3.2.5: Japanese

American Relations

1937-1942

U.S. Entry into WWII

War in the Pacific

1920s – 1930s Review

USA

Wilson’s 14

Points....League of

Nations

Isolationism

Economic Depression

FDR

Japan

Emerging world power

in Pacific

Emperor with military

establishment in charge

of policy

Expansion....Manchuria

1931-32, full- scale

Chinese invasion 1937

Japanese Expansion 1931-37

With the outbreak of war in Europe, Japan saw an

opportunity to dominate Asian affairs, however, since the

Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 the United States

became suspicious of the Japanese.

Japanese Expansion 1931-37

In the summer of 1937 Japan renewed their attack on

China.

In response to Japanese aggression the United States

decided to cancel their long-standing commercial treaty

with Japan.

This allowed the USA to impose trade restrictions that

seriously affected Japanese industry.

War in the Pacific

When Japan signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940

(which created the Axis Powers), the United States

began to freeze Japanese assets and cut off oil

supplies.

War in the Pacific

Despite the US pressure, Japan occupied the

Northern part of French Indochina (Vietnam,

Laos, and Cambodia.) in 1940 when France

surrendered to Nazi Germany.

War in the Pacific

The United States condemned the seizure of

French Indochina, & responded with an economic

embargo on fuel, iron and scrap metal to Japan.

In addition, Roosevelt moved the American Pacific

fleet to the naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii

as a display to Japan of American military power.

War in the Pacific

July of 1941 Japan announced their plans to

eliminate Western influence in Asia and laid out a

blueprint for a Japanese empire in Southeast Asia.

Japan needed resources(oil, rubber)had

determined that war with the USA was unavoidable

and that the only way to defeat the Americans was

to hit them with a surprise attack.

War in the Pacific

American President, Franklin Roosevelt,

responded by putting a "freeze" on all Japanese

assets (property and money) in the USA

The USA also demanded that Japan withdraw from

Indochina and from China itself.

Japan was faced with a tough choice: to fight or

negotiate.

War in the Pacific

Tojo's government did send representatives to

Washington in 1941 to negotiate

The Japanese offered to withdraw their troops from

Indochina if the Americans would resume

economic relations with Japan.

Japan insisted, however that it be allowed to

occupy China—The USA rejected these proposals.

War in the Pacific

These negotiation were merely a smoke-screen for

the Japanese however, the decision to launch a

surprise attack on the USA had been made months

earlier.

The Attack on Pearl Harbour

Shortly after dawn on December 7, 1941 more that

600 Japanese aircraft were launched from six

aircraft carriers steaming across the Pacific Ocean.

Their target was the American air and naval bases

at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii

The Attack on Pearl Harbour

Bombs screamed down, torpedoes hit their targets - and almost immediately aircraft on landing strips exploded and battleships began to sink at their moorings.

Thirty minutes later a second wave of Japanese planes completed the work of destruction: there were about 3700 American casualties.

The Attack on Pearl Harbour

The most immediate impact of the Pearl Harbour attack was the entry of the United States into the war on the side of the Allies

Japanese Advance

Pearl Harbor appeared to be a huge success for

Japan.

It was followed by rapid Japanese conquests in

Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma, the Philippines,

Malaya and New Guinea.

Japanese expansion was at its greatest in June

1942

American Advances

Despite heavy losses at Pearl Hr, by May and June

1942 the USA struck back at Japan in the Battle of

the Coral Sea off eastern New Guinea & at Midway

Island in the Central Pacific

Battle of the Coral Sea, May

1942

USA stopped Japan from seeking to control the

Coral Sea with an invasion of Port Moresby in

southeast New Guinea

The first air-sea battle in history where participating

warships never sighted or fired directly at each

other

The lead role was played by aircraft launched

from ships at sea

While vital aircraft carriers were lost by both

countries, losses weakened Japanese strength for

future battles

Battle of Midway, June 1942

Hoping to capture Midway Island in the central

Pacific from the USA, Japan attacked on June 4,

1942

Battle of Midway, June 1942

This battle was the turning point in the Pacific

War as the Americans sank four Japanese aircraft

with over 300 aircraft and over five thousand

sailors

The Americans gained the offensive here and

began the long fight to liberate the Pacific from

Japanese control