WWII Pacific Theater

Before the war…

Japan seeks to expand territory:Why?

• Volcanic Island• Running out of room• Imperialist• Better than everyone?

Japanese Expansion• Korea• Manchuria

• Renamed Manchukuo

• Japanese push southward into China• Natural resources• Raw materials• Slave labor

Japanese Expansion (cont’d)• Threats to colonial British,

French, US• US response:• Cut off sales of scrap iron and oil

• Japanese response: Stop any further actions by United States

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii• December 7, 1941• Combined Japanese attacks:

• Hawaii• Philippines• British Malaysia

• Japanese aircraft carrier group• Attack US fleet at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (cont’d)• Failed to destroy US fleet• Yamamoto feared conflict with US• Over 2,000 dead

• 1,100 + wounded, including civilians

• US aircraft carriers out to sea• USS Arizona

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (cont’d)Results of attack:• Huge success for Japan• Damage to US Navy’s Pacific Fleet

• took time to overcome• limited American ability to strike back

Doolittle’s Raid• Roosevelt wanted way to get back at Japanese• Colonel Doolittle

• Launched 16 modified B-25s from aircraft carrier• No return trip

• Bombed targets in Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, & more• Some pilots killed or captured in China &

Russia• Aftermath: Not much damage, but increased

morale in United States.