Pearl Harbor and Pacific Campaigns

Let’s Review!  Germany started the war by invading Poland.  France fell leaving Britain as the only ally until Germany invades the Soviet Union  Why was Japan spreading its empire? What did they need?  Where did they take over?

Japan Seeks a Pacific Empire  The U.S. was aware of Japan’s plans for S.E. Asia  They were in desperate need of oil – WHY??????  Admiral Yamamoto regarded the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor as a “dagger pointed at our throat”

Pearl Harbor  “a date that will live in infamy” – FDR  December 7, 1941 – Japan attacked the naval base and took the entire nation by surprise  18 ships sunk/damaged – including 8 battleships!  Demolished the U.S. Pacific fleet  ≈ 2,400 Americans killed  >1,000 Americans wounded

Japanese Internment  Wave of prejudice against 127,000 Japanese-Americans following Pearl Harbor  Fear encouraged by government – viewed as the “enemy”  February 19, 1942 – internment camps  March – rounding up Japanese-Americans and relocated them  2/3 of those interned were native-born American citizens  ≈ 31,000 were imprisoned

Tide of Japanese Victories  Next, the Japanese focused on expanding their empire  Acquired Hong Kong, Dutch East Indies, Burma  Bataan Death March – Japanese subjected prisoners to terrible cruelties American solider witnessed six Scouts buried alive

The Allies Strike Back  U.S. quickly declared war on Japan  Began campaigns in the Pacific  May Battle of the Coral Sea – new kind of naval warfare No shots fired Airplanes that took off from huge aircraft carriers did all the fighting Japan claimed victory since the Allies lost more ships Significance – Allies stopped Japanese expansion for the first time

Pacific Campaigns  Battle of Midway – June 1942 After intercepting a code, U.S. able to plan a strategy to attack the Japanese Japanese fleet = largest naval force assembled Americans outnumbered 4:1 in ships/planes Allowed Japanese to strike first then Americans attacked Japanese ships ○ 332 planes destroyed as well as 4 aircraft carriers Significance – turning point

Pacific Campaigns  Douglas MacArthur General - commander of the Allied land forces in the Pacific “island-hop” – seize lands closer to Japan that were not well defended Battle of Guadalcanal – August 1943 ○ American victory

Pacific Campaigns (End of War)  Okinawa (April-July 1945)  Iwo Jima (February- March 1945) Bloodiest land battles Japanese – 110,000 killed Americans – 12,500 killed Significance – impact Truman’s decision to drop bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki