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Transcript
The Attack on Pearl Harbor st On September 1 , 1939, Germany invaded Poland after numerous warnings to stop its aggressive actions. France and Great Britain ordered Germany to remove their troops from Poland immediately. When Germany refused, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany and its allies. Unprepared for the strength of the Axis powers, France was quickly defeated and conquered. Great Britain was pummeled daily by air raids that destroyed cities and killed thousands. However, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to surrender, stating: “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.” Throughout all of this, Great Britain was begging friendly countries to join the war on their side. Franklin Roosevelt, the president of the United States during this time, was very close with Winston Churchill. FDR desperately wanted to join the Allied powers and save the United States’ friends. However, the Neutrality Acts passed earlier in the 1930s declared that the U.S. could not join in any wars unless there was a direct threat to the United States. Because of this, Roosevelt and the United States had to sit aside and watch as their friends and allies were hammered by the Axis powers. However, this all changed on a December morning in 1941. Due to growing tension between Japan and the United States in the Pacific, Japan launched a sneak attack against the U.S. naval base located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At 7:48 AM on December 7th, 1941, a large portion of the Japanese navy, including 414 aircraft, attacked the unsuspecting American base. The attack lasted approximately 2 hours; killing 2,400 American soldiers and wounding over 1,000 more. However, the greatest loss to the American military came with the loss of its ships. Unfortunately for the United States, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. navy had gathered up a huge portion of its Pacific fleet into the Hawaiian harbor. When the attack came, all eight of the United States’ Pacific battleships were anchored in the harbor. After the attack, all eight of the battleships were damaged, with four ships being completely sunk. Some of the ships were eventually able to be repaired, but the Japanese attack had completed its goal; the American Pacific fleet was crippled. The next day, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Congress agreed, and the U.S. entered World War II on the side of the Allies. A few days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. to back up their ally. The U.S. responded by declaring war on Germany and Italy as well. The U.S. was now fully invested in the outcome of World War II. 1. What was the purpose of the Neutrality Acts? Did they succeed in their intended purpose? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2. Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 3. _____ On what date did the attack on Pearl Harbor take place? a. September 1st, 1939 b. December 25th, 1939 c. December 7th, 1941 d. September 11th, 1941 4. _____ Approximately how many Americans died in the attack on Pearl harbor? a. 2,500 Americans b. 3,000 Americans c. 1,000 Americans d. 2,000 Americans 5. Re-read Winston Churchill’s quote about the bombing of Great Britain. What is the message that Churchill is trying to get across and why do you think it was important for him to do so? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States’ fleet in the Pacific was nearly wiped out. However, the U.S. was still able to fight and win many naval battles in the Pacific during WWII. Describe how you think they were able to do so. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________