14.3 America Enters the War Mrs. Stoffl

Tensions Rise With Japan WWI – Japan a U.S. ally Japan reliant upon U.S. trade for natural resources Japan then became increasingly imperialist… U.S. presence in Pacific (Philippines + Guam) + its support of China = Threat to Japanese expansion

Trouble in the Pacific Japanese moving into Indochina ∴ U.S. places trade embargo on Japan Restricted naval/aviation supplies (oil, rubber, steel, etc.) Japan signs Tripartite Pact in 1940 = FDR strengthens the embargo Slowed Jap. expansion but didn’t stop it b/c new land = new resources

Trouble in the Pacific 1941: General Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister of Japan Didn’t want to stop expanding but wanted to keep U.S. neutral Tried to negotiate for a few months w/ no success November 1941: U.S. rejects Japanese expansion demands = Tojo no longer seeking peace…

The Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor ∴ Japan sends navy towards Pearl Harbor 6 aircraft carries, 360 planes, many battleships, cruisers, subs Goal: remove all U.S. naval + air presence from the Pacific Took the U.S. by complete surprise  devastating impact

Results of the Attack American losses: 2,500 people killed and ships/planes destroyed or damaged… 8 battleships severely damaged 160 aircraft destroyed damaged 3 destroyers unusable 3 cruisers damaged Aircraft carriers and 7 heavy cruisers were out at sea during the attack = American Pacific Fleet survived

America Declares War December 8, 1941 Congress declared war on Japan December 11, 1941 Congress declares war Germany + Italy Hitler formally declares war on U.S. (1 st formal declaration). Isolationist and Interventionists debates settled and all unified

Mobilizing for War Spirit of patriotism and service swept the country

Responding to the Call 16 million Americans fought in WWII Navy doubled in size, Marine Corps tripled in size, Army doubled in size in just one year and continued to grow People from all walks of life mobilized WAC – Women Army Corps (clerical work, drivers, lab techs) African America, Mexican American, + Native American fighters

Mobilizing Industry January 1942: War Production Board (WPB) Oversee the mvm’t from peacetime industry to wartime industry Office of War Mobilization  managed agencies that controlled the: Allocation of scare materials Regulate production of civilian goods Establish production contracts Negotiate w/ unions Control inflation Every American had a job finally – production BOOMED! Stalin – “ To American production, without which the war would have been lost.”

Fierce Fighting in the Pacific Japan needed to move fast before U.S. could regroup in the Pacific Japan = technologically advanced weapons, very well trained military who were highly motivated

Japanese Forces Takes the Philippines December 1941: U.S. forces under pressure in the Philippines Under the command of General MacArthur w/ little support December 22, 1941: Japanese hit the U.S. hard MacArthur miscalculated the strength of Jap. force Retreated to the Bataan Peninsula and fortified their position on Corregidor island They had little supplies + suffered

U.S. Surrenders at Corregidor, the Philippines

Bataan Death March MacArthur ordered to evacuate to Australia but some forces stayed behind until May 1942 when… 76,000 Allies surrendered (12,000 Americans) Jap. forced the POWs to march in the blazing heat 55 miles up to the Bataan Pen. railway then 8 miles more = Bataan Death March 7,000 killed

Japanese Forces Advance Japan at risk for gaining ALL of the Pacific and total victory

America Strikes Back With the Doolittle Raid FDR declares that America must retaliate after Pearl Harbor The Plan: Nighttime bombing raid from USS Hornet under the command of Colonel James Doolittle BUT 800 miles away  USS Hornet is detected = plans must change + they didn’t wait for the night Sent 16 B-25 bombers toward Tokyo, reached at noon 50 Japanese killed, 100 buildings destroyed, crash landed in China Minimal impact but boosted American morale! d d

The Battle of Coral Sea Gives Hope May 1942: Japanese move to take Port Moresby, New Guinea ∴ move closer to taking Australia and protect their bases in Rabaul… May 7-8, 1942  intense sea battle b/w U.S. and Japan 1 st sea battle where the warships never saw each other U.S. airplanes attacked Japanese ships and vice versa Battle of Coral Sea – draw, BUT American success b/c kept Japan from New Guinea Confidence boost for U.S. and Allies!

Battle of the Coral Sea: May 7-8, 1942