The Pacific Theatre WWII fought in the Pacific

The Pacific Theatre WWII fought in the Pacific Ocean from 1942 -1943

Turning the Tide In the Pacific • The turning point for the Americans against the Japanese was at Midway (June 1942) • Japan sought to destroy this naval base and control the Pacific

Turning the Tide In the Pacific • US Navy, led by Adm. Chester Nimitz, decoded Japanese Messages and knew their plans • Heavily outnumbered Americans ambush the Japanese fleet

Turning the Tide In the Pacific • Midway • Decisive American victory • 4 Japanese carriers destroyed; their navy/air force crippled • 3, 000+ Japanese killed; compared to 300+ Americans

Allies on the Offensive • August 1942 – U. S. troops stormed Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands (1 st Japanese defeat on land) • Island-hopped back to the Philippines in Oct 1944 • “People of the Philippines: I have returned. ” Mac. Arthur

Turning the Tide In the Pacific • US would begin a strategy of “island hopping” to Japan • Taking islands from Japanese control and converting them into US bases

WWII The Home Front

Mobilizing for war! • WPB – War Production Board • Converted peace time industry to war industry • Govt controlled industry to ensure there were sufficient war materials

• This “production miracle” allowed the Allies to produce twice as much as the Axis Powers • “To American production, without which the war would have been lost” -Stalin

New Economic Opportunities • Opened up opportunities for women • ¾ women in war industries were married • 60% were over 35 yrs/old • Broke social norms

New Economic Opportunities • Women worked in blue collar (industrial jobs) • Would lose these jobs when men returned from war • Women also worked in white collar (secretarial/clerical jobs) • Many women kept these jobs after the war

New Economic Opportunities • Children’s lives were changed by women working • With moms and dads both working, family income increased • Relationships changed • Day care centers emerged for 1 st time

Warm up 1. What ethnicity do you think the grocery store owner is? 2. Why do you think this store owner put this sign up? 3. What does it tell you about some of the white Americans who lived in this neighborhood?

New Economic Opportunities • African Americans faced discrimination • “Double V” • Victory at home • Against discrimination • Victory abroad • Against the Axis

New Economic Opportunities • A. Philip Randolph presented FDR with a list of demands to end discrimination in federal programs • Executive Order 8802 - fair hiring practices in federal govt jobs

New Economic Opportunities • NAACP and CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) continue to fight for African Americans • Use non-violence to protest segregation

Discrimination • Minority migration leads to racial violence • 1943 Detroit- a riot broke out between blacks and whites

Workers On the Move • Mexican Americans faced similar problems • Zoot-suit Riots (June 1943): • Mobs would roam LA searching for these zoot suiters and attack them

The US Government Mistreats Minorities • Exec Order 9066 • The Pres. Could declare any area as a war zone • Japanese-Americans forced to sell their land, leave the west coast

The US Government Mistreats Minorities • These Japanese were placed into internment camps • Food supply, education, and health care were lacking in these camps • Korematsu v. US- Supreme Court stated that this was all legal during war

Supporting the War Effort • War raised debt by $200 billion+ • Americans paid taxes and bought war bonds to help pay for the war

The Media Boosts Morale • Office of War Information (OWI) used to boost civilian morale • Used media to remind people why we are fighting • Pop culture stars volunteered time to promote the war