Key Point to Remember! • There are 2 main “theatres,” or regions of conflict for World War II

• Pacific theatre and European theatre

Japanese Imperialism • Meiji Period (late 1800’s)-Japanese shifted mindset towards

nationalism and modernization

• Post World War I-Japan seeks to become more western in nature

• What do you think Japan needs to do to become more modern and similar to countries such as the US and major European powers?

Japan’s Motives

• Japan is a very small country with limited population and resources

• To reach a level that is comparable to US or other western nations, Japan will need to do the following:• Gain more territory.. With more territory Japan will have:

• A Larger Population for manpower

• Resources, particularly oil (which is key to modern industrialization)

• Taken more seriously in international affairs

It is Japan's mission to be supreme in Asia, the South Seas and eventually the four corners of the world.”

- General Sadao Araki

Imperialism – Expansion • Japan turns highly imperialistic in order to gain territory

• Builds up a very strong military based in Samurai Tradition (personal/family honor is extremely important)

• Invades and takes Manchuria in 1931, leaves League of Nations

• Continues conquest in Southeast Asia

• US and other European countries had colonized a lot of Southeast Asia prior to the 1930’s

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuO2W6ZlMsk

Southeast Asia

Circa 1930’s

Major Tension with US • Japan continues imperialistic ways, invades China in 1937, continues

taking islands in Pacific

• European countries much more directly threatened by Germany

• However US feels very directly threatened by Japan’s conquests in Asia, encroaching upon many US territories

• Japan allies with Japan and Italy in 1937

Reaction to Japanese Imperialism • In response to Japanese rapid expansion, US tries to stop or slow Japan

using non-military methods

• US Cuts off commercial trade to Japan in 1938

• US, though technically neutral, loans money/supplies to Britain and China

• US embargo on scrap metal exports to Japan

• Japan continues to increase territory and takes China and IndoChina

• In response, US embargos oil to Japan and freezes all Japanese assets stored in US banks (July 1941)• Japan relies heavily on US oil, 80% of Japanese oil is imported from US, also has

significant assets in US banks

US and Japan attempt to negotiate after this but fail to come to a solution

“A Day that will live in Infamy”

• Negotiations break down and war between US and Japan is essentially imminent, only question is how will it begin?

• Militant Japanese seek to destroy U.S. Navy, the only true threat to their conquest of the Pacific/Southeast Asia

• Japanese employ very similar strategy of Confederacy- attack quickly and effectively to take away US will to fight.. Understand that the US has long term advantage with resources

• -Japanese surprise attack Pearl Harbor Hawaii on December 7, 1941, major damage inflicted on US Naval/Air forces there

• Many warning signs but US failed to respond in time

• -U.S. immediately declares war on Japan, which through alliances means they are also at war against Germany

Pearl Harbor a Success?

• Significant damage to the US Navy/Army Air Force in Pearl Harbor

• Sneak Attack is carried out to perfection, catch US completely off guard

• Approximately 18 Naval ships are significantly damaged or sunk, most notably the USS Arizona

• Over 300 US Aircraft are destroyed or damaged

• Over 2,000 US sailors/airmen killed at Pearl Harbor

• Japanese losses – approximately 55 Japanese killed and 30 aircraft lost

Pearl Harbor a Failure?• No US Aircraft carriers, the strength of the US Pacific Naval fleet, are damaged

since they were not in the harbor that day

• US Oil reserves in Hawaii are not destroyed, able to regroup quicker

• US Naval Repair Docks are not attacked, able to repair 14 of the 18 ships that were damaged.

• Formal Declaration of War does not reach US diplomats until 30 minutes after Pearl Harbor is attacked, which further angers US . Japanese had hoped to give declaration just before the attack occurred.

• Admiral Yamomoto (Japan) had hoped to make the attack on Pearl Harbor a knockout blow to the US and take away their will to continue fighting..

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill

him with a terrible resolve.”

-Isoroku Yamamoto

The accuracy that Yamamoto actually said this is debated.. But none the less shows that Japan’s

failure to completely take out US fleet will come back to haunt them. The US is extremely angered by this attack especially because it was a complete surprise

with no violent actions or Declaration of War preceding it.

Remembering Pearl Harbor • One of the few major attacks on US soil (in US History)

• Surprise Attack caught US troops completely unprepared

• US Arizona perhaps one of the most iconic aspects of Pearl Harbor

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrEu-iASaqk&nohtml5=False