ISN pg 200200, title Battles in the PacificBattles in the PacificPreview:

–Think back to September 11, 2001. How did you feel when the Twin Towers & Pentagon were attacked?

–What immediate thoughts did you have about the terrorists who carried out these acts?

–Would you have volunteered for military service if your President asked Americans to enlist? Explain

War in the Pacific

Pearl HarborJapan was mad at US for interfering

with expansionDec 7, 1941—Japan

bombed Pearl HarborPearl Harbor (Hawaii); US declared war on Japan

Wanted to take out US navy so could freely conquer Dutch East Indies

Pearl HarborUsed planes to destroy 18 battleships

& kill 2,403 sailors in 2 hoursPearl Harbor was not only US naval

base attacked—Japan also bombed US navy in ManilaManila, BataanBataan, CorregidorCorregidor, Wake IslandWake Island, & GuamGuam on its way to taking huge empire in Pacific Ocean by June 1942

Wanted “Asia for Asians” & hoped to stretch empire from Japan to Australia

War in the Pacific

Japanese Empire, 1942

War in the Pacific USA Pacific forces led by

Douglas MacArthur & Chester Nimitz fought to defeat Japan; needed to conquer Japanese-controlled islands to get to Japan

May 1942—Battle of Midway—1st successful US defeat of Japanese navy

War in the PacificUS & Australian troops fought to

defeat Japan; Japanese refused to surrender & fought to the last man; made fighting for islands difficult

August 1942—Guadalcanal— 6-month land, air, sea battle; Japanese kamikaze (suicide) pilots bombed US ships & bases

War in the Pacific

Japanese Empire, 1942

War in the PacificAllies could never take all

Japanese-controlled islands (too costly), so US began island-hopping strategy—capture some islands, skip others; hoped to cut off Japanese supply lines & “starve” other Japanese-controlled islands

War in the PacificBy 1945, US won Iwo Jima &

Okinawa in the worst fighting of Pacific War— US suffered most marine casualties in these 2 island invasions

Needed these islands as bases to use for invasion of Japan

War in the Pacific

Japanese Empire, 1942

V-JDespite heavy losses, Japan refused

to surrender to Allies; continued to fight to last man & used suicide missions to kill as many Allies as possible

US faced with decision: invade Japan OR use new weapon—atomic bombatomic bomb

Atomic Bomb secretly developed in New Mexico desert during Manhattan Manhattan ProjectProject

V-JAugust 6,1945—new

US President Harry Truman ordered drop of atomic bomb on Hiroshima; Japan issued no response; 2nd atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 3 days laterAtomic Bomb Video

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

V-JAugust 14, 1945-Japan

surrendered—Victory in Japan World War 2 was over