1. Mt:6 American participation in World War II
LT4: Explain why the USA decided to drop the Atomic bombs on Japan.

2. After Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, two hours after the Japanese attack on American military bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Japan declared war on the United States and Great Britain, marking America's entry into World War II.
On December 8, 1941 the United States Congress declared war upon the Empire of Japan
The USA has to formulate/prepare a plan for attacking Japan, and Island nation 6,000 miles from the USA

3. Attacking Japan Strategy Island hopping
Japan was too far away for planes to bomb so the USA decided to capture islands near Japan to use to land planes.
Islands were surrounded by coral and sand bars
Ships would get stuck and Marines would have to swim to island
Japanese would shoot the soldiers (2 of 3 died)
Worst island was Tarawa

4. Battle of Iwo Jima
USA needed a closer island so that they could accurately drop bombs
It was one of the worst battles
Huge numbers of casualties (deaths)
USA captures Iwo Jima and begins bombing Japan
Used firebombs-bombs that exploded then created fires
Kill thousands of Japanese civilians
Japan showed NO SIGNS of surrendering by April 1, 1945

5. Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb
Japan was willing to surrender but they wanted to keep their Emperor
The USA wanted a complete surrender = no emperor
The USA believed that Japan had NO plans to surrender
The USA had a secretly been building a super weapon
Project was called the Manhattan Project = Creating the Atomic Bomb
President Roosevelt died prior to the end of the war making VP Truman the president
Truman was advised that using the atomic would save thousands of USA lives …………..He decided to use it

6. Atomic Bombs dropped Bombing Hiroshima, Japan Bombing Nagasaki, Japan
B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped “Little boy” on Hiroshima, Japan
Japan refused to surrender
Three days later the plutonium “Fat man” bomb was used to bomb Nagasaki.
On August 15, 1945, Japan officially surrendered, bringing an end to World War II.
The two bombs killed approximately 150,000 people when they were dropped.
Within a radius of 1 kilometer from ground zero, men and animals died almost instantaneously from the tremendous blast pressure and heat.
Houses and other structures were smashed, crushed and scattered; and fires broke out.
Radiation sickness, killed 15 to 20 percent of Japanese after WW2

7. Questions When did the USA declare war on Japan and enter WW2?
Describe the strategy of Island Hoping?
Why did the USA feel it needed to take over islands in the pacific ocean?
Why was the island of Iwo Jima an important victory for the USA?
What was the Manhattan plan?
Which president decided to drop an atomic bomb on Japan?
What happened following the dropping of the 2 atomic bombs on Japan?