1. Victory in The PACIFIC

2. The TURNING POINT: midway
Six months after Pearl Harbour, Japan would lose its first decisive battle of World War Two
Japanese commanders had planned to attack the American base Midway by surprise
American Intelligence, however, had become aware of Japanese plans
The Americans had a large number of aircraft carriers waiting and managed to severely damage the Japanese Navy
The Japanese lost
Four Fleet Carriers
332 Aircraft
Over 5000 sailors
Most importantly, due to their impressive victory at Midway, the Americans were now on the offensive

3. Crumbling of the Japanese empire
While the Battle of Midway had severely damaged the Japanese Navy, the Battle of the Leyte Gulf (October 1944) would make it virtually defeated
The United States would become the major Naval power of the Pacific and the Allies rapidly approached Japan
In January 1944, the Allies began liberating the Philippines and fighting would continue until the end of the war
Allied Casualties: 62,000
Japanese Casualties: 400,000
Despite heavy losses, Japanese soldiers had a “Death Before Surrender” policy and refused to surrender.

4. Death before surrender
In 1941 General Tojo issued the following statement : “Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave no ignominious crime behind you.”
The dishonour in surrender extended to civilians. During the Battle of Saipan, Allied soldiers were horrified to see Japanese women jumping off of cliffs with their babies
In the same battle, virtually all 30,000 Japanese soldiers died and 2 out of 3 civilians committed suicide
One soldier, Hiroo Onoda, continued to hide in a jungle in the Phillipines until March Only after his former Commanding Officer reversed his orders did he surrender

5. Kamikaze and bonzai Kamikaze (“Divine Wind”) Bonzai
Beginning in October 1944, American sailors began to witness Japanese Kamikaze attacks
In these attacks, Japanese pilots would fly specialised planes into boats causing both the plane and ship to explode
Whereas pilots would not live through the attack, only 19% of ships were actually hit
Bonzai
Banzai’s were suicidal charges by groups of Japanese infantry carried out on Allied forces

6. Battle of Okinawa
By April 1945, the War in Europe was over but the deadliest battle of the Pacific was just beginning
The Allies planned to invade the island of Okinawa, only 350 miles away from Japan
Okinawa, once captured, would be used as base in which to invade Japan from
The Allied invasion began on April 1, 1945

7. BATTLE OF OKINAWA
Okinawa saw 82 days of brutal warfare in horrific conditions
The Japanese had a sophisticated system of underground defence and fought ruthlessly
Despite these challenges, the Allied forces would secure the island by June 22, 1945
Losses on both sides were extremely heavy:
Allied Casualties: 48,000
Japanese Casualties: 70,000
Civilian Casualties: 100, ,000

8. The atomic bombs
Since 1942, over 100,000 scientists of the Manhattan Project had been working on creating the atomic bomb
Scientists worked in isolation away from one another not knowing the scope of the project they were working on
On July 16, 1945, President Harry Truman dropped the first successful test bomb in New Mexico
Although many military experts warned Truman not to, Truman felt dropping a bomb on Japan was necessary as:
Countless Americans were dying in Japan and an invasion of the Island would cost many American lives
Japanese were prepared to fight to the last man, if the Atomic bomb forced their surrender, many Japanese would be spared

9. The atomic bombs
On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later, the second atomic bomb “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki
Estimates of how many people died in the two cities range from 129,000 to over 250,000
Over 100,000 people died following the bombings due to radiation poisoning, a slow and painful process
As a result of the bomb, 90% of Hiroshima was completely destroyed

10. Japan surrenders
At noon on August 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s intent to surrender by a radio broadcast
In his announcement, Emperor Hirohito claimed the reason for his surrender was partly due to the devastating power of “a new and most cruel bomb”
On September 2, 1945, Japan had officially surrendered to the Allies and World War Two was over