In World War II, which posed a greater threat to the Allies: Germany or Japan? What were the reasons behind this?

After Pearl Harbor, two top U.S. generals, Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, assessed which enemy—the Germans or the Japanese—was a greater threat. Both concluded that Germany should be the priority.

General Marshall saw Germany as the bigger danger because it was already fighting Britain and the Soviet Union and seemed close to defeating one or both. Germany’s forces had overrun much of Europe, accomplishing in a few weeks what they couldn’t do in four years of World War I. Plus, Germany was closer to the United States, with U-boats that could threaten the Atlantic Coast. The U.S. could directly support Britain and the Soviet Union in Europe, while these Allies couldn’t offer much help in the Pacific. So, keeping them in the fight against Germany was essential.

Japan, meanwhile, was farther away and had mostly reached its limits of expansion. The U.S. didn’t have enough supplies or ships to launch a major campaign in the Pacific, especially as the Philippines were already under attack. Japan was also not an immediate threat to the U.S. mainland and had decided not to attack the Soviet Union. The U.S. could soon launch bombing missions in Europe, but it would take years to be ready to strike Japan directly.

In short, Marshall and Eisenhower believed Germany was the bigger enemy. They advised the president to focus on defeating Germany first, supporting the Allies in Europe to prevent a total Axis victory.