Year 12 Modern History – Midway as the

Most Important Turning Point - Harrison Binks

Explain why EITHER The Battle of the Coral Sea or The Battle of Midway or The
Battle of Guadalcanal was the MOST important turning point of the Pacific War.
(P31-37)

BRAINSTORM:
 Reason 1 – Prevented Japanese expansion and naval supremacy from
existing another year in the Pacific by permanently weakening the Imperial
Japanese Navy (IJN) (which was vital to the eventual American offensive on
Japan that prompted them to surrender)
 Reason 2 – Gave the US the opportunity to seize the strategic initiative, inflict
irreparable damage on the Japanese carrier force, and thus shorten the war in
the Pacific

PLANNING:
 Introduction/Argument – The Battle of Midway was the MOST important
turning point of the Pacific War. … However, just because it was the most
important turning point it doesn’t ignore the fact that it wasn’t as decisive as
other events/battles.
 Body Paragraph 1 – Reason 1
 Body Paragraph 2 – Reason 2
 Body Paragraph 3 – HOWEVER

Introduction
The Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942) was the most important turning point of the
Pacific War. The Midway atoll in the extreme northwest end of the Hawai’ian island
chain itself was not especially important in the larger scheme of Japan’s intentions.
However, the Japanese felt that the Americans would consider Midway a vital
outpost of Pearl Harbor and would therefore strongly defend it, hoping that a major
US defeat in battle would force the US to negotiate an end to the Pacific War with
conditions favourable for Japan. Thus, for this reason as well as many others, the
Battle of Midway can be deemed the most important turning point of the Pacific War.

Body 1
The most significant reason why the Battle of Midway was the biggest turning point
of the Pacific War was that it prevented further Japanese expansion and naval
supremacy from existing up to late 1943 in the Pacific. For the Japanese, the
Midway operation, like the attack on Pearl Harbor 6 months before, was not part of a
campaign for the conquest of the United States itself, but was aimed at its
elimination as a strategic Pacific power. Therefore, Japan hoped that this would give
them a free hand in establishing its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Moreover, US victory at the battle proved vital to initiating the eventual US offensive
in the war two months later at Guadalcanal, which in fact helped shorten the war.
Midway was always widely regarded as the most important naval battle of World War
II as “Midway profoundly altered the stream of Japanese history” (Tuleja). This is
firstly because the US victory permanently weakened the IJN, particularly through
the loss of over 200 naval aviators. The battle itself also gave the US the opportunity
to seize the strategic initiative in order to provide a much needed swing of
momentum to the US war effort in the Pacific theatre during such an uncertain time
in the war. This included a huge morale boost, rapidly growing support for the war
and a rise in industrial manufacturing back home. From this point on in the war, the
Japanese could not compete with US industrial power, and their famous IJN’s glory
was lost as the victors of Pearl Harbor were humiliated at their defeat at Midway.
Therefore, this explains why the Battle of Midway was the most important turning
point in the Pacific War.

Body 2
Another reason why the Battle of Midway was the most important turning point of the
Pacific War was because the US was able to inflict irreparable damage on the
Japanese carrier force, and thus shorten the war in the Pacific. The battle’s success
and outcome for the US was greatly assisted since American cryptoanalysts had
broken the JN-25 naval code, providing a priceless asset for US Admiral Nimitz in
the weeks before the battle. In fact, Commander Joseph Rochefort and his team at
HYPO (the code-breaking radio station) were able not only to confirm that Midway
was the target of the impending Japanese strike, but also that a complete IJN order
of battle could be provided to Nimitz. As a result, the Americans entered the battle
with a very good picture of where, when, and in what strength the Japanese would
appear. Nimitz was aware, for example, that the vast numerical superiority of the
Japanese fleet had been divided into no less than four task forces, and the escort for
the main Carrier Striking Force was limited to just a few fast ships. The Japanese, by
contrast, remained almost totally in the dark about their opponents, even after the
battle began. By the battle’s end, 4 of 6 of Japan’s best carriers had been destroyed,
alongside a massive loss of ships, 275 planes, as well as the loss of trained crew
that was even more unreplaceable compared to a loss of 307 men from the US.
Thus, the Battle of Midway being the most important turning point of the Pacific War
is further backed up due to these reasons.

Body 3
However, just because the Battle of Midway was the most important turning point of
the Pacific War, it doesn’t ignore the fact that there were also other battles that were
significant as turning points. For example, the seemingly unstoppable Japanese
expansion was upheld until the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 that also greatly
lifted US morale when it was urgently needed. Three of Japan’s fleet carriers were
lost or disabled during the battle, which ensured a rough parity in aircraft between
the two adversaries and contributed significantly to the US victory at Midway. In
addition, Guadalcanal also became a turning point as the best Japanese land, air,
and warship forces were defeated and marked the transition by the Allies from
defensive operations to the strategic offensive in the Pacific War that resulted in
Japan’s eventual surrender.

Conclusion
In summary, the Battle of Midway was the most important turning point of the Pacific
War compared to other turning points like Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Coral
Sea. Although it may have not been the most ‘decisive’ battle, especially in the short-
term, “The battle of midway allowed the US to reach Japan at least a year earlier
than they could have” (O’Brien) and so saved hundreds of thousands if not millions
of lives on both sides to prove being the most important turning point of the war.

Indeed, when assessing Midway’s significance from another angle, it is highly

unlikely that the Americans would have lost the war against Japan had they lost this
battle. Midway also clearly did not ‘win’ the Pacific War overnight for the Americans
as the Japanese navy continued to fight ferociously, perhaps due to their bushido
(the way of the warrior) do or die attitude/belief. In fact, it would be at least a whole
year before the US would attain a position of increasingly clear supremacy. Thus,
Midway was not ‘decisive’ in the same sense as the dropping of the atomic bombs
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was.