The War in the Pacific

Section 18.4

After Pearl Harbor• Japanese forces attacked American bases

on Wake Island on Dec.8th and Guam on Dec.10th

• Days later Japanese attacked the Philippines

• MacArthur withdrew most of his troops south to the Bataan Peninsula – hoped the navy would be able to evacuate – Faced several months of attack – had to

escape to Australia

Japanese Advance

• Hoped that the U.S. would withdraw from Asia, leaving them access to much needed natural resources

Bataan Death March• Most of Bataan’s (Philippines)

defenders surrendered in April, 1942

• 2,000 soldiers & nurses escaped to the island of Corregidor – lived in rock tunnels

• Japanese captured 76,000 prisoners

Bataan Death March• Weakened by disease, lack of food,

and tropical heat

• Captors were forced to march 63 miles– Brutally beaten, tortured, denied

water and rest

– 10,000 died on the journey

– another 15,000 die in the camps

Bataan Death March• Japanese defied the accepted

international standards of conduct toward P.O.W.’s

• Geneva Convention states, “P.O.W.’s shall at all times be humanely treated and protected, particularly against acts of violence…”

Defending Burma & China

• Dec. 9, 1941: China joined the Allies

• U.S. sent supplies and military advisors

• American Gen. Joseph Stilwell led the Chinese armies defending Burma

• “Flying Tigers:” volunteer American aviators– China’s ragtag forces fared poorly against

the well trained Japanese

Island-Hopping in the Pacific• A military strategy of selectively

attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others

• Allies pushed north from Australia and west from Hawaii

• Nimitz and MacArthur

War at Sea• At Pearl Harbor, Japanese didn’t

achieve one of its main goals:–Destroy 3 aircraft carriers (all were out

at sea or being repaired in California)–Doolittle’s Secret Mission: squadron

dropped bombs on Tokyo before crashing into China• Shocked Japan and boosted Allied

morale

Turning Point-Battle of Midway• Japanese Admiral Yamamoto committed a

large part of Japan’s navy to the attack on Midway

• Yamamoto expected Nimitz (U.S.) to do the same to protect the island

• June 4, 1942: battle was fought entirely in the air– Sunk 4 Japanese carriers; lost 250 planes and

most of their skilled pilots– American victory due to breaking the Japanese

code JN-25

Yamatolargest battleship ever

built sent with only enough fuel for one-way trip

http://www.looksmart.com/r?page=/search/frames/index.html&isp=combinedfleet.com

Iwo Jima• Iwo Jima: one of the bloodiest battles of the

war–Volcanic island, steep, rocky slopes of caves

and tunnels–74 days of battling – 7,000 tons of bombs and

20,000 shells–Mid-Feb.,1945: marines stormed the beaches,

faced fierce resistance–110,000 Americans vs. 25,000 Japanese–Took 1 month to secure island

Near the End

• Battle of Okinawa was the costliest engagement of the Pacific war (50,000 casualties)

The Manhattan Project

• 1939: FDR received letter from Einstein about a new type of bomb

• Manhattan Project: top secret plan to develop an atomic bomb

• July 16,1945: 1st field test in New Mexico

Decision to Drop the Bomb• Alternative possibilities:

–A massive invasion of Japan – millions of Allied casualties

–Naval blockade to starve Japan w/conventional bombing

–Demonstration of new weapon on a deserted island

–Softening for an unconditional surrender

• FDR died in April, 1945

• President Harry S. Truman had to make the final decision – had no problem and never regretted his decision

• Aug. 6,1945: Bombed Hiroshima

• Aug. 9,1945: Bombed Nagasaki

Nagasaki – 60,000-80,000Nagasaki – 60,000-80,000Hiroshima - 90,000-160,000Hiroshima - 90,000-160,000