Eighty Years Ago: Asia Pacific, Jan 2 – 8, 1941

Jan 2, 1941: To boost shipping capabilities as risk of war becomes ever more apparent, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces massive construction program to build 200 standardized 7,500-ton freighters

Jan 3, 1941: Displaying growing interest in the South Pacific, Japan appoints career diplomat Kawai Tatsuo to become its first envoy to Australia

Jan 4, 1941: As Japanese ambitions in Southeast Asia increase, Australia decides to send ground forces to Malaya. Photo: Australian War Memorial

Jan 5, 1941: After more than 40 months of war in China, Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke, seen above during a visit to Germany, says in New Year’s radio address that 1941 may turn out to become “a tragic, unfortunate year for humanity”

Jan 6, 1941: In his State of the Union address held as war clouds draw ever nearer, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlines the “four freedoms”: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Jan 7, 1941: Japanese Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku orders Rear Admiral Onishi Takijiro to study proposal of attacking US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor

Jan 7, 1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes Office of Production Management to put US defense production on a semi-war footing

Jan 8, 1941: The Japanese military issues ‘Instructions for the Battlefield’, a booklet containing the code of conduct every soldier fighting for the empire is expected to follow. It prohibits retreat or surrender with the words, ‘Never live to experience shame as a prisoner’

Categories: War

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