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Pearl Harbor and Pacific Campaigns. WORLD WAR II. 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?.
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Pearl Harbor and Pacific Campaigns WORLD WAR II
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 • 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 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