Final answer:
The Doolittle Raid was a psychological victory because it boosted U.S. morale and shook the Japanese belief in their homeland's invulnerability, altering WWII strategies and demonstrating American resolve.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Doolittle Raid was considered a psychological victory because it provided a significant morale boost for the United States and sowed doubt among the Japanese people about their leadership's assurances of invulnerability. Despite the fact that the raiders, mainly flying B-25 bombers, encountered fuel shortages and had to crash land in China—with one reaching the Soviet Union—their mission marked the first successful bombing over Japan, shaking the perceived impregnable Japanese defenses. This event not only uplifted U.S. spirits but also spurred Japan to address their defense vulnerabilities, altering the course of World War II strategies, specifically around Midway Island.
Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, who led the raid, emphasised the double psychological impact of the raid: challenging Japanese notions of invulnerability and boosting American morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The tactical significance of the Doolittle Raid might have been limited due to the small scale and minimal actual damage, but its symbolic impact was profound. It demonstrated American resolve to respond to aggression and heralded the strategic counter-offensives that the U.S. would undertake in the Pacific Theater.