-
Period: to
Building the Military
After World War I, America returned to isolationism. When the nation entered World War II in 1941, its armed forces ranked nineteenth in might, behind the tiny European nation of Belgium. Three years later, the United States was producing 40 percent of the world’s arms. -
The Draft
More than 60,000 men enlisted in the month after the attack on Pearl Harbor. At first, the flood of recruits overwhelmed the army’s training facilities and equipment supplies. In 1940 the Department of Agriculture had transferred over 350,000 acres to the War Department. New bases such as the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, were built, and existing ones such as Eglin Air Force base were expanded. -
Japan Changes Strategy
While Americans rejoiced in the air force’s success, Japanese leaders were aghast at the raid.The Doolittle Raid convinced Japanese leaders to change their strategy. After Doolittle’s raid, the Japanese war planners dropped their opposition to Yamamoto’s idea. The American fleet had to be destroyed to protect Tokyo from bombing. The attack on New Guinea would still go ahead, but only three aircraft carriers were assigned to the mission. All of the other carriers were ordered to assault Midway. -
The Doolittle Raid
Even before the Philippines fell, President Roosevelt was searching for a way to raise the morale of the American people. He wanted to bomb Tokyo, but American planes could reach Tokyo only if an aircraft carrier brought them close enough. However, Japanese ships in the North Pacific prevented carriers from getting near Japan. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was the impetus for the United States’ entrance into World War II. -
The Fall of the Philippines
A few hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked American airfields in the Philippines. Two days later, they landed troops. The American and Filipino forces defending the Philippines were badly outnumbered. Their commander, General Douglas MacArthur, retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. Using the peninsula’s rugged terrain, the troops held out for more than three months. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
The Japanese believed that they could safely proceed with two attacks at once because they thought their operations were secret. What the Japanese did not know was that an American team of code breakers based in Hawaii had already broken the Japanese navy’s secret code for conducting operations.
