in early december 1941, the u.s. had engaged in war-like activity but had yet to commit itself this...
TRANSCRIPT
America Enters the War
Why it Matters
In early December 1941, the U.S. had engaged in war-like activity but had yet to commit itself
This would quickly change, and once again, U.S. involvement in the war would decide the struggle’s conclusion
Japan Attacks the United States
The United States and Japan were WWI allies
Prior to 1941- Conflict over power in Asia and the Pacific Japan resented U.S. presence in Guam
and the Philippines and the U.S. support of China
BUT Japan relied on trade with the U.S.
Trouble in the Pacific
Roosevelt tried to stop Japanese expansion into Indo-China by placing an embargo on supplies to Japan such as oil, iron ore, fuel, steel, and rubber
Japan signed the tripartite Pact in 1940 and the U.S. placed a more extensive embargo
1941- Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister- focused on military expansion
The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor- site of the United States
Navy’s main Pacific base In an attempt to eradicate the U.S. naval
and air presence in the Pacific, Tojo sent… 6 aircraft carriers 360 airplanes Battleships and cruisers SubmarinesIn a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941
Results of the Attack
Americans lost nearly 2,500 people and a significant amount of damaged battleships and aircraft
The U.S. battleship fleet was out of commission for 6 months This allowed Japan to get necessary
materials from their newly conquered territories
Results of the Attack
Despite heavy losses, the most important ships, aircraft carriers, were out at sea at the time and survived the attack untouched
Only 3 of the battleships left in Pearl Harbor were unusable
Vice Admiral Nagumo proved too conservative Canceled a 3rd wave of bombers Refused to seek out aircraft carriers And turned back home when he feared a U.S.
counter strike
America Declares War
As news of Pearl Harbor spread across the nation Americans rallied together and anticipated a monumental change
The attack ended any political divisions between isolationists and interventionists
The U.S. declared war on Japan Japan, Italy, and Germany declared war
on the U.S.
Mobilizing for war
During the course of the war, more than 16 million Americans served in the military
Americans from all ethnic and racial backgrounds joined the fight
Mexican and Native Americans served in integrated units, African Americans did not
Mobilizing for War
Women’s Army Corps (WAC)- provided clerical workers, truck drivers, instructors, and lab technicians for the U.S. army
Women also joined the Army Nurse Corps and cared for the wounded in Europe and Japan
Mobilizing Industry
Roosevelt knew that American production would play a key role in an Allied victory
War Production Board- oversaw the conversion from peacetime production to wartime production
The massive defense spending finally ended the Great Depression There was job for every worker This production gave the allies a crucial
advantage Stalin toasted, “To American production,
without which the war would have been lost.”
Japanese Forces take the Philippines
General Douglas MacArthur-commander in the Pacific-struggled to hold the U.S. positions in the Philippines
A massive land attack forced the U.S. back from Manila to Bataan
MacArthur retreated to Australia while other Americans stayed behind
Japanese Forces take the Philippines
The Allied soldiers held out until May 1942 when they surrendered
The Japanese troops forced the remaining sick and malnourished POWs to march 55 miles to the Bataan Peninsula
More than 7,000 Americans and Filipinos died on what became known as the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March Map
Lifting American Morale
Colonel James Doolittle led a bombing raid against Tokyo as a way for the U.S. to retaliate against Japan Minimal military gains, but bolstered
American morale Battle of Coral Sea- marked a shift in
momentum for the U.S. Forced Japan to call off attack in New
Guinea