December 7 th , 1941

1. December 7th, 1941

2. Fallout From WWI • Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919 • Largely punitive • Germany was forced to admit that the war was their fault • Military • Army No Larger Than 100,000 troops • No Tanks Allowed, No Chemical Weapons • No Air Force Allowed • 6 Battleships and No Submarines for the Navy

3. Fallout From WWI • Territory • Lost valuable coal producing land • Lost over 20,800 square miles to Poland • Financial • Impossible amount of reparations demanded • $442 billion in today’s money • Last payment was made to Great Britain in 2010

4. Depression and Hyperinflation • Reparations could only be paid in foreign currency or gold • German government bought foreign currency at any price • Printed more money to do so • German people tried to spend money quickly as it lost value • Hyperinflation hits in 1923

5. Depression and Hyperinflation

6. New Currency • The Rentenmark replaces the Papiermark in November, 1923 • 1 Rentenmark = 1 Trillion Papiermarks • The currency stabilized inflation • When the U.S. Fell Into Depression in 1929, it had a horrible effect on Germany • Could not afford to pay back loans and the economy crashed

7. Opened The Door • A failed artist was able to take control • Incredibly engaging public speaker • Able to focus bitterness over Treaty of Versailles • Wealthy Industrialists financed propaganda • Afraid of communism • Blamed Jews and communists • Claimed he was the last hope for Germany

8. Hitler GIVEN Power • President Hindenberg needs help • Offers Hitler Vice- Chancellor Position • In exchange for party support • Hitler demands chancellor position • Got it in 1933 • Reichstag building was set on fire • Hitler’s party claimed it was the communists • Many believe it was Hitler’s party that set the fire

9. Hitler GIVEN Power • Reichstag Fire Decree • Suspended all basic rights • Allowed detention without trial • Hitler’s party arrests political opponents • Over 4,000 communist party members arrested • With opponents out of the way, Hitler demands and is granted, near absolute power on March 23, 1933

10. Treaty Of Versailles Ignored • March, 1936- German troops enter the Rhineland (between Germany and France) • March, 1938- German troops enter Austria and unite the two countries • September 1, 1939- Germany invades Poland • Fake radio station attack

11. The Lead Up • In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria • Japan continued to take more land in China for another 10 years • China was formally at war with Japan as of 1937 • The United States was passively opposed to these events • The U.S. placed and oil embargo on Japan • As a result, Japan invaded the Dutch East Indies

12. The Lead Up • Japan saw a conflict with the United States looming on the horizon • They knew the only way to win that war would be to strike a devastating blow to the U.S. Pacific fleet • Two places to do that… • The Philippines or Hawaii • Japan knew that the U.S. had a vast tactical advantage • Larger Military • Larger population • Much greater supply of steeland oil and the ability to make use of them

13. The Lead Up • Japan and the United States were engaged in diplomatic meetings • Went on for several months • The United States saw these negotiations begin to break down in late November 1941 • Japan had no intentions of those negotiations succeeding • They were simply a ruse to cover their alternate plans • Luckily, the U.S. was intercepting Japanese coded messages. • They knew an attack was coming

14. The Lead Up • The U.S. strongly believed that attack would come in the Philippines • It was much closer to Japan • Surely Japan would never succeed in getting a full attack force across the Pacific undetected • Hawaii was well protected by radar as well as military and commercial shipping • Bases in Eastern Asia were put on high alert • Hawaii too was notified

15. Why It Worked • Japan began planning this attack almost a year ahead of time • The diplomatic ruse worked perfectly • The United States also never seriously thought the attack would fall on Hawaii • The attack began at 6:00 am • 190 Japanese aircraft took off from its carriers located to the North of Oahu • The attack reached Pearl Harbor at 7:48 am

16. Why It Worked • Incredible circumstances aided the Japanese • Sunday morning • Most sleeping in or at Church, very light guard • Pearl was expecting sabotage, not an aerial attack • Planes were parked very close together on the tarmac to make them easier to guard • Ships were berthed next to one another • Ammunition lockers were all locked • Boeing B-17’s • A flight was expected that morning coming in from the mainland • The radar operators saw the Japanese attack, but thought they were the B-17’s

17. Why It Worked • The defenders of Pearl Harbor were awoken by explosions • Their response was greatly delayed by prior circumstances • They did their best to fight back • A few aircraft got off the ground • Guns were loaded and fired • Sailors on leave off base rushed to their stations • Sadly, it was already too late

18. Outcome • The second wave of 171 found more resistance but it was much lighter than they had expected due to the success of the first wave • The entire attack lasted about 90 minutes • They had gone after aircraft at Hickam, Bellows and Wheeler Fields • The Navy vessels docked in the Harbor • Oil storage facilities

19. Outcome • The United States lost • 2,386 lives (55 civilians), 1,139 wounded • 18 ships including 5 battleships sunk • 188 aircraft destroyed, 159 more damaged • The Japanese lost • 64 lives • 29 aircraft destroyed, 74 damaged • The Japanese missed their main target… • The carriers

20. Aftermath • “I fear that all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant” • The overwhelming majority of ships sunk at Pearl Harbor were repaired in time to serve in WWII • “Remember Pearl Harbor” became a rallying cry for America during WWII • The U.S. tipped the balance of power in World War Two to the allies, who eventually won in both the Pacific and European theaters