1. ISN pg 200, title Battles in the Pacific
Preview:
Think back to September 11, 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

2. War in the Pacific

3. Pearl Harbor Japan was mad at US for interfering with expansion
Dec 7, 1941—Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (Hawaii); US declared war on Japan
Wanted to take out US navy so could freely conquer Dutch East Indies
19 ships, 188 planes, 2,400 killed;

4. Pearl Harbor
Used planes to destroy 18 battleships & kill 2,403 sailors in 2 hours
Pearl Harbor was not only US naval base attacked—Japan also bombed US navy in Manila, Bataan, Corregidor, Wake Island, & Guam 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

6. War in the Pacific
Japanese Empire, 1942

7. 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

8. War in the Pacific
US & 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

9. War in the Pacific
Japanese Empire, 1942

11. War in the Pacific
Allies 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

13. War in the Pacific
By 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

14. War in the Pacific
Japanese Empire, 1942

15. V-J
Despite 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 bomb
Atomic Bomb secretly developed in New Mexico desert during Manhattan Project

16. V-J
August 6,1945—new US President Harry Truman ordered drop of atomic bomb on Hiroshima; Japan issued no response; nd atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later
Atomic Bomb Video

17. Hiroshima

18. Nagasaki

20. V-J August 14, 1945-Japan surrendered—Victory in Japan
World War 2 was over