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Japan’s Military Might
• JAP leaders were encouraged by GER’s rapid victories in the 1940s.
• JAP received permission from GER to occupy French Indochina.
• Pres. Roosevelt froze all JAP assets in U.S. & stopped shipping oil to them.
• U.S. demanded JAP withdraw from China and Indochina.
• While negotiating with U.S. the JAP planned a surprise attack on U.S. naval base: Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941• Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor
– Americans in Hawaii are unprepared for attack.– Japanese invasion seems inevitable.
• The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously w/ the attack on Pearl Harbor
• JAP also hit Philippines & pushed toward Malaya (BR colony)
• Soon invaded Dutch Indies• Spring 1942 – almost all SE Asia & much of W Pacific in
Japanese control• JAP leaders - hoped lightening strike at American bases
would destroy US Pacific fleet
• U.S. enters the war – joined European nations & nationalist China to defeat Japan
• Historic sites of Pearl Harbor– http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2256300/7106820
• Hitler - declared war on U.S., thought U.S. couldn’t fight in Pacific & Europe
• The battles of Bataan & Corregidor fought in the Philippines were 2 of America’s greatest losses to Japan at beginning of WWII.
• Battle of Bataan – American/Filipino losses: 10,000 men, 20,000
wounded, 75,000 prisoners – Bataan Death March
Battle of Coral Sea
• May 7 & 8, 1942 – Battle of Coral Sea– US navy stopped Japanese advance & saved
Australia from invasion• JAP losses: Approximately 3500 men, 2 aircraft
carriers, 2 destroyers, numerous other vessels, about 100 planes
• U.S. losses: 540 personnel, the aircraft carrier Lexington, 65 planes, the destroyer Sims, and the aircraft carrier Yorktown was damaged
Battle of Midway Island
• June 4 – Battle of Midway Island– Turning Point in the Pacific
• Showing that the Japanese had greatly underestimated the U.S. Navy
– U.S. planes destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers• U.S. losses: 307 personnel, 1 carrier, 1 destroyer,
98 planes• JAP losses: 3,057 men, 4 carriers, 1 cruiser,
248 planes• Losses permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy
– U.S. established naval superiority in Pacific
• Fall 1942 – Allied forces gathering for 2 operations– 1. MacArthur – to Philippines through New
Guinea & South Pacific– 2. Move across Pacific w/ U.S. Army,
Marines & Navy attacks on Japanese held-island.
• (d) island hopping – tactic of capturing some and bypassing other Japanese held- islands
• 1943 – U.S. forces on offensive, advancing across Pacific
The Battle of Iwo Jima
• Feb. – March 1945
• One of the bloodiest engagements of the entire war. – JAP losses: 21,000– U.S. losses: 6,821
The least you need to know:• Dec 7, 1941 – A day that will live in infamy
– Pearl Harbor not the only place attacked– Kamakazi
• Battle of Coral Sea – Saved Australia
• Midway Island– Turning point in the Pacific
• Gen. Douglas MacArthur– US Commander in Pacific
• Harry Truman- Us Pres. After FDR’s death
Harry Truman• Harry Truman – U.S. Pres after FDR dies
– Has to decide if U.S. should use atomic bomb
Atomic Bomb
• Use of Atomic Bomb– Allow U.S. to avoid invasion of Japan
• Estimated 90% casualty rate to invade JAP – Aug 6 – 1st bomb dropped on Hiroshima– Aug 9 – 2nd bomb dropped on Nagasaki
• Both cities leveled• Hiroshima: 71,379 instantly killed, 70,000 die
later from radiation poisoning.• Nagasaki: 25,000 instantly killed, 45,000 die
by end of year from radiation poisoning
Atomic Bomb cont.
• Almost everything within a one-mile radius of the explosion’s center spontaneously combusted.
• Granite stone melted
• People vaporized left ghostly images imprinted on stone walls & sidewalks.
*Information from Everything World War II