1. Japanese aggression and US strategy  Turning point battles  Coral Sea  Midway  Leyete Gulf  Iwo Jima and Okinawa  Potsdam Conference---July 1945  Atomic bomb  Hiroshima and Nagasaki---Aug  Japan surrenders---Sept  WWII ends in Asia  VJ-Day---Victory in Japan

map/japan JAPANESE EXPANSION Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor US declares war on Japan Philippines Bataan Death MarchBataan Death March JAPANESE EXPANSION Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor US declares war on Japan Philippines Bataan Death MarchBataan Death March

Bataan Death March : April, 1942 [12,000 Americans]Approximately 80,000 US and Filipino troops [12,000 Americans] surrendered to the Japanese and were forced to march 60 miles to Camp O’Donnell. Several thousand died along the way from atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers.

map/japan JAPANESE EXPANSION Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor US declares war on Japan Philippines Bataan Death MarchBataan Death March JAPANESE EXPANSION Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor US declares war on Japan Philippines Bataan Death MarchBataan Death March Guam Malaya New Guinea Threatening Australia and Hawaii Guam Malaya New Guinea Threatening Australia and Hawaii

General Douglas MacArthur WWII Military Leaders West Point Graduate Commanding general of troops in the Philippines Forced off the Philippines in “I shall return” 1944, Battle of Leyete Gulf---- “I have returned to re-take the Philippines”. Supreme Allied Commander in the South Pacific West Point Graduate Commanding general of troops in the Philippines Forced off the Philippines in “I shall return” 1944, Battle of Leyete Gulf---- “I have returned to re-take the Philippines”. Supreme Allied Commander in the South Pacific

map/japan TURNING POINT BATTLES1942 Coral Sea Midway Midway virtually destroyed Japanese Navy. TURNING POINT BATTLES1942 Coral Sea Midway Midway virtually destroyed Japanese Navy Continued “island hopping” strategy1943

The Doolittle Raid After Pearl Harbor, FDR wanted a morale booster. After Pearl Harbor, FDR wanted a morale booster. He wanted to bomb Tokyo but aircraft carriers could not get close enough. He wanted to bomb Tokyo but aircraft carriers could not get close enough. Plan: B-25s (which could launch off carriers) would bomb Tokyo and land in China. Plan: B-25s (which could launch off carriers) would bomb Tokyo and land in China. Lt. Col. James Doolittle was in command of this operation. Lt. Col. James Doolittle was in command of this operation. On April 18 th, 1942 bombs fell on Tokyo, which led to a change in strategy among the Japanese leaders. On April 18 th, 1942 bombs fell on Tokyo, which led to a change in strategy among the Japanese leaders. Lt. Col. James Doolittle B-25s off to Tokyo

Change in Japanese Strategy Japanese leaders were rattled by the raids—bombs might have killed the emperor!! Japanese leaders were rattled by the raids—bombs might have killed the emperor!! The American fleet, they decided, had to be destroyed! The American fleet, they decided, had to be destroyed! They wanted to cut off their supply lines to Australia. They wanted to cut off their supply lines to Australia. They decided to attack Midway Island—the last American base west of Pearl Harbor. They decided to attack Midway Island—the last American base west of Pearl Harbor. Bombs falling on Tokyo.

The Battle of Midway Code-breakers heard the plan. Code-breakers heard the plan. At the Battle of Coral Sea, the Yorktown and the Lexington fended off a Japanese attack on New Guinea and preserved Australia. At the Battle of Coral Sea, the Yorktown and the Lexington fended off a Japanese attack on New Guinea and preserved Australia. Code-breakers learned of plan to attack Midway Code-breakers learned of plan to attack Midway Admiral Nimitz used this as an opportunity to ambush the Japanese fleet. Admiral Nimitz used this as an opportunity to ambush the Japanese fleet. Japanese plans were hit with antiaircraft fire, shooting down 38 planes. Japanese plans were hit with antiaircraft fire, shooting down 38 planes. Japan lost 100 pilots which hurt their Air War. Japan lost 100 pilots which hurt their Air War. American planes caught carriers by surprise—their fuel, bombs, and aircraft were exposed. American planes caught carriers by surprise—their fuel, bombs, and aircraft were exposed. Four Japanese carriers were sunk, destroying the heart of the navy. Four Japanese carriers were sunk, destroying the heart of the navy. This hit the Japanese hard—it halted Japanese expansion in the Pacific. This hit the Japanese hard—it halted Japanese expansion in the Pacific. Badly damaged Yorktown Fighting at the Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway Island: June 4-6, 1942

Battle of the Coral Sea: June 4-6, 1942

Gen. MacArthur “Returns” to the Philippines! [1944]

Japanese Kamikaze Planes: The Scourge of the South Pacific Kamikaze Pilots Kamikaze bombers  The last 2 years of the war, the Japanese resorted to “ suicidal bombers ” or Kamikaze bombers to destroy the American Navy.  Approximately 2,800 Kamikaze attackers sunk 34 Navy ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and wounded over 4,800.

map/japan TURNING POINT BATTLES1944 Battle of Leyete Gulf, recaptured the Philippines1945 Iwo Jima and Okinawa Put the US 500 miles from mainland Japan Began bombing mainland Japan TURNING POINT BATTLES1944 Battle of Leyete Gulf, recaptured the Philippines1945 Iwo Jima and Okinawa Put the US 500 miles from mainland Japan Began bombing mainland Japan

US Marines on Mt. Surbachi, Iwo Jima [Feb. 19, 1945]

Big Three Churchill, Truman and Stalin meet in Potsdam, Germany in July Truman informed of successful test of bomb. Demanded unconditional surrender from Japanese or a new weapon would be used. potsdam

Some suggest that Truman was warning Stalin. YaltaIf he didn’t follow through with the decisions at Yalta, it could happen to the Soviet Union. potsdam