Lesson 16
WW II: America Enters the War
Lesson Objectives
• Understand the Japanese and American strategies for
the war in the Pacific and Asia.
• Analyze the impact of the military revolution during
the interwar years on the war in the Pacific theater.
• Become familiar with the timeline of events in the
Pacific war.
• Understand the significance of the Battle of Midway
and the role of signals intelligence in the outcome.
Why did Japan go to
war with the U.S.?
Japanese Situation
1936: Army began to gain upper hand in government of Japan
Goal: Make Japan preeminent in Asia
Objectives:
• Conquer China
• Expand into SE Asia for bases & raw materials
• Strengthen military
• Build war industry
• Improve air & sea transportation
Ref: Morton: Japans Decision for War
Return to Japan’s Decision
Japanese Situation
Driving Concern: Strategic Resources
(particularly oil)
Problem:
US, Britain, Netherlands controlled Japan’s oil
Morton: Japans Decision for War
Sam Houston State University
Japanese Options
Move North: Attack Soviet Union
Move South: Invade East Indies
Reach Accommodation with US
Morton: Japans Decision for War
Japan’s Decision for War
( 9:10 – 19:30 )
"The Circle of Modern War" and logo
© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013
Events
December 7, 1941
US Pacific Fleet attacked at Pearl Harbor
Japanese Decision to War
Calculated risk?
or
Risky calculation?
Japanese Decision to War
"One can search military history in vain for
an operation more fatal to the aggressor."
Samuel Eliot Morison,
History of United States Naval Operations in World
War II, Vol. III, The Rising Sun in the Pacific
(Review)
Timeline
1910
Japan colonizes Korea
1921
League of Nations awards Japan control of former
German possessions in Micronesia
1931
Japan invades Manchuria
1932
Japan establishes a puppet state, Manchukuo, in
Manchuria
1936: Nov 25
Japan & Germany sign Anti-Comintern Pact
1937: Jul 7
Japan provokes incident with China, declares war
Nov 6
Italy joins Germany, Japan in Anti-Comintern Pact
Dec 12
Japanese planes sink gunboat USS Panay in
Yangtze River
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Attack on USS Panay
December 12, 1937
Local
Source: U San Diego
Timeline
1937: Dec 14
Ludlow Amendment introduced in Congress
• Proposed Constitutional amendment to require
popular referendum prior to entry into war
Rep. Louis L. Ludlow
(D-Indiana)
Video
Timeline
1937: Dec 14
Ludlow Amendment introduced in Congress
• Proposed Constitutional amendment to require
popular referendum prior to entry into war
1938: May 17
US Naval Expansion Act
• Goal: Full-strength two-ocean navy in 10 years
May 28
Japanese cabinet increases military presence
Dec 22
Japan: New Order in East Asia replaces Open Door
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
History
Open Door Policy
(1899)
• U.S.-sponsored initiative to open China to all imperial powers
• Discouraged Japan & European powers from carving up China
New Order in East Asia
(Dec 1938)
• Idealistic initiative to free just Northeast Asia from colonialism
• Proposed by liberal prime minister Fumimaro Konoe
• Usurped by nationalist & militarists as tool for war resources
Timeline
1937: Dec 14
Ludlow Amendment introduced in Congress
• Proposed Constitutional amendment to require
popular referendum prior to entry into war
1938: May 17
US Naval Expansion Act
• Goal: Full-strength two-ocean navy in 10 years
May 28
Japanese cabinet increases military presence
Nov 18
Japan: New Order in East Asia replaces Open Door
1939: Jul 26
Aug
US: Will not renew 1911 trade pact with Japan
Japanese forces defeated by Soviets at Khalkin Gol
(Manchuria)
Sep
War in Europe begins
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Timeline
1940: Jun 29
Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere proclaimed by
Foreign Minister Hachirō Arita
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
History
Open Door Policy
(1899)
• U.S.-sponsored initiative to open China to all imperial powers
• Discouraged Japan & European powers from carving up China
New Order in East Asia
(Nov 1938)
• Idealistic initiative to free just Northeast Asia from colonialism
• Proposed by liberal prime minister Fumimaro Konoe
• Usurped by nationalist & militarists as tool for war resources
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
a.k.a Japanese Imperialism
Jun 1940
Timeline
1940: Jun 29
Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere proclaimed by
Foreign Minister Hachirō Arita
Jul
New Japanese government discusses ways to exploit
weakness of European powers in Asia
Jul 25
Roosevelt announces restrictions on shipment of
petroleum & scrap iron to Japan
Aug
US analysts begin to crack Japanese codes
Sep
Japan occupies northern French Indochina
Sep 26
US embargoes shipment of av gas, scrap iron, steel to
Japan
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Embargo On Trade
Japanese propaganda poster
Depicts US embargo of Japanese
trade from bases in Philippines
Timeline
1940: Jul
New Japanese government discusses ways to exploit
weakness of European powers in Asia
Jul 25
Roosevelt announces restrictions on shipment of
petroleum & scrap iron to Japan
Aug
US analysts crack Japanese codes
Sep
Japan occupies northern French Indochina
Sep 26
US embargoes shipment of av gas, scrap iron, steel to
Japan
Sep 27
Japan, Germany, Italy sign Tripartite Pact
Nov 11
Royal Navy aircraft attack Italian fleet at Taranto, Italy
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Attack on Taranto
November 11, 1940
• Italian fleet at Taranto threaten
British supply routes in Med
Problem: How to neutralize fleet?
• battleships?
• bombers?
• carrier-based air?
Source
Attack on Taranto
November 11, 1940
Solution: night carrier-based air attack
Fairey Swordfish
HMS Illustrious
Attack on Taranto
November 11, 1940
The Swordfish Attack At Taranto
Robert Taylor
Video Link
Military-art.com
(First 1:45)
Fleet Air Arm Archive
Attack on Taranto
November 11, 1940
Consequences
RN Conte di Cavour
ANPA
• Three battleships sunk (one for duration)
• One heavy cruiser damaged
• Two Swordfish lost (crew: 2 dead, 2 POW)
• Action studied closely by Japanese naval attaché
• Served as prototype for Pearl Harbor attack
British Attack on Italian Fleet
(Taranto, November 11, 1940)
( 0:16 – 1:46 )
"The Circle of Modern War" and logo
© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013
Japan’s Decision for War
Japan’s Objective: Preeminence in Asia
“Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”
Shortage of oil was the key to Japan's Grand Strategy
Major consideration in preparing for war, yet
Key reason for going to war
Japan’s Decision for War
By 1940,
War in China had been dragging on for three years
Growing size of Japanese military was draining scare resources
Defeat at Khalkin Gol (1939) had discourage expansion into Siberia
Japan saw a move to the south as its only option
Would need to occupy, exploit Southeast Asia and East Indies
Fall of Netherlands, France in May-June 1940 provided opportunity
Planning for war with western powers began Summer 1940
Realized this might force confrontation with US
Japan’s Decision for War
Considered possibility of not going to war with US
Initially believed:
• War in Europe favored Japan’s
position
• Germany would never invade England , and
• US would not focus on Japan with European war in doubt
Finally convinced themselves US would go to war if they went south
Japan’s Decision for War
Japanese Strategy
• Neutralize US Pacific fleet and threats from the Philippines
• Establish defensive perimeter
• Use new resources to build capability to defend indefinitely
Felt US would be unwilling to pay cost of overcoming these defenses
Felt US would compromise, allow Japan the dominant position in Asia
Japan’s Decision for War
Decision:
Decisive preemptive attack on US Pacific fleet
Based on expectation that US would rather negotiate than fight
• Did not seek total defeat of US
• Had no intention of invading
• Planned to fight a war of limited objectives
(Slide 4)
Having secured objectives, Japan would set up a defense in depth
Felt US would negotiate rather than fight a long, costly war
Japan’s Decision for War
Calculated Risk or Risky Calculation?
Japanese Rationale
Convinced by trade embargoes US was dedicated to thwarting Japan
Felt Japan had no future without preeminence in Asia (PM Tojo et al)
• Preeminence required going to war for resources
• Japan needed to go to war while it still had the power (oil)
• Believed defeat would be better than “humiliation and submission”
Decision to go to war made July 2, 1941 by an Imperial Conference
Japan’s Decision for War
Calculated Risk or Risky Calculation?
Japanese Miscalculations
Did not anticipate US reaction to Pearl Harbor attack
Assumed US would accept Japan’s limited war objectives
Assumed they could keep the war limited
One man’s limited war may
be another man’s total war
Japan’s Road to War
Japan and the Quest for Oil
Alternate Video
9:09 – 19:38
Pearl Harbor
October 1941
Planning for attack began in January 1941
under Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
Story Behind the Movie
Timeline
1941: Jul 24
Japan occupies all of French Indochina
Jul 26
US freezes all Japanese assets in US *
Oct 17
General Hideki Tojo becomes Japanese Premier
Nov 20
Sec State Hull, Japanese Ambassador Nomora
begin talks: nations exchange final positions
* Key turning point
Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II
Hull – Nomora Negotiations
1941: Nov 20
Japanese Proposal
1. Japan to withdraw troops from South Indo-China into North Indo-China.
2. The United States to:
a. refrain from measures that would prevent a Japanese victory over
China in their war.
b. resume full trade relations with Japan.
c. lift the orders freezing Japanese assets in the United States
d. supply Japan with a quantity of petroleum sufficient to meet most
Japanese needs, either from its own stores or, through diplomatic
pressure on the Netherlands, from the Dutch East Indies.
e. cease American naval expansion in the Western Pacific.
3. Upon establishment of peace in the Orient, Japan to remove all troops from
Indo-China and agree not to make any armed advances into Southeast Asia or
the South Pacific.
The US and the Coming of World War II
Hull – Nomora Negotiations
1941: Nov 26
US Response
1. The United States to:
a. free frozen Japanese assets
b. resume treaty-based commercial relations with Japan
c. work with other nations toward the abolition of extra-territoriality in
China.
d. co-operate in stabilizing the rate of exchange between the U.S.
dollar and the Japanese yen.
2. Japan to:
a. withdraw all troops from Indochina
b. withdraw all troops from China
c. support the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-Shek.
d. sign a multilateral pact with the United States and other nations with
Pacific interests guaranteeing the future territorial integrity and security
of all East Asian nations.
The US and the Coming of World War II
Timeline
1941: Nov 25
Japanese naval task force sails for Hawaii
Click for larger
virew
Timeline
1941: Nov 25
Japanese naval task force sails for Hawaii
Nov 27
US Pacific commanders warned to expect war at
any time with attack likely in Philippines of SE Asia
Dec 1
Japan rejects US counter but asks to continue talks
Dec 1
Japanese naval task force directed to proceed with
attack on Pearl Harbor, subject to recall
Dec 4
US intercepts coded Japanese message indicating
attack on US assets imminent
Dec 7
0755: Attack on US forces on Oahu begins
The US and the Coming of World War II
Timeline
1941: Dec 7
0755: Attack on US forces on Oahu begins
The US and the Coming of World War II
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese Attack Force:
6 carriers, 2 battleships,
3 cruisers, 9 destroyers,
441 planes,
5 midget submarines
Attack on Pearl Harbor
US Forces:
8 battleships,
6 cruisers,
29 destroyers,
9 submarines,
~390 planes
USS Arizona
USS Nevada Gets Underway
1-3, 6-8 USS Nevada
4-5 USS Neosho (tanker)
10 USS St. Louis (cruiser)
USS Nevada Beached
Beached at Hospital Point, Pear Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
US Losses:
2,403 killed;
5 battleships sunk, 3 damaged;
3 cruisers sunk;
3 destroyers sunk;
188 planes destroyed, 155 damaged
Wikipedia
Propaganda
Video Source
Movie: Hawai Mare oki kaisen - 1942
(The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malay)
Propaganda
From stock footage made for propaganda movie (March-April 1942)
Taken on carrier Akagi (sunk at Midway, 4 June 1942)
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese Video
U.S. Video
Attack on Pearl Harbor
(Japanese propaganda film)
"The Circle of Modern War" and logo
© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Breaks in our favor:
Two aircraft carriers at sea
Submarines, fuel stores not attacked
Repair facilities intact
American Reaction
FDR Addresses Congress
December 8, 1941
"The Circle of Modern War" and logo
© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013
Japanese Empire 1942
The History Place
Japanese Strategy
US Strategy
Isolate Japan
Roll back defensive perimeter
• Southwestern Pacific
• Central Pacific
Destroy industrial capability, will to fight
Invade home islands
US Strategy
Isolate Japan
Destroy industrial power, will
Invade
Roll back defensive perimeter
Maps.com
Up From the Mud
WW II – Society At War: The Home Fronts
Next:
Lesson 17
WW II -- Combined Bomber Offensive
Lesson Objectives
• Become familiar with the origin of strategic bombing
• Describe the differences between the airpower doctrine of
the RAF and USAAF and that of the Luftwaffe
• Describe and analyze cost to the Allies and the impact on
Germany of strategic bombing campaign in Europe.
• Discuss the legal, moral and ethical issues of the strategic
bombing campaign as conducted against Germany.
End
Video Title
"The Circle of Modern War" and logo
© Thomas D. Pilsch 2007-2013