Do Now
1) Why was the United States at war with Japan?
2) What do you think made it difficult to fight Japan?
Reminders
News Article Analysis DUE FRIDAY!
9.8- War in the Pacific
• American military leaders created a plan to defeat Japan that called for a two-pronged attack.
• 1) Admiral Nimitz and the Pacific Fleet were to hop from island to island to get close to Japan.
• 2) General MacArthur’s troops would advance through the Solomon Islands, capture the north coast of New Guinea, and retake the Philippines.
1) Island Hopping Campaign
• Island Hopping- going from island to island defeating the Japanese in order to get closer to Japan.
• Began in the fall of 1943.• Many Marines died while attacking the various
islands in the Pacific .• B-29 bombers were used to invade three of the
Mariana Islands which was captured by American troops in August 1944.
• These islands were used to base B-29 bombers to begin bombing Japan.
2) Retaking the Philippines
• General MacArthur’s troops began his campaign in the Pacific with the invasion of Guadalcanal in August 1942.
• 1944- MacArthur’s troops captured enough islands to surround the main Japanese base in the region.
• MacArthur then captured New Guinea.• With both of those captured MacArthur sent
his troops to take back the Philippines.
Philippines
• Japanese warships headed to the Philippine Islands into Leyte Gulf and ambushed the American ships.
• The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle in history.
• It was also the first time that the Japanese used kamikaze attacks.
• Kamikaze- suicide bomber attacks by the Japanese• The Japanese eventually retreated.• The battle to recapture the Philippines left over
100,000 Filipino civilians dead.
Video Clip
• Kamikaze
Guided Practice
• Strategy against Japan
Secondary Source Analysis
• 1) Read the text.• 2) Use the text to answer the questions.
Homework
• News Article Analysis due FRIDAY!
Exit Ticket
• 1) What is a kamikaze attack?• 2) Why do you think the Japanese used
kamikaze attacks?