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Ending the War with Japan

Ending the War with Japan. 1942-45, U.S. strikes ever closer to Japanese homeland Fighting gets more and more bitter / intense. New Commander In Chief. Harry S Truman, FDR’s Vice President Now faced with ending the war Knows very little about FDR’s plans. President Truman. Focus Question.

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Ending the War with Japan

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  1. Ending the War with Japan • 1942-45, U.S. strikes ever closer to Japanese homeland • Fighting gets more and more bitter / intense

  2. New Commander In Chief • Harry S Truman, FDR’s Vice President • Now faced with ending the war • Knows very little about FDR’s plans President Truman

  3. Focus Question • Why did the U.S. drop the atomic bomb on Japan?

  4. What has been the U.S. experience? • “The American people, in their righteous might … shall win through to absolute victory.” • FDR, December 8, 1941

  5. Operation Downfall

  6. Consequences of Downfall?

  7. Fatman and Littleboy • “Within four months we shall in all probability have completed the most terrible weapon ever known in human history, one bomb of which could destroy a whole city …” -Sec. of War Stimson to President Truman, April 25, 1945

  8. August, 1945: What now? • Seeking Japan’s surrender • July 1945 informed of successful test of the atomic bomb • Truman’s options seem to be … President Truman

  9. The Options

  10. What experts were saying • “We believe that a considerable portion of the Japanese population now consider absolute military defeat to be probable. … Although individual Japanese willingly sacrifice themselves [for Japan], we doubt that the nation as a whole has a strong sense of national survival.” -- Report from Combined British-American Intelligence Committee, July 8, 1945

  11. What experts were saying • “The military advantages and the saving of American lives achieved by the use of Atomic bombs may lead to a wave of horror and repulsion sweeping over the rest of the world … a demonstration of the new weapon might best be made … American could say to the world, ‘You see that sort of weapon we had but did not use.’” • –Franck Report, June 1945

  12. What the experts were saying • “The Japanese will continue the war until every man – perhaps every woman and child – lies face downward on the battlefield.” --Brines, Russell. Until They Eat Stones. 1944. (Best-seller) • “The unconditional surrender of Japan is essential if our plans for world peace are to succeed.” --Pres. Roosevelt, March, 1945.

  13. What the experts were saying • "Even though we may have to eat grass, swallow dirt, and lie in the fields, we shall fight on to the bitter end, ever firm in our faith that we shall find life in death“ -Japanese General Anami, 1945 “[six] Japanese divisions have [moved to the invasion site, their forces will] grow to the point where we attack on a ratio of one to one which is not the recipe for victory.“ -U.S. General Willoughby, July 1945

  14. Examine the arguments for and against each option. • Which option would YOU choose? • List strongest argument for it • List strongest argument against it • Which option is completely the opposite? • What is the strongest argument for it? • Is there any way you could be convinced to choose that?

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