A Study of War Strategy Applied by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Clint Eastwood Letters from Iwo Jima and its Application in English Language Teaching

Abstract

Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 American war film directed and co-produced by the great American actor, Clint Eastwood. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi has a duty from the Japanese Imperial to defend Iwo Jima from the American invasion. Therefore, Kuribayashi has put in order his own strategy to save the island and he didn’t follow the traditional strategy that was recommended, so that his privates begin to feel desperate. In this research, the researcher did the investigation toward the war strategy that is used by General Kuribayashi in saving Iwo Jima. The main hypotheses are: What kind of war strategy which is applied by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in securing Iwo Jima? Is the war strategy which applied by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi effective to win the battle? What solutions did General Tadamichi Kuribayashi takes to end the war? What kind of application of this research which will be applied in English Language Teaching? This analysis uses war strategy approaches from Carl von Clausewitz war theory based on his book entitled “On War” and Psychological Approach to identify the solution that the characters give. Finally we can find out that General Kuribayashi applies a Defensive Strategy. We also know that the defensive war strategy is not effective, because there is no any popular support at all from the Imperial; no combined fleet and the air forces. The war strategy doesn’t work well. Eventually, Japan surrendered. Before the Americans killed them, they commit an honor suicide which includes in Inseki-jisatsu, because of their Moral Anxiety. This research can be applied in conducting the lesson plan in English for Specific Purpose to teach military cadets.

Keywords: Film, Letters from Iwo Jima, War Strategy Approach, Psychological Approach