Japan’s Pacific Campaign

Chapter 32 Section 2
 INVASION
The act of attacking a country
with an armed force
 Early Aggression
Rubber Iron Ore

Coal Oil

❖ 1931: Japan invades Manchuria

Manchukuo

❖ 1937: Japan invades China

❖ Quick victory?
❖ Drains Japan’s Resources
❖ Japan then seeks resources from
the rich European Colonies of
Southeast Asia

Japan’s
Resources
 Conquest
The subjugation and assumption
of control of a place or people,
by use of military force
Surprise Attack On Pearl Harbor
 Cracking the Code

❖ By October 1940, the Americans

had cracked the Japanese Naval
Code
❖ The Japanese were planning
to attack Southeast Asia
❖ This would threaten
American territories like
Guam and the Philippines
 Rising Tensions

US Aid

❖ To slow Japan’s advance, the

U.S. sent aid to China
❖ The Japanese invaded French
Indochina: Vietnam, Cambodia
and Laos
 c c
c c

The Pacific

Roosevelt Cuts Off ❖

❖
U.S. largest exporter of oil
Japan relies on the U.S. for

Oil To Japan! oil

 Hong Kong (GB)

Wake Island (US)

Guam (US) ❖ The Japanese then launched

attacks against:
❖ Wake

❖ Guam

❖ Hong Kong

The Pacific

❖ The element of surprise!

Yamamoto’s Plan
❖ Japan launches a massive
attack in Southeast Asia
❖ Yamamoto wants to destroy
the U.S. Fleet in Hawaii.
 Why do you think Yamamoto
and the Japanese decided on a
sneak attack ?

1. The element of surprise is a huge

advantage
2. It would give Japan a huge naval
advantage in the Pacific
 December 7th 1941

❖ The Japanese Navy Launched

an airborne attack from it’s
carriers against Pearl Harbor
and surrounding bases.
❖ Dec. 8th 1941, President
Roosevelt and Congress
declare war on the Empire of
Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1niwxQgoY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE
President Roosevelt addresses a
joint session of Congress
 California
Damage
Maryland Tennessee
Repaired Year+
Repaired In Weeks Repaired In Weeks
Destroyed Destroyed
Arizona Nevada
Repaired Year+ Repaired Year+

Oklahoma West Virginia

Repaired In Weeks

Pennsylvania
Japanese Naval Superiority
❖ Over 2,300 Americans killed
The Pacific
❖ Over 1,100 wounded
❖ 19 ships sunk or damaged
❖ Including 8 battleships
Japanese Victories
 Wake Island (US)

Guam (US)

The Pacific Theater

❖ Dec 10th 1941: Japan Takes

Guam & Wake Fall ❖

Guam
Dec 23rd 1941 Wake Island
Falls
 Invasion Of The
Philippines
January 1942, Japanese Invade the
Philippines
U.S. & Filipino forces dig in on the
Bataan Peninsula

The Philippines: U.S. Territory

 Fall of The Philippines
MacArthur vows to
The Capital was moved from Manila to return to the Philippines
the Island of Corregidor

April 1942, Bataan fell to the Japanese,

Philippines fall a month later Bataan Peninsula

Corregidor

Douglas MacArthur:
“I Shall Return”
 Japan Occupies Southeast Asia
“East Asia For The Asiatics”

❖ Dec 8th 1941, Malaysia

Invaded
❖ March 1942, Dutch East
Indies Falls
❖ January-May 1942
Burma Falls
❖ Japan now controlled
a million square miles
& 150 million people

Conquerors Disguised As Liberators

 Camp
O’Donnell

Bataan Death
March
❖ Allied prisoners of war were forced to
march up the Bataan Peninsula to their
new prison Camp. Bataan
❖ Distance: 50 Miles Peninsula
❖ 70,000 prisoners start the march
Bagac
❖ Only 54,000 survived

Marileves
The Allies Strike Back!
After a string of victories, the Japanese seemed to be unstoppable!
 Doolittle and Raiders

Revenge For Pearl Harbor

(The raid did little damage but was B-25 Bombers launching from the deck of the
psychologically important) USS Hornet

❖ Led a daring raid against

The Doolittle Raid

Japan
❖ 16 B-25 Bombers

launched from an aircraft

carrier.
 What impact did the Doolittle
Raid have on the Allies and on
the Japanese?
Japanese: Showed that they were not
invincible and they were vulnerable

Allies: Showed they had the ability to strike

back
The Allies Turn The Tide
The Allies Stop The Japanese Advance
Stopping the Japanese Advance

Battle of the Coral

Sea
❖ May 1942, the Allies intercept a Japanese Port Moresby
Strike Force on its way to Port Moresby
❖ This city would allow the Japanese to Coral Sea
attack Australia, their next target!
❖ First sea battle where ships never

saw each other- Aircraft

❖ The Allies stopped the Japanese

advance, but suffered heavy damage

 Akagi

Hiryu

Soryu

Kaga Hornet

Enterprise

Wake Island (US)

Yamamoto

Guam (US)
Nimitz

Yorktown

The Pacific
❖ Midway was key in creating a

Battle of Midway ❖

❖
larger defense perimeter
June 4th, Japanese attack!
While the Japanese attack
June 4th -7th 1942 Midway, US Planes attack the
Japanese carriers.
Yamamoto Vs Nimitz
 What was the most
important naval battle of
World War II?
Midway: It destroyed the
Japanese fleet and turned the tide
in favor of the Allies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4pUD9qWKs8
An Allied Offensive
 MacArthur
500 Troops
1,200 Troops 1,000 Troops

Wake Island (US)

25,000 Troops 25,000 Troops

Guam (US)

23,000 Troops

1,200 Troops

Pacific Theater

Island Hopping ❖ With the Japanese Navy

crippled, strongholds are left

Strategy ❖
to wither on the vine
Capture strategic bases with
less troops
Bypassing Japanese Strongholds
 Guadalcanal

❖ Allies learn Japan is building a New Guinea

massive airbase on the island of Solomon Islands
Guadalcanal
❖ August 7th 1942, Allies
invade Guadalcanal
❖ Savage fighting breaks out
as both sides pour in more Guadalcanal
and more troops
❖ February 1943, Japan leaves
“The Island of Death”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=KQKJY43-LmE
 The End
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