WORLD WAR II 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 � 1941 -1946 ≈ 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 1942 - 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 Mac. Arthur � 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