1. Early Battles and Minorities in the War

2. Early Battles The Philippines
A few hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked bases in the Philippines
Douglas MacArthur, the general there, retreated to the Bataan Peninsula
He held out for 3 months, but was forced to go to Australia
78,000 troops surrendered
They were very sick, exhausted, etc.
Bataan Death March- Journey from the peninsula to the Japanese prison camp
Doolittle Raid
James Doolittle led 16 B-25s to Tokyo to bomb it
This convinced the Japanese to change their strategy
They wanted to lure the American navy to Midway (in the Pacific) in order to destroy the American fleet.

3. Early Battles The Battle of Midway
The Americans intercepted the code that Japan sent out to attack Midway.
Admiral Nimitz ordered carriers to the island
The Japanese launched their aircraft into an ambush
38 Japanese planes were shot down.
As the Japanese prepared a 2nd attack, the US launched a counterattack
They sunk 4 of the largest Japanese carriers (the heart of their fleet)
The Japanese lost 3,057 men. The US lost 362

4. Early Battles North Africa The US invaded Morocco and Algeria
It gave some troops experience
It allowed us to help Britain fight Germany in Egypt
Suez Canal- used to send supplies to Britain
General Erwin Rommel was the commander of the German troops
He retreated, but was still a threat
General Eisenhower invaded N. Africa
Continued to advance through Tunisia
When the US had to fight the German army, they lost
Eisenhower fired the general and hired George S. Patton
Together with the British, we pushed the Germans back and they surrendered.

5. Early Battles Battle of the Atlantic Germans sent u-boats into
US coastal waters.
Sank 360 American ships
Convoy system- Cargo ships
between war ships
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler wanted to knock USSR out of the war
Hurt their economy
Capture strategic oil fields, industries, and farm land
If the Germans could capture Stalingrad, the Soviets would be cut off from their resources
The Soviets would not retreat and forced the Germans to fight from house to house
Soviet reinforcements came and surrounded the city, trapping 250,000 Germans
91,000 Germans surrendered (5,000 lived through the prison camps)

6. Minorities in the War Blacks in the Military Prior to Pearl Harbor
blacks only allowed to serve as kitchen help
1 m blacks served in armed forces partly due to the courageous acts of Dorie Miller (mess hall worker, grabbed machine gun & shot down 4 Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor)
air force trained black officers & pilots (80 won the distinguished “flying cross”)
Other Changes for Blacks
Black migration increased from the rural South to industrial cities in the North (led to racial conflict)
Race riots in 41 cities: Detroit (June 1943) was the worst--had to call troops to restore order; 25 blacks & 9 whites died in this riot
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) established in 1942; implemented sit-ins and demonstrations against segregation

7. Minorities in the War Japanese Internment
Hawaii= large population of Japanese; subject to military rule after Pearl Harbor
Japanese residents remained loyal, patriotic
West coast residents demanded protection against Japanese “spies”
FDR approved plan to intern Japanese-Americans in relocation camps until the war’s end
families given a few days to dispose of their belongings & prepare to move
Sent to one of ten camps in CA, AZ, UT, CO, WY, ID, AR
camps had barbed wire perimeters & residents lived communally
later in 1944 after FDR’s 4th reelection, most were released
relocation centers for German-Americans & Italian-Americans also existed, but not to the extent of Japanese centers

8. Minorities in the War Women
Women’s branches of the armed forces (ex. WAVES, WACS) were created
women in workforce increased 60% (took jobs vacated by servicemen)
most new workers married, older
Most worked in heavy industrial jobs (ex. riveters, welders), giving rise to the name “Rosie the Riveter”
pay inequalities, scarce child-care facilities
after the war, forced to leave work & return to role as wife & mother, so veterans could have their jobs back