Table of Contents
Why did Japan occupy the Aleutian Islands?
The Japanese occupation of Kiska took place between 6 June 1942 and 28 July 1943 during the Aleutian Islands Campaign of the American Theater and the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Japanese occupied Kiska and nearby Attu Island in order to protect the northern flank of the Japanese Empire.
What happened to the Aleut people?
The Aleuts were relocated to abandoned facilities in southeastern Alaska and exposed to a bitter climate and epidemics of disease without adequate protection or medical care. They fell victim to an extraor- dinarily high death rate, losing many of the elders who sustained their culture.
What was the US strategy to use the Aleutian Islands?
I think it is the most important strategic place in the world.” The Japanese reasoned that control of the Aleutians would prevent a possible US attack across the Northern Pacific….
| Aleutian Islands campaign | |
|---|---|
| United States Canada | Japan |
| Commanders and leaders |
Where did the Aleuts come from?
Aleut, self-names Unangax̂ and Sugpiaq, a native of the Aleutian Islands and the western portion of the Alaska Peninsula of northwestern North America.
Why did the Aleuts fight the Russians?
Recorded uprising against the Russians There was high demand for the furs that the Aleut provided from hunting. In May 1784, local Aleuts revolted on Amchitka against the Russian traders. (The Russians had a small trading post there.)
What effect did the Treaty between Russia and America have on Alaska Natives?
The Treaty classified Alaska Natives into ‘civilized groups’ which were to be regular citizens of the United States with no special relationship, and the rest were recognized as ‘uncivilized groups’ which were to be subject to federal Indian law.
What happened in the Aleutian Islands during WW2?
Then, in June 1942, the Japanese attacked the Aleutian Islands. Regional naval officers directed Japanese forces to bomb an American military base at Dutch Harbor, killing more than 100 Americans.
Was there a Japanese presence in the Aleutian Islands?
Still, the Japanese presence in the Aleutians remained as menacing as its activities elsewhere in the Pacific theater. While Japan played its offensive cards, the Army Corps of Engineers were hard at work constructing the Alaska Highway. News of the Aleutian invasion made the workers understandably nervous.
Why did the Japanese seize Attu and Kiska?
Some historians believe Japan seized Attu and Kiska mainly to divert the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Japanese attack on Midway Island (June 4–7, 1942) in the central Pacific. It’s also possible the Japanese believed that holding the two islands could prevent the U.S. from any attempt to invade Japan’s home islands by way of the Aleutian chain.
What two islands did the Japanese take over in WW2?
The Japanese then made landfall at Kiska Island on June 6 and Attu Island, approximately 200 miles away, on June 7. Japanese troops quickly established garrisons, or military bases, on both islands, which had belonged to the U.S. since it purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.