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War in the Pacific. Preview. Think back to September 11, 2001. How did you feel when the Twin T owers and P entagon were attacked? (Boston Bombing-April 15, 2013) What were some of your immediate thoughts about the terrorist who committed this attack?
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Preview • Think back to September 11, 2001. How did you feel when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were attacked? (Boston Bombing-April 15, 2013) • What were some of your immediate thoughts about the terrorist who committed this attack? • Would you have enlisted in the military if the President had asked?
Pearl Harbor • Japan was mad at U.S. for interfering with expansion • Dec 7, 1941 – Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (Hawaii); U.S. declared war on Japan • Wanted to take out U.S. Navy so could freely conquer Dutch East Indies
Used planes to destroy 18 battleships and kill 2403 sailors in 2 hours • Pearl Harbor was not only U.S. naval based attacked – Japan also bombed US navy in Manila, Bataan, Corregidor, Wake Island, and Guam on its way to taking – in Pacific Ocean by June 1942 • Wanted “Asian for Asian” and hoped to stretch empire from Japan to Australia
War in the Pacific • USA Pacific forces led by Douglas MacArthur and Chester Nimitz fought to defeat Japan; needed to conquer Japanese-controlled island to get to Japan • May 1942 – Battle of Midway - first successful US defeat of Japanese navy
U.S. and Australian troops fought to defeat Japan; Japanese refused to surrender and fought to the man; made fighting for island difficult • August 1942 – Guadalcanal – 6 month land, air, sea battle; Japanese kamikaze (suicide) pilots bombed U.S. Ships and bases
Allies could never take all Japanese-controlled islands (too costly), so U.S. began island hopping strategy – capture some islands, skipped others; hoped to cut off Japanese supply lines and “starve” other Japanese-controlled islands • By 1945, U.S. won Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the worst fighting of Pacific War – U.S. suffered most marine causalities in these 2 island invasions
V-J • Needed these islands as bases to use for invasion of Japan • Despite heavy losses, Japan refused to surrender to Allies; continued to fight to last man and used suicide missions to kill as many Allies as possible • U.S. faced with decision; invaded Japan OR use new weapon – atomic bomb
Atomic Bomb secretly developed in New Mexico desert during Manhattan Project • August 6, 1945 – new U.S. President Harry Truman ordered drop of atomic bomb on Hiroshima; Japan issued no response; 2nd atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later
August 14, 1945 - Japan surrendered – Victory in Japan • World War II was over