America Enters the War

America Enters the WarGoals:To understand why the US got involved with WWIITo understand the US reaction to the Pearl Harbor attack

Japan is ThreatenedAmericas presence in Guam and the Philippines and support of China posed a threat to JapanRoosevelt tried to stop Japanese expansion with a trade embargoNo oil, iron ore, fuel, steel, or rubber!Japan then signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940 with Germany and Italy

Japanese Expansionism Leads to WarIn 1941, Hideki Tojo became the Japanese prime minister and focused on military expansionJapan and the US tried to negotiate an end to the tension, but with little successTojo gave up on peace and decided to deliver the first blow against the US

Japan Attacks Pearl HarborPearl Harbor was the site of the US Navys main Pacific FleetJapan sent 6 aircraft carriers, 360 planes, along with battleships, cruisers, and submarines for a surprise attackWith one successful strike, Japan could wipe out most of the USs Pacific FleetOn December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor completely by surprise

Victory for Japan, butNearly 2,500 killed, 8 battleships severely damaged, 3 destroyers damaged, 160 aircraft destroyed and 128 more damagedThe US battlefleet was knocked out of commission for nearly 6 monthsThe Good News: aircraft carriers were deployed at sea along with 7 heavy cruisersOnly 3 battleships suffered irreparable damageSubmarine bases and important fuel depots survivedJapan cancelled a third wave of bombers, didnt seek the aircraft carriers, and turned back home in case of a counter strike

US ReactionNothing will ever be the same, it never was the same Journalist Marquis ChildThe US was now forced to declare war on Japan as isolationalists and interventionalists agreeThe House of Rep. voted 388 to 1 to declare war, and the Senate voted 100 to 0 for warGermany and Italy then declared war on the US because of their alliance with Japan

America Mobilizes for WarPatriotism and service swept the countryFrom 1941 to 1942 alone, the army grew from 1.4 million to more than 3 millionOver 350,000 women joined the Womens Army Corps (WAC) to provide clerical work, truck drivers, instructors, and lab techs

American ProductionIn Jan 1942, the government set up the War Production Board (WPB) to oversee the transition from peacetime to wartime industriesThe massive defense spending ended the Great DepressionFord Motor Company poured all its resources into building B-52 Liberator bombersIn 1944, Americas production levels were double that of the Axis nations collectivelyTo American production, without which the war would have been lost J. Stalin