War in the Pacific

• 1) Identify the extent of Japanese expansion in the Pacific by identifying the most western, southern, and eastern borders of that expansion.

• 2) Define Island Hopping and identify two islands taken by the US and explain each island’s strategic importance

• 3) Identify Bushido and evaluate if it helped or hurt the Japanese war effort.

Jap. Offensive- after Pearl Harbor, Japan takes more land in Pacific

• Philippines-(Dec-Apr 42) US colony, US holds out for 5 months, US vows to return– *Bataan Death March- 85 mile forced march to Prison camp for US,

Eng., and Aus. POWs, 140,000 soldiers died• *Why did the Japanese allow so many prisoners of war to die from

preventable deaths? – Bushido- code of honor (Japanese believe in death before surrender,

surrender is cowardly and reflects on family forever, those who do surrender are cowards and deserve to die• *March 42- Japan controls much of Asia and Pacific

Battle of Midway-June 42 Japan tries to attack weak US navy after Pearl Harbor and capture Island of Midway

Why is Midway Island so strategically important?

– *Turning point of the war- US wins in a major air battle and puts Japan on defensive rest of the war• Analyze how the fighting in the Pacific will be different from any other naval

war before WWII. (Think- what is the new weapon that is most important and what ship carries that weapon? How is that weapon better than a boat?)– Airplane and Aircraft Carrier ( Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers, the US lost one)

• Evaluate what would have happened if Japan won the Battle of Midway?

Island Hopping- strategy for the US to reach Japan by landing island to island and cleaning each island of Japanese military power

• Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug 42-Feb. 43)- Japan building an airstrip to bomb Australia in Solomon Islands

• Why is Australia so important for the US in the war against Japan?– *US wins major land battle against Jap. (US realizes it should not

• Battle of Leyte Gulf- US takes back the Phil.– *Kamikazee- Japan suicide planes, sank 30 US ships and damaged

hundreds more• Analyze why Kamikazee is a losing fighting strategy? Why do you

feel Japanese participated in these suicide missions?• *Jap. Navy almost completely destroyed, Jap. showing no sign of

giving up

• Iwo Jima (Feb 1945) island would allow US planes to bomb Japan (Japan expected attack and poured troops to Island)– *US marines suffered 20,000 casualties but took the

island after 1 month– *US starts firebombing Tokyo (75,000 die in June raids)

• Okinawa (Apr.-June 45)- final island needed to invade Japan– *US suffered 55,000 casualties, Japan 100,000 (10,000

Jap. Soldiers jumped off cliffs rather than surrender)• Japan showing no sign off surrender• How do you get an enemy to surrender who refuses to accept

surrender?