The War Begins
This attack on December 7, 1941, led to the U.S. entering World War II.
The attack on Pearl Harbor
This May 1942 battle, fought entirely by aircraft from carriers, prevented Japan from advancing toward Australia.
The Battle of the Coral Sea
This general fulfilled his promise by returning to the Philippines in October 1944.
General Douglas MacArthur
After attacking Pearl Harbor, Japan quickly expanded by capturing these key British-held cities.
Hong Kong and Singapore
The U.S. intercepted Japanese plans and won this battle in June 1942, marking a turning point in the war.
The Battle of Midway
The Mariana Islands, captured in 1944, were important for this reason.
They provided air bases for long-range bombing of Japan
The fall of Burma in 1942 had this major consequence for China.
The loss of Burma had major consequences because it cut off an important supply route, the Burma Road, which was used to send American and British supplies to Chinese forces fighting Japan.
The Battle of Midway weakened Japan’s ability to expand. How did this change U.S. strategy?
The U.S. shifted from defense to offense in the Pacific
Almost all 22,000 Japanese troops and 6,800 Americans were killed in this brutal battle in early 1945.
Battle of Iwo Jima
General Douglas MacArthur was ordered to leave the Philippines in 1942, leaving behind almost 90,000 American and Filipino soldiers. What event did many of them later endure?
The Bataan Death March
The U.S. used this strategy to capture key islands without fighting for every Japanese-held area.
Leapfrogging (island hopping)
The Battle of Okinawa lasted two months and had extremely high casualties. What did this suggest about a possible invasion of mainland Japan?
The invasion would have been even more deadly for both sides
How did the Bataan Death March change the way the U.S. viewed the war?
It increased American determination to defeat Japan
How did the strategy of leapfrogging make the Allied advance toward Japan faster?
It allowed the U.S. to bypass heavily fortified islands and focus on strategically important ones
How did the high casualties at Iwo Jima and Okinawa influence Allied war strategy?
They contributed to the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan