Introduction
The world was a different place in the 1930s. The United States had been plunged into the Great Depression in 1929. This economic collapse affected the world economy; many countries experienced depressions.
In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President of the United States. The American people had faith that he could pull the country out of the Great Depression. Those serving in the American government was so concerned with improving conditions in the United States that they didn't see the significance of events happening in other parts of the world.
Adolf Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933. In 1935, Benito Mussolini invaded the African country of Ethiopa. And in 1937, Japan invaded China. Hitler began to expand Germany's territory by invading Austria in 1938. The Holocaust followed soon after. However, America was so mired in its own crisis, that it ignored the imperialistic and tyrranical actions of Germany, Italy, and Japan.
This webquest will focus on the actions of Japan before and during World War II. It is likely a part of history you have not studied in depth. You will learn about Japan's invasion into China, its attack on Pearl Harbor, and the United States' retaliation through the bombing of two heavily populated cities in Japan.