Pacific WarfareWorld War II was a horrible time not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Horrible things were happening in Europe at that time. World War II began in 1939. The Battle of Midway had a great impact on World War II. The Battle of Midway was a battle between America and Japan; Germany was not involved in this. By examining why Japan attempted to take control of Midway, Japan's plan, and the battle itself, a connection can be made to the Battle of Midway and its effects on World War II. The Battle of Midway played an important role in World War II. The Battle of Midway began because of the Japanese. Japan wanted to gain more land in the 1930s. To do this the Japanese had to overwhelm the lands and countries neighboring Japan. But to overwhelm these countries, natural resources became a necessity for the Japanese. Japan needed a strong military to obtain natural resources and did not want the United States to know this or meddle in their plan. Because of this, the Japanese believed they had to put an end to the American Navy. Japan then bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 (White 4). This attack caused extensive damage, but the Japanese did not succeed in what they wanted, they wanted to destroy the American aircraft carriers. At that time these aircraft carriers were not stored at Pearl Harbor. A few days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded two other major stations in the Pacific Ocean. Many Americans were frustrated and discouraged because they thought the Japanese were impossible to defeat, but on April 18, 1942, something amazing happened: Japan was attacked by the United States. The United States sent sixteen B-25 bombers to attack... half of the paper... the world at that time, they didn't believe the United States had a very strong military. A third effect that the Battle of Midway had on World War II was that it prevented the Japanese from expanding their land. It would have been terrible if Japan had become bigger. Once again, Japan attacked Midway due to an air attack from an aircraft carrier. The plan devised by the Japanese was simple but difficult to execute and did not work. Ultimately, American forces eliminated four aircraft carriers and won the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway played an important role in the history of the United States and World War II. Works Cited Chrisp, Peter. The War in the Pacific. Austin: Steck-Vaughn Company, 2004. Print.McGowen, Tom. The Battle of Midway. Danbury: Children's Press, 2001. Print.White, Steve. The Battle of Midway. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2007. Print.