1. The War in the Pacific
SS5H6: The student will explain the reason’s for America’s involvement in WWII. B. Describe major events in the war in both Europe and the Pacific; include Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, D-Day, VE and VJ Day, and the Holocaust. C Discuss President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

2. Midway
The Japanese badly damaged the US Pacific Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Things changed for Japan at the Battle of Midway.
Midway was a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean.
The US considered it important because it helped protect Hawaii and the was coast of the United States.
Japan’s leading admiral planned to attack while the US fleet was still weak.
The US defeated Japan and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.

3. Island Hopping/ Iwo Jima
The US military then used a strategy called island hopping.
US forces conquered one set of islands after another as they fought their war towards Japan.
One of the fiercest battles occurred on the island of Iwo Jima.
It took more then 100,000 US soldiers nearly a month to defeat a Japanese force of 25,000.

4. Island Hopping/ Iwo Jima
Japanese soldiers often believed that it was more honorable to fight to death rather than surrender.
One of the most famous images of war was that of US Marines raising and American flag over Iwo Jima.

5. The Atomic Bomb
Following Germany’s surrender, President Truman met with Churchill and Stalin in Potsdam, Germany.
There they issued the Potsdam Declaration.
It released the Allies’ (US, Great Britain, Russia) unconditional surrender.
Unconditional surrender meant that the Allies would set all of the rules for Japan’s surrender; Japan would have no say.

6. The Atomic Bomb In truth, Japan was ready to surrender.
They knew they could not keep the Allies from reaching Japan.
Japan’s leaders would not accept unconditional surrender.
They wanted a guarantee that Japan would still have an emperor after the war.
The Allies refused to listen

7. The Atomic Bomb During the war, US developed an atomic bomb.
It was the world’s first nuclear weapon.
When Japan refused to surrender unconditionally, Truman ordered the bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
On August 6, 1945, a US plane called Enola Gay dropped the bomb.
It destroyed Hiroshima.

8. The Atomic Bomb
Thousands of Japanese people were killed and thousands more died later from radiation caused by the explosion.
When Japan still delayed in surrendering, the President (Truman) ordered a second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.
The death and destruction forced Japan to surrender.

9. VJ Day
People in the United States celebrated VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day).
After the war, the US allowed Japan to keep its emperor.
Hirohito remained the emperor until his death in 1986.