Allies in the PacificMr. Barchetto

Notes #8

Do-Now: Think, than discuss what you believe to be the motives for Japanese expansion and the eventual attack on Pearl Harbor?

Japanese Expansion-To create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’

To free Asians from Western control:

Japan felt that Asia should be freed from Western control.

Japanese felt they would have to lead the fight to end Western imperialism.

Create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

To free Asiansfrom Western control

Japanese Expansion-To create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’

To control resourcesThe Great Depression affected Japan’s economy badly.Its industries needed cheap suppliers of natural resources and markets to sell their goods.Furthermore, Japan could not sell its goods to other countries because of protectionism.Japan’s leaders looked to Manchuria as a solution for the country’s economic problems.

To control resources

To find room for growing population

To build an empire

Japanese Expansion

War in Europe & Japan America & Japan

The Western powers were fighting for survival in Europe against Germany.

The situation in Europe left the Southeast Asian colonies of the Western powers vulnerable.

These colonies included:◦ British Malaya (Malaysia and

Singapore)◦ French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos

and Cambodia)◦ The Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)

Throughout the 1930s, Japan thought that the USA was trying to stop Japan’s plan to control the Asia-Pacific region.◦ Relations between the two

countries became increasingly hostile.

The USA had a large Pacific fleet. ◦ It was able to protect territories

and trading ships using the fleet.

United States Reaction to Japanese Expansion

In 1941, the USA placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron and oil to Japan.

Japan considered the embargo as an “Unfriendly Act”

Japan was badly hit as it bought most of its oil and metal from the USA.

The USA would only sell oil to Japan if it agreed to leave China immediately.

Breakdown of US-Japan talks in 1941

In 1941, Japan’s ambassador and US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, held talks to improve relations between their countries.US foreign policy was aimed at forcing Japan to withdraw from China.Japan felt peace could only be achieved if China accepted Japanese occupation. The two goals were too different to allow room for compromise.

Hostility between Japan and the USA: As a result of the blockade by the USA, relations between Japan and the USA deteriorated further. The oil embargo left Japan with only two years’ supply of oil. Since no other country would sell oil to Japan, it had two choices — give into US demands and remove Japanese forces from China in exchange for lifting the oil embargo or attack…

Summary of Japanese Expansion

Japan’s Aggressive

Foreign Policy

Weak League of Nations

Economic crisis

Militarism

Worseninginternational relations

Greater East Asia Co-ProsperitySphere

Rising tension w/ USA

contributed to

failed to stop

Which Promoted

contributed to

led to

aimed at creating

JapaneseUnited States

Some Japanese military leaders felt that Japan had to attack the US Pacific fleet…◦ would enable Japan to

gain time to build up

The Americans saw Japan’s aggression as a threat…◦ increased the size of

their navy at Pearl Harbor.

Rising Tensions…

“A Day that will live in Infamy”

Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister

Attack on Pearl Harbor

In 1941, War Minister Tojo became Prime Minister.

He felt that war with the USA could not be avoided.

Japanese leaders who supported negotiations were gradually removed from the new government.

This made war likely because a general who supported an aggressive foreign policy was now in charge of the government.

On 2 December 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet sent out a coded order to ‘ascend Mt Nikita 1298’.

This was a signal to bomb Pearl Harbor.

On Sunday 7 December 1941, the Japanese fleet attacked Pearl Harbor.

The war in the Asia-Pacific had begun.

Pearl Harbor AttackedBase attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers

The first attacks would hit the USS Oklahoma, West Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada.

The second attack would hit USS Pennsylvania, and cruisers:San Francisco, and New Orleans.

Tactical Damage

Eight battleships were damaged, with five sunk

Three light cruisers, three destroyers, three smaller vessels, and 188 aircraft were destroyed

2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed ◦1,104 men aboard

the battleship USS Arizona were killed

1,178 wounded

Broader ResultsIn spite of the tactical

success, the attack on Pearl Harbor was an operational and strategic failure for the Japanese◦ The attack failed to destroy the

American aircraft carriers, fleet repair facilities, or fuel reserves

◦ The “sneak attack” galvanized American support for entry into the war

Japan was also attacking

Dutch

Dutch East Indies(Indonesia)

British

Borneo

Hong Kong

Burma

American

Wake Island

Guam

Philippine Islands

* Japan would control essentially the entire Pacific by December 8

During the Attack

Slow Start in the Pacific… The attack on Pearl Harbor

did significant damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet and it took months to overcome the attack.

The Allies decided to focus their energy and resources on defeating the Axis in Europe.

The Japanese soldiers were highly skilled and well trained.

The Japanese military had excellent equipment.

Allied Response in the Pacific…

• Army Lieutenant Colonel • James Doolittle

• Led a group of 16 American bombers on a daring air raid of Tokyo and several other Japanese cities

• Doolittle’s raid did not do major damage to the Japanese targets, but it did give the American people something to celebrate and worried Japan’s leaders.

Doolittle Raid April 18, 1942

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyeAj1Ik2Bw

Allies on the Defensive….

Battle of Coral SeaMay 1942

Battle of MidwayJune 1942

Japan prepared to invade New Guinea.

U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz sent two aircraft carriers to stop the attack.

The Americans lost an aircraft carrier in the battle but stopped the Japanese attack.

First time the Japanese advance had been halted

Japan tried to lure the Americans into a large sea battle around Midway Island.

Naval officers had broken a Japanese code and learned of the plan.

Nimitz devised a plan to thwart the attack and placed his 3 aircraft carriers carefully.

The Americans destroyed 3 of the 4 Japanese carriers and won a major victory.

Turning Point of the War in the Pacific

Midway Turning point in the Pacific…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6lE2xUaYA0&feature=fvst

1. Gained control of territory in the Solomon Islands to protect Australia

2. Used powerful combination of land, sea, and air forces to capture key islands

3. Captured locations in the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana islands

4. Took advantage of American industrial power by replacing ships and aircrafts, which Japan was unable to do

5. European successes allowed more resources to be made available in the Pacific.

6. Recaptured the Philippines7. Captured strategic Japanese islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa

Allies go on the Offensive in the Pacific

GuadalcanalFebruary 1943

• Allies wanted to gain control of the Solomon Islands to protect Australia.

• Key goal was the capture of an island called Guadalcanal

• American forces fought for 6 months and finally defeated the Japanese.

Navajo Code Talkers

• Hundreds of Native Americans of the Navajo nation served in the Marines as code talkers.

• They translated messages into a coded version of the Navajo language.

• Japanese code-breakers never figured it out.

The Allies Make Progress…The Philippines

October 1944 • First major battle

was the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

• The Allies destroyed most of Japan’s fleet.

• Japanese began using the kamikaze attack.

• After months of fighting, the Allies gained control of the Philippines.

Allies received crucial help from

Native Americans in the Pacific

Battle of Leyte Gulf the demise of the Japanese Navy…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXUoPM2UFe0&feature=related

Iwo JimaFebruary 1945

The island would provide a good base to launch raids against major Japanese cities.

For the first time, Japanese soldiers were fighting for and on Japanese land.

The Japanese fought ferociously and refused to surrender.

The Allies eventually won.

OkinawaApril 1, 1945.

The island was to be the launching pad for the final invasion of Japan.

It was a bloody battle; more than 12,000 American died at the Battle of Okinawa.

Like Iwo Jima, the Japanese refused to surrender and lost a staggering 110,000 troops.

Allies gained control of the island in June 1945.

Iwo Jima and Okinawa