Asian/Pacific Theater

The Japanese Path to War September 1931 – Japanese Soldiers disguised as Chinese blew up part of the Manchurian Railway – The Japanese Army used this incident to justify taking Manchuria – The takeover was easy – Manchuria had 30 million Chinese

The Japanese Path to War Manchuria was renamed to Manchukuo League of Nations condemned seizing Manchuria so Japan withdrew from the League – The US did not recognize Manchuria as part of Japan but refused to use force Japan continued taking over parts of Asia and the government could do nothing – The Military was the one who determined foreign policy and eventually will take over Japanese politics

War with China Chiang Kai-Shek – Appeased the Japanese by giving them areas in north China – As Japan moved South resistance began growing against Japan – 1937 Chinese Forces clashed against Japanese Forces in Beijing Japan took the capital but Chiang Kai-Shek refused to give in to the Japanese Continued to fight the Japanese the rest of WWII

The New Asian Order Japan wanted to establish a new system of control in Asia Japan wanted to take Soviet Siberia because of its resources Late 1930s Japan began talking with Hitler about seizing the Soviet union – Nonaggression pact changed Japan’s mind

Japan Launches Attack Summer of 1940 – Japan demanded the right to exploit economic resources from French Indochina (US said NO) – United States Warned Japan it would apply restrictions unless they withdrew from the area Japan was getting oil and scrap metal from us Decision – Japan decided a surprise attack on US and European colonies was the answer to the dispute

Japan at War December 7, 1941 – Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Hoped their attack would destroy the US fleet in the pacific Japan saw Americans as being soft and unable to fight The attack unified the American People – Japanese also attacked the Philippines, Dutch East Indies – By 1942 Japan had almost all of Southeast Asia and much of the Western pacific

The Asian Theater Battle of the Coral Sea – stopped Japanese forces from invading Australia Battle of Midway Island – Turning Point of the Pacific – US defeated the Japanese Navy and established naval superiority in the Pacific Island Hopping – Douglas MacArthur moved into the Philippines – US Army, Marine and Navy attacks pushed the Japanese back to Japan

Japanese Kamikaze Young Japanese pilots were encouraged to volunteer to serve as pilots in suicide missions – Kamikaze – “divine wind” – Pilots felt it was an honor to die for their country

The Asian Theater Harry S Truman – Became president after Franklin Roosevelt passed away – He had a decision to make the day he walked into the oval office – drop the atomic bomb or not – Hiroshima – first city the bomb was dropped – Nagasaki – second city the bomb was dropped – Japan finally surrendered