“We shall not waste lives by assault on fortified positions. We shall bypass them, leaving them to wither on the vine. We shall advance by leaps and bounds, seizing positions which can be quickly developed as airbases, from which we can cut the enemy’s communications and support our next advance.”
— General Douglas MacArthur, memorandum on Pacific strategy, 1943
The military strategy described in the excerpt was primarily utilized by the United States to achieve which of the following goals?
- Bypassing heavily fortified Japanese garrisons to establish forward bases closer to the home islandsAnswer
- BAdhering to congressional neutrality acts by avoiding direct combat with Japanese imperial forces
- CContaining the spread of Soviet influence and communism throughout East Asia
- DReclaiming colonial possessions that had been acquired in the Spanish-American War
Answer
Bypassing heavily fortified Japanese garrisons to establish forward bases closer to the home islands
The correct option is correct because the 'island-hopping' (or 'leapfrogging') strategy in the Pacific involved bypassing highly fortified Japanese islands, cutting off their supply lines to let them 'wither on the vine,' and seizing neighboring, less-defended islands. These captured positions were then used to build airfields and launch further offensives, eventually bringing U.S. forces within bombing range of the Japanese home islands.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
World War II Pacific Theater Military Strategy (Island-Hopping)