WORLD WAR II - PACIFICUS History

Road to War: Asia 1931-1945

Japanese government controlled by militarists

Seized Manchuria – Sept. 1931

Invaded China - 1937

Occupied French Indo-China – 1940

US and Britain stopped shipments of steel, iron

and oil to Japan

Japan bombs Pearl Harbor – Dec. 7, 1941

Japan quickly conquered Southeast Asia and the

Pacific Islands

Road to War: Asia 1931-1945 (Con’t)

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Because of the United States’ trade embargoes Japan sees no option but attack.

General Tojo ordered a surprise attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese planes destroy or damage 19 ships, many planes, and kill over 2400 people.

It was “a day that will live in infamy.”

Dec. 8, 1941, President Roosevelt asks for declaration of war.

Germany and Italy as allies of Japan declare war on the US Dec. 11.

Strategies in the Pacific

At first, the Japanese won an uninterrupted series of victories.

The US lost the Philippines and 75,000 US POW's were forced to march 75 miles in the Bataan death march with little food, water or rest.

Soon, however, the tide of the Pacific war began to turn.

The US won victories at the Battle of Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. Midway became the turning point for the war in the Pacific.

They weakened Japan and stopped them from advancing.

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Battle of Midway

Turning point of War in the Pacific

Japan lost 4 of 6 aircraft carriers

Japan’s productivity was 1/10 of the US

“Island Hopping”

US Strategy = Island Hopping

Allowed US to pass heavily fortified islands to get closer to Japan

Bombing raids of Japan began June 1944

Video 1 – Invading an Island Answer on note page

Video 2 – Okinawa Answer on note page

World War II in the Pacific

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Defeat of Japan

After victory in Europe, full attention was given to

the Pacific.

US was winning battles and destroying Japanese

air force and navy but the Japanese kept fighting.

Invasion vs. Bomb

Estimated an invasion would cost 1 million casualties

Japan had been using Kamikaze since 1944-pilots who

undertook suicide missions.

They would not surrender easily

The atomic bomb

Military leaders planned for an invasion while scientists

developed an new bomb-the atomic bomb.

The Manhattan project was the development of the atomic bomb

President Truman (FDR died while in office) meets with advisers

and decides to use the bomb instead of an invasion.

They issued a warning to Japan to surrender or face “utter and

complete destruction.”

Japan ignores the deadline

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

August 6, 1945, US plane the Enola Gay drops an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima.

Four square miles flattened and over 70,000 people killed instantly.

August 8, Soviets declare war on Japan.

August 9, a second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. Over 40,000 people die.

August 10 the emperor of Japan forces the government to surrender

The treaty is signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. The war is over.

Dropping the atomic bomb brought a quick end to the war. It also unleashed terrifying destruction.

Why did President Truman use the bomb?

Truman was convinced that Japan would not surrender without an invasion that would result in enormous losses of both American and Japanese lives.

Truman also may have hoped that the bomb would impress the Soviet Union with American power.

The Atomic Bomb

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Destruction of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki

Victims of Radio Active Heat