1. Course of the War Pacific/Asian Theater

2. 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

3. December 7, 1941 U.S. enters the war
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

5. Historic sites of Pearl Harbor
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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Gen. Douglas MacArthur US commander in Pacific
“old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”

10. 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

11. Harry Truman Harry Truman – U.S. Pres after FDR dies
Has to decide if U.S. should use atomic bomb

12. 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

13. 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

14. End of the War Aug 14 – Emperor Hirohito surrendered
17 million dead in battle
20 million dead civilians
Some estimate total dead 50 million
Immediately after the war, Russia and the U.S. went their separate ways
This rivalry between east & west was known as the Cold War