War in the Pacific

Objective: analyze the events that occurred in the Pacific and how Japan was defeated

What was the extent of Japanese conquests by 1942?

Japanese launched attacks throughout the Pacific at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Bombed American airfields in the Philippines

Conquered parts of southeast Asia within months

March, 1942 – MacArthur withdrew from the Philippines to Australia

US troops on Corregidor surrendered shortly after MacArthur left. Endured brutal Bataan Death March

How did the Allies turn the tide of the war against Japan?

April, 1942 – Doolittle’s led air raid on Japanese cities including Tokyo

Air raid did little damage but shocked Japanese leaders and boosted morale for the Allies

Why was the Battle of Coral Sea unique?

Battle of the Coral Sea – first time in history, enemy ships fought each other without seeing each other. Launched war planes from aircraft carriers to fight.

American’s blocked Japanese push toward Australia

What was the turning point of the war in the Pacific?

Battle of Midway – June, 1942US navy destroyed 4 Japanese carriers

and 250 planes

How did island hopping help the Allies gain control in the Pacific?

Island hopping – invade islands that were not heavily defended by the Japanese. Use captured islands to stage further attacks.

Code Talkers – Navajo Indians accompanied troops into battle and helped them communicate safely. Japanese could not break the code.

October, 1944 – Allied forces invaded the Philippines. Allies won

Japan increased use of new weapon during this battle, kamikaze - suicide pilots, but could not stop the Allied advances

What was the military significance of the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa?

Early, 1945 – Japanese defenses weakened

Allies need to establish bases closer to mainland to attack Japan

Feb. 1945 – US marines invade Iwo Jima

April, 1945 – US marines invade Okinawa

What was the purpose of the Manhattan Project?

Manhattan Project – top-secret program to build an atomic bomb

Developed in a secret location in Los Alamos, New Mexico

What prompted American officials to use the atomic bomb?

Allies planned to invade Japan in Nov., 1945

American military leaders feared an invasion might cost 200,000 American lives

Truman delivered an ultimatum to Japan – surrender or face destruction

Japan would not surrenderAugust 6, 1945 – atomic bomb dropped

on HiroshimaKilled more than 70,000 people; turned 5

square miles into a wasteland

August 9, 1945 – second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki –killing another 40,000

August 14, 1945 – Japan surrenderedSept. 2, 1945 – Japan signed official

letter of surrender aboard the US battleship Missouri

Human Costs of WWII

Most destructive conflict in historyMore than 55 million diedMore than half were civiliansAbout 28 million soldiers and civilians

died in the European TheatreAbout 27 million soldiers and civilians

died in the Pacific Theatre

About 322,000 Americans died, and 800,000 were wounded

Soviet Union – at least 18 million people died ; perhaps millions more

Holocaust: about 6 million Jews died in Nazi concentration and death camps

Atomic Bombs: bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed between 115,000 and 194,000 people. Thousands more suffered burns and illness caused by atomic energy.

Summary

What was the strategy of island hopping, and what was its purpose?

What was the Manhattan Project?Why were the battles on the islands of Iwo

Jima and Okinawa significant to Americans?Activity suggestions: illustrate island hopping;

design announcement for the end of the war