Which event is turning the tide in the Pacific theater during World War II?

• A. Battle of Midway
• B. Bank Run
• C. Axis Powers
• D. Anti-Semitism

Answer: (A)

Momentum in the Pacific theater shifted after the Battle of Midway. In June 1942, American codebreakers uncovered Japan’s plans and the U.S. Navy lured the Japanese into an ambush. The clash cost Japan four aircraft carriers and many experienced pilots, while the United States lost one carrier, Yorktown. The overwhelming Japanese carrier loss halted their offensive expansion and swung the initiative to the Allies for the rest of the war, enabling a shift to offensive operations across the central and then the southern Pacific. From here, the Allies could pursue island hopping and build up naval and air power toward Japan. The other options don’t fit this turning-point idea: they relate to economic panic, a group of nations, or prejudice, none of which describe a military event that changed the Pacific war’s momentum.