Transcript World War II In The Pacific

World War II In The
Pacific
The Nuts and Bolts of World War
II in the Pacific Theater
Things We Already Know
• Japan, Germany, and Italy made up the
Axis powers
• Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941
• The United States Navy at Pearl Harbor
was severely damaged
• The United States entered WWII by
declaring war on Japan on
December 8,1941
Japan Advances 1941-1942
• Japan invades the
Philippines, U.S.
forces retreat
• General MacArthur
vows to return
• 76,000 Americans
become P.O.W.s
• Bataan Death March
• Battle of the Coral
Sea
American Strategy
• American leaders: General Douglas MacArthur and
Admiral Chester Nimitz
• Two pronged assault on Japanese held islands
• Island Hopping- Attacking important enemy held islands,
and “Hopping” over less important ones
Island Hopping
Turning Point: Midway
• Japan wanted to
destroy the rest of the
American Navy
• They knew the U.S.
would defend Midway
at all costs
Turning Point: Guadalcanal
• 11,000 marines
landed in August
1942
• Japanese resistance
was heavy
• This was the first
taste of jungle warfare
for American soldiers
MacArthur Returns
October 1944 160,000
American soldiers land on
Leyte island
The battle for the
Philippines would go on
until June 1945
Battle of Leyte Gulf- Largest
Naval battle ever – 280
warships
“Divine Wind” - Kamikazes
Iwo Jima
• After naval and air
bombardment, marines
stormed the beaches February
1945
• After 3 days only 700 yards
were gained
• It took over a month, and
25,000 American lives to take
Iwo Jima
• Iwo Jima is only 14 sq/miles
• Only 216 prisoners were taken
• “Uncommon Valor was a
Common Virtue”
• 2026-204.mov
Okinawa
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Last obstacle between U.S. forces and Japan
1,300 warships, and 180,000 troops
Battle lasted 3 months, and cost 50,000 American lives
Kamikaze and Banzai attacks
Manhattan Project
• During the war a secret project
was started
• Purpose – Build a bomb never
before seen
• Important people- Einstein,
Oppenheimer, Fermi
• July 16, 1945 – Trinity Test in
New Mexico
• This test shattered windows
125 miles away!
• Oppenheimer “I have become
death the destroyer of worlds”
Dropping the bomb
• Japan would not
surrender
• An invasion of Japan may
kill over 1 million
Americans, and many
more Japanese
• Truman decides to use
his new weapon
• August 6, 1945 –
Hiroshima
• August 9, 1945- Nagasaki
V-J DAY!!!!
• August 14, 1945 Japan surrenders
• August 15, 1945 V-J Day
• Formal Surrender took place on
September 2, 1945 onboard the U.S.S.
Missouri in Tokyo Bay
• This act officially ended WWII
• Most of Europe was utterly devastated
• Japanese cities lay in Ruins
WWII WAR DEATHS
• Germany- 3,250,000 + 2,350,000
• Italy- 226,900 + 60,000
• Japan- 1,740,000 + 393,400
France- 122,000 + 470,000
England- 305,800 + 60,600
United States- 405,400
U.S.S.R.- 11,000,000 + 6,700,000
***Does not include victims of the Holocaust***