“All wars occur from a succession of mistakes, usually on both sides, and of no war is that more true than the Second World War” — Michael Korda 

In this class our focus is on the start of World War II in the Pacific. The Pacific Theatre of WWII played a crucial role in the war as a whole, and events in the Pacific dramatically shaped the post-war global order. In this course students will be introduced to important terms, people, countries and events to help them have a firm understanding of the many things that lead up to that day of infamy in 1941 and to the overall Pacific conflict. Through an engaging power point, discussion and interactive activities students will get to see and participate in the increase of the Japanese Empire and better understand how the U.S was brought into the conflict. Students will get to follow along on their own map to see how and when the Japanese Empire increased. This class will cover key events from before the war to shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  As part of the study we will take a look at Japan's history at the start of the 20th century as well as the state of America leading up to their entrance into the conflict. During class my hope is that students will engage in discussions that allow them to think more deeply about all those involved in the conflict and about these important events that changed the world forever. 

This class pairs well with my class, "Intro to WWII: What Lead to War in Europe" in order to have a full grasp on the beginnings of this monumental conflict.