Page 146 - Micronesia

he Spanish had little interest in Chuuk ther Japanese influence in the South Seas. operations to the East Asia region. Under
In addition, Japan could acquire advance the pretext of pursuing the German East
T and apart from a Jesuit interest that
remains today had little to do with the bases with minimal military risk that might Asiatic Naval Squadron (including battle

islands through the 1800s. Germany pur- give them a vital strategic advantage in any cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau) in the

chased Spain’s Micronesian interests after conflict with the United States in the future. Nan’yo, Japan used its strategic opening to

the Spanish American War in 1898, but also Japanese government officials informed begin seizing German Micronesia outright.

did little with these isolated islands except Britain that it would go to war with Ger- In October 1914, Japanese forces captured

to change their name to Truk, by which many in order to satisfy its commitments the Palau, Saipan, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie, and

they were known until the name Chuuk was under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and in Jaluit. Yap and Pagan would soon follow.

restored following independence almost order to preserve the security of Pacific sea Truk was seized on October 12th.

100 years later. routes. J apan immediately adopted a policy of
secrecy regarding its aggressive occupa-
F Bollowing the onset of World War I in ritish officials immediately realized tion and exploitation of Micronesia includ-
1914, German raiders began a campaign their mistake; they had given Japan an

of sea warfare directed at British ship- opening to expand into Micronesia. When ing making it plain that it did not welcome

ping including those plying East China Sea the British government tried to withdraw entry of any other ships into Micronesian

routes. Short of sea power in the area, the its request for assistance, Japanese offi- waters, even those of its allies. These devi-

British requested naval assistance from the cials informed them that war preparations ous actions caused great ire amongst the

Japanese government in eliminating this had already been set in motion and that Anglo-Saxon nations. The intentions of

threat from enemy vessels. With certain reversing these efforts would bring down the Japanese were brought under further

nationalistic groups within the Naval the Japanese Cabinet. When British officials suspicion when requests for assistance to

General Staff and Naval Affairs Division of questioned Japanese intentions, the gov- the Allies in other important theaters of the

the Navy Ministry along with commercial ernment denied any ambitions to seize new war where help was desperately needed

interests welcoming any chance of territo- territories. At this point, all the British could were obstinately refused.

rial expansion to the south, the request was do was to try to limit the damage by trying

recognized as a great opportunity to fur- to coax Japan into confining its military