in New Zealand NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz . Retrieved Jan 22, 2019.
21. ^ "Eleanor Roosevelt visits New Zealand". New Zealand History. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
22. ^ Lindstrom, Lamont (1993). Cargo Cult: Strange Stories of desire from Melanesia and beyond. Honolulu: Academy of Hawaii Press.
23. ^ Lawrence, Peter (1971). Road Vest Cargo: A Study of the Cargo Movement in the Southern Madang District, New Guinea . Manchester University Press. ISBN9780719004575. Cargo cult new republic of guinea.
24. ^ ^{a b} Ahrens 2006, p. 16.
25. ^ ^{a b} Ahrens 2006, p. 17.
26. ^ Bennett 2009, pp. 97–114.
27. ^ Bennett 2009, pp. 182–183.
28. ^ Bennett 2009, p. 199.
29. ^ Bennett 2009, pp. 179–181.
30. ^ "Affiliate I — With the New Zealand Brigade in Fiji | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz . Retrieved Jan 22, 2019.
31. ^ ^{a b} "1940 census". 1940census.athenaeum.gov . Retrieved Jan 22, 2019.
32. ^ Rottman, G. (2004). Guam 1941 & 1944: Loss and Reconquest. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN9781841768113.
33. ^ Roehner, Bertrand (2018). "Relations betwixt military forces and the population of Hawaii". UPMC Working Report.
34. ^ "New Caledonia in the two World Wars | Chemins de Mémoire – Ministère de la Défense". www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr . Retrieved Jan 22, 2019.
35. ^ Munholland, Kim (1992). "Yankee Farewell: The Americans go out New Caledonia, 1945". Proceedings of the Meeting of the French Colonial Historical Society. 16: 181–194. JSTOR 42952246.
36. ^ "New Zealand and the Second World War – Second Globe War – overview | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz . Retrieved Jan 22, 2019.

Sources [edit]

• Ahrens, Prue (2006). Tour of Paradise: An American Soldier in the South Pacific. Vulgar Printing. ISBN9780958079587.
• Bennett, Judith A. (2009). Natives and Exotics: Earth State of war II and Surround in the Southern Pacific. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN9780824832650.
• Lindstrom, Lamont; White, Geoffrey Miles; Center, E-West (September 17, 1990). Island Encounters: Blackness and White Memories of the Pacific War. Smithsonian Establishment Printing. ISBN9780874744576.
• White, Geoffrey Miles; Lindstrom, Lamont (1989). The Pacific Theater: Island Representations of World War II. Academy of Hawaii Printing. ISBN9780824811464.

Further reading [edit]

• Kwai, Anna Annie (2017). Solomon Islanders in World War II: An Ethnic Perspective. Canberra: Australian National University Printing. ISBN9781760461669.

External links [edit]

• Essays on US forces in New Zealand
• Reading list on US forces in the Pacific

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Islands_home_front_during_World_War_II

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