Japan Wages War in the Pacific

Imperial Japan

• Nationalism and militarism raged in Japan.

• Japan is a very small country with a large population. (smaller that California)72 mill.

• Japan has very little Natural resources.

• In order to sustain a growing population, Japan needed to expand.

Imperial Japan

• 1931, Japan launches a surprise invasion of Manchuria.

• 1937 Japan invades China.

• The Japanese Army with superior military easily overpower these countries.

• Inflicted atrocities in China

• 1941 Japan invades Indochina (S.E. Asia)

The U.S. Responds

• G. Britain, France to busy in Europe to protect their colonies.

• U.S was Isolationist • The U.S was outraged by the invasions.• Place Embargo (no trading) on Japan. (Oil)• Japan’s military would collapse without oil.• Japan needed the oil in Indonesia • U.S. Pacific Fleet would protect Indonesia from

invasion.• Japan decides to attack the U.S Pacific Fleet.

Japanese warplanes rev up their engines on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941

Pearl Harbor

• The U.S expected an attack but did not know when or where.

• Pearl Harbor is the largest U.S Navy base in the pacific

• Dec. 7, 1941: Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

• 180 Japanese planes attacked from Aircraft Carriers.

• Complete surprise to the Naval forces.• Attack lasted an 1.5 hours.

The Damage

• 2,400 Americans killed

• 1,178 wounded

• 18 Naval ships badly damaged

• 350 planes destroyed

• America’s Pacific Fleet nearly destroyed

• Japan only lost 29 planes.

• Attack was a huge victory for Japan.

“a day that will live in infamy”

• On Dec. 8, 1941: Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan

• A few days later, Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S.

• The U.S. is finally drawn into the WWII