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Japan

Power Point III

World Wars to the Present

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Dreams of Expansion

      • Japan’s military leaders, like Hitler, had dreams of an empire.

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      • Japan wanted to take over southeast Asia.

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      • US knew of this and in July 1941 stopped oil shipments to Japan.

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      • Japan planned attacks on British and US colonies in Pacific.

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Attack on Pearl Harbor

      • December 7, 1941 ~Sunday morning

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      • American sailors at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii were under attack.

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      • Within 2 hours 19 ships were damaged and 2,300 Americans were killed.

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      • President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress declared war on Japan and Japanese allies.

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The Battle of Midway

      • Japan targeted Midway island off the coast of Hawaii.

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      • Hoped the attack on Midway would engage entire US fleet.

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      • American planes attacked Japanese planes in the air and other planes swooped in to attack Japanese fleet.

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      • Battle turned the tide of war in the Pacific

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The End of the War

      • United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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      • Capital~ Tokyo had been destroyed in bombing raids.

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      • Allies had stripped Japan of its colonial empire.

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Occupied Japan

  • Changed empire into constitutional monarchy like the one in Great Britain. New Constitution
      • brought deep changes to Japan’s society
      • Japanese tradition said emperor was divine.
      • Emperor now had to declare that he was not divine.
      • Emperor became largely a figure head, like King/Queen of England- a symbol of Japan.

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Article Nine

      • Japan could no longer make war. They could fight only if attacked.

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      • 1951- United States and 47 other nations signed a peace treaty with Japan.
      • With no armed forces due to article 9, Japanese agreed to a continuing military presence to protect their country
      • US and Japan, once enemies, are now allies.