Pearl Harbor

Motivation For Pearl Harbor

• U.S. control of Philippines and of Guam challenged the Japanese

• On going conflict in the Pacific

• The Embargo that stopped merchant ships to get to Japan. Japan relied on U.S. for trade

• Japan wanted to expand, and they finally decided to attack the U.S.

“A Date which will live in Infamy”December 7, 1941

• Before the aerial attack there were 6 subs that tried to get into the harbor

• Japanese force of 423 planes on 3 aircraft carriers targeted 8 battleships in the harbor

• The attack destroyed the U.S. Pacific fleet

• Admiral Chuichi Nagumo lead the attack

By the Numbers1 2 3 4

• 2388 people were Killed

• 2000 people were wounded

• 21 American Ships were damaged

• 300 American Planes were damaged

• Japanese only lost 29 aircrafts

Aftermath of Pearl HarborThe effects of the Pearl Harbor attack

• U.S. Joined World War II

• Japanese Americans were criticized harshly

• Japanese had hoped that they had crippled the US, but it in fact lead to the fall of the Japanese Empire

• 4 years later all but 3 ships were repaired and back to active duty

Conspiracy TheoryDid Roosevelt plan the Pearl Harbor disaster?

• Some say that FDR wanted to enter war to stop the spread of totalitarianism, and now that Japan attacked them they had reason to enter the war.

• People wondered why there was no memo sent to Pearl Harbor to warn of attack, in fact a message was sent but was delayed because of the attack

Conspiracy TheoryDid Roosevelt plan the Pearl Harbor disaster?

• Others say that FDR was hard-pressed by Stalin to let the attack happen

• Some believed that FDR’s advisors were spies for Stalin persuading decisions

Opposing the Conspiracy Theory

• Others reasoned that if FDR was against Hitler why would he join with Stalin?

Pearl Harbor vs. 9/11“We will never forget”

• Similarities– Attack was on American soil– Strong sense of American unity– Both pushed America into war– Conspiracy theories were made for Bush just

as much as they were for FDR– Both had death counts around 2,500– Minimal deaths to the enemies

Pearl Harbor vs. 9/11“We will never forget”

• Contrasts– 9/11 was more symbolic– The World Trade Center in NY was the U.S.

free-market economy– The Pentagon embodies the U.S. military’s

command center– Pearl Harbor was an attack trying to wipe out

threat of U.S. fleet

Discussion Questions

• 1.) Do you think the U.S. would have entered the war if Pearl Harbor didn’t happen?

• 2.) Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor? Could the attack have been prevented? What impact did the attack have on America’s society?

• 3.) Why did Leaders of the U.S. Navy believe that a full-Scale navel attack against Pearl Harbor was impossible?

• 4.) What are some similarities and differences between Pearl Harbor and 9/11?

• 5.) Why was Pearl Harbor an important turning point in WWII?

July 27, 1944

July 19, 1944

August 8, 1944

March 3, 1945

January 9, 1945

February 16, 1945

June 20, 1945

March 16, 1945

May 20, 1945

June 30, 1945

June 28, 1945

July 5, 1945

August 6, 1945

August 8, 1945

August 14, 1945

U.S. Marines invade Guam

American troops complete the liberation Guam

American troops capture the Mariana Island

The U.S. Army invades Lingayen Gulf on Luzon

U.S. troops recapture Bataan

U.S. and Filipino troops capture Manila

U.S. forces capture Iwo Jima

Japanese forces begin to withdraw from China

U.S. forces capture Okinawa

The end of Japanese resistance in the Philippines announced

U.S. forces retake the Philippines

The liberation of the Philippines is declared

The 2nd atomic bomb is dropped

The 1st atomic bomb is dropped

Japan Surrenders