Midway, Turning Point in World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Midway, Turning Point in World War II - Essay Example At the Battle of the Coral Sea, May 7 and 8, 1942, the American fleet took a terrible beating and appeared on the verge of collapse. Admiral Yamamoto knew when he attacked Pearl Harbor that the only way to wage a successful war against the United States was to completely wipe out his only opposition, the navy of the United States. The fact that Japan was an island nation allowed for the development of a large trading fleet as well as the largest military navy in the world. Without control of the Pacific, Japan could not expect to last long as everything had to be transported to Japan via ships. If the American navy could be eliminated from the Pacific, Japan would be able to control the entirety of its trading sphere. Yamamoto had to get the United States into one last battle where his power could be successful against a weaker enemy. The key to his plan was found to be Midway, the lookout for Hawaii. With Midway captured, and Hawaii neutralized, Japan’s only problem would be forced further east to the United States.