Origins of the Pacific War and the Importance of 'Magic'

ISBN-13: 9781873410660 / Angielski / Twarda / 1999 / 508 str.

Keiichiro Komatsu;Keiichiro Komatsu

Opis

'Magic' was the name given to the American decoding of the secret Japanese codes used in diplomatic communications before and during the Pacific War of 1941-45. This important new work, presenting a Japanese perspective, argues for the first time that in the final phase of the eight months of US-Japan talks leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, serious mistranslations in Magic were a significant factor in the cumulative effect of mutual misunderstandings which grew between the two sides over a longer period.
In spite of the number of historians who take the opposite point of view, the author argues that the efforts made by the participants on both sides to achieve a successful outcome and avert military conflict, or at least delay the outbreak of the war until the following March (1942), might have been much closer to achieving success than generally believed.
The mistranslations of Magic which led to the crisis in 1941 were influenced by misunderstanding and misperception, and the persistence of stereotypes and 'images' among the parties involved. The study of these kinds of phenomena has been an important part of the growth of the discipline of international relations since the Second World War.

Argues that in the final phase of the eight months of US-Japan talks leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, serious mistranslations in Magic (the US decoding system) were a significant factor in the cumulative effect of mutual misunderstandings which grew between the two sides.

Recenzje

'Komatsu provides the reader with a detailed analysis of both the original Japanese Foreign Ministry telegrams and the American 'Magic' material. an interesting and original interpretation raising important questions not only about the events of 1941 but also about the general role of translation in intelligence work. it is refreshing to see a study of intelligence that deals not with the ninutiae of secret service politics but rather concentrates on how intelligence shapes perception.' - Anthony Best, Asian Affairs

Spis treści

Preface, Introduction, Part I: The Historical Legacy, Part II: Turning Points in the Negotiations I, Part III: ‘Magic’ as a Cause of US-Japan Misunderstanding, Part IV: Turning Points in the Negotiations II, Conclusion, Appendix, Historiographic Developments, Q&A Section, Bibliography, List o f Important 'Magic' Mistranslations, Telegrams and Drafts, Index

O autorze

Keiichiro Komatsu was born in Tokyo but spent his early years in Germany at the local kindergarten, before returning to Japan to enter primary school at which point he began learning Japanese and went on to complete his education. Subsequently he spent ten years working for a Japanese financial institution in Tokyo and then New York dealing with small and medium-sized enterprises. This was followed by research work at the University of Oxford where he was granted a D.Phil in International Relations. He has since returned to the business world specialising in the field of international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI), currently based in London. He is a member of the Royal Institute of International Affiars, Chatham House, London.