World War II

1. World War II War in the Pacific

2. Event Effect • 1937-1941 Japan conquers China and creates empire in Asia and Pacific Islands • 1. Japan terrorizes Asian, Chinese and Korean peoples • Use as forced labor • Conduct medical experiments • Establish harsh colonial rule • 2. Brought Japan into conflict with US

3. “The day that will live in infamy” • December 7 1941 Japan attacks Pearl Harbor • Brought US into war with Allies • Set a tone for the war in the Pacific

4. Early Battles event effect • 1941-1942 US follows Germany first strategy • 1942 Bataan Death March • 1942 Battle of Midway • allows Japan to expand • Exposure of horrible conditions under Japanese • Angers US • Destroys key Japanese carriers and planes • Last Japanese advance

5. The Tide Turns event effect • 1943-1944 Island Hopping • 1944 US retakes Philippines • US recaptures islands • Bypass strong points • Move closer to Japan • symbolic victory of MacArthur • Gamble costs Japan nearly entire Naval fleet • First Kamikaze attacks seen

6. The Tide Turns event effect • 1945 Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa • Vital airbase on Iwo • Smaller planes in range of Japan • 2 of bloodiest battles of war and history • Expose the near fanatical resistance of Japanese

7. Strategic Bombing event effect • 1944-45 Fire bombing and large scale bombing of cities in Europe and Japan • Target industrial centers • Tokyo Japan • Obliterated cities • Killed hundreds of thousands of civilians • Accomplished little militarily • Created bitterness and anger

8. Hiroshima—Nagasaki event event • August 6, 1945 1st Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima • August 9, 2nd Bomb is dropped on Nagasaki • September 2, 1945 Japan formally surrenders ending WWII • The Nuclear War Age begins • Warfare changes forever • Ethics and motives are questioned • Ends the war