Pacific Theater of

OperationsU.S. HISTORY

WORLD WAR II UNIT

DAY THREE

Japanese Expansion, American

Response

Japan feels slighted by the Western powers following

World War I

They begin to expand militarily throughout Asia and

Southeast Asia

Japan relies on American oil and steel to keep its war

machine rolling

America embargoes oil, scrap iron and steel exports to

Japan

Japan has to choose, either stop its military conquest of

Asia or attack America…

Page

14

Japan’s Decision

Japan believes democratic culture has made America soft

The war in the Pacific is going to be fought almost exclusively at sea and on islands

Without boats or planes America won’t be able to resupply or

reinforce existing bases in the Pacific

A quick strike against America’s Pacific fleet and Pacific air force

would give Japan months of unopposed expansion against the US

Then before America can recover, Japan can sue for peace on

there terms

Page

14

The Attack

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Pacific fleet) at 7:55 AM on

Dec. 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy

9 hours later, and on the other side of the International

Dateline, Japan attacks the Philippines (Pacific Air

force)

3,000+ dead at Pearl Harbor

78,000 prisoners taken in the Philippines are forced to

march 65 miles; Almost 10,000 prisoners die on the way

to the prison camp (the Bataan Death March)

Page

14

The Turning Point

The Battle of Midway Island in 1942 turned the

tide of war in favor of the Americans

US Naval Intelligence cracked the Japanese

secret code and ambushed the Japanese fleet

as they prepared to attack Midway Island

4 Japanese Aircraft carriers were sunk in the

ambush

Page

14

Island Hopping and Iwo Jima

America named its strategy “Island Hopping” as they retook

important strategic islands they left other minor islands behind

Every island had to be assaulted from the sea; high casualties

became the norm. At Tarawa atoll only 1 in 3 marines made it to

the shore

The air force still needed a closer starting point to accurately bomb Japan’s home islands. Iwo Jima was chosen

6,800 marines died in the battle

“Uncommon valor was a common virtue…”

-Chester Nimitz

Page

14

The End

Next class we will discuss the

American decision to use Atomic

weapons on Japanese civilians, and

how that decision brought about the

end of the war against Japan.

Page

14

Title of Event:

Atomic Bombing of Japan

Problem or Goal:

•How should the U.S. end World War

II? Following Germany’s surrender in

May 1945, many wondered which

options the U.S. should consider to

defeat the Japanese.

•Demonstrate the bomb- show its

power to the Japanese to convince

them to surrender.

•Issues with Demonstration- What if

it didn’t work? And what if Japan

ambushed the plane?

•Truman believes- if this weapon

could end the war, then we need to

use it.

•Estimated invasion losses- Allies

could have 2-4 million casualties

invading Japan.

Page 18

Participants/Key Players:

•U.S. military- Prior to Atomic

Bombing the U.S. had 400,000

killed and 670,000 injured

soldiers.

•Robert Oppenheimer- lead

scientist in the development of

the atomic bomb.

•Harry Truman- U.S. President

whose decision was to bomb

Japan instead of invasion.

•Soviet Union- Allied nation that

agreed to join the war against

Japan on 8/15/1945.

Problem or Goal:

•How should the U.S. end World War

II? Following Germany’s surrender in

May 1945, many wondered which

options the U.S. should consider to

defeat the Japanese.

•Demonstrate the bomb- show its

power to the Japanese to convince

them to surrender.

•Issues with Demonstration- What if

it didn’t work? And what if Japan

ambushed the plane?

•Truman believes- if this weapon

could end the war, then we need to

use it.

•Estimated invasion losses- Allies

could have 2-4 million casualties

invading Japan.

Page 18

Title of Event:

Atomic Bombing of Japan

Key Episodes or Events

•June 1942- Battle of Midway

(turning point in Pacific) U.S. breaks

secret code and Japan’s fleet is

ambushed.

•July 1942-February 1945- Island

Hopping used to cut off Japan’s

supply chains and U.S. creeps

toward Japan.

•Febrary/March 1945- Battle of Iwo

Jima- U.S. secures island close

enough to launch daily air raids on

the island of Japan.

•May/June 1945- After Hitler’s

defeat, Soviets occupy much of

eastern and central Europe

(frustrates US and Great Britain).

•July 16, 1945- Successful test of

atomic bomb by scientists in New

Mexico desert.

Participants/Key Players:

•U.S. military- Prior to Atomic

Bombing the U.S. had 400,000

killed and 670,000 injured

soldiers.

•Robert Oppenheimer- lead

scientist in the development of

the atomic bomb.

•Harry Truman- U.S. President

whose decision was to bomb

Japan instead of invasion.

•Soviet Union- Allied nation that

agreed to join the war against

Japan on 8/15/1945.

Page 18

Where: Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan)

When: August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945

Title of Event:

Atomic Bombing of Japan

Participants/Key Players:

•U.S. military

•Robert Oppenheimer

•Harry Truman

•Soviet Union

Theme/Lessons/So What?

• Soviets shut out of territory in Japan.

• U.S. supports internationalist foreign

policy and feels betrayed by Soviets.

• Soviets want to catch up with U.S.

starts rivalry (Cold War)

Resolution or Outcome:

Japan surrenders to Allies on V-J Day

(August 15, 1945)

Key Episodes or Events

•June 1942- Battle of Midway

(turning point in Pacific) U.S. breaks

secret code and Japan’s fleet is

ambushed.

•July 1942-February 1945- Island

Hopping used to cut off Japan’s

supply chains and U.S. creeps

toward Japan.

•Febrary/March 1945- Battle of Iwo

Jima- U.S. secures island close

enough to launch daily air raids on

the island of Japan.

•May/June 1945- After Hitler’s

defeat, Soviets occupy much of

eastern and central Europe

(frustrates US and Great Britain).

•July 16, 1945- Successful test of

atomic bomb by scientists in New

Mexico desert.

Page 18

World War II Packet ChecklistHomework (30 pts. possible)

Classwork (130 pts. possible)

Pages 7, 10, 19 Pages 2, 5, 6*, 8, 9*, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20 (completing in class next time)

Today’s Assignment- Truman’s Dilemma (page 17) and Casualties of the Major Combatants of World War II (page 19)

World War II Unit Test/Packets due:

Next Class Period