Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Pearl Harbor: Before the Mayhem
The 1930s were turbulent years. Under Adolf Hitler's leadership, Germany was waging war on Europe. In Asia, Japan was at war with China. The United States was not a part of either conflict. The battles in Europe and Asia were not directly related, but they were connected. Germany and Japan made each other a promise. They vowed not to fight one another. They also signed a pact and agreed to help each other when possible.
Japan's ultimate goal was to conquer large areas of Asia. Their fight with China was just the beginning. They wanted to take control of colonies that France, Holland, and Britain possessed. These countries were too busy fighting in Europe to focus on all that the Japanese had planned. The United States, however, could keep an eye on Japan's military movements. It had a military base in the Philippines. It also had the giant Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. These bases made it possible for the U.S. to intervene should the Japanese try to conquer any European colonies. In essence, the United States stood in the way of Japan's ultimate goal.
As the war waged on, Japan needed more and more material goods. The Japanese wanted access to other Asian areas so they could retrieve the minerals and other things they needed. America and its European allies did not want Japan to have access to other colonies. The nations were at odds with one another. Japanese and American leaders tried to compromise. They spent months negotiating. Their goal was to find a solution that both countries could agree on. Through much of 1941, Japanese ambassadors in Washington, D.C., negotiated for peace. They met with American leaders. .....
