Transcript The War in the Pacific

The War in the
Pacific
The Defeat of Japan
18.4
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
Historical:
 Opening of Japan to trade in 1853
 Period of Westernization
Current:
 Oil Embargo
 Freezing of Japanese assets in U.S.
First Action:
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Bombing of Pearl
Harbor on 12/7/41
Part of a coordinated
attack on U.S.
possessions in the
Pacific
Heavy damage to the
Pacific naval fleet
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The Philippines - 1942
BATAAN DEATH MARCH
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Japan captured 76,000
Filipinos and Americans
POWs
60 mile march w/o food or
water in tropical heat
Brutal treatment
At least 10,000 died
Violated the GENEVA
CONVENTIONS
The War at Sea . . .
First years of the war were primarily naval
 New fighting techniques:
1. Aircraft carriers
2. Opponents not within visual distance
3. Long range bombing from sea based
craft
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BATTLE of CORAL SEA - 1942
1st naval air battle
 50% equipment losses on both sides
 Technically a DRAW
 Blocked the invasion of Australia
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BATTLE of MIDWAY - 1942
JP commits most of navy to this battle
 US attack while JP is refueling
 4 JP carriers destroyed
 TURNING POINT in the PACIFIC
 JP now on the Defensive
 US on the Offensive
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BATTLE of GUADALCANAL - 1942
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1ST US Offensive
Capture the island where
Japan building an airfield
Huge land battle in the
jungle
Guerrilla style by the
Japanese snipers
Hint of the difficulties to
come with defeating the
Japanese
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ISLANDHOPPING – 1943
(Leapfrogging)
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Military strategy of selectively attacking specific
enemy-led islands and bypassing others
Too many islands to take back
Look for strategic importance
GOAL: Get into land-based bomber range of
Japan for carpet bombing
Continues into 1944
Retaking the Philippines . . .
General Douglas
MacArthur . . .
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“I shall return. . .”
Persuaded FDR to
retake them
“. . . I have returned.”
BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF - 1944
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Greatest naval battle in
World History
280 warships in 3 day
battle
First use of JP Kamikaze
pilots
JP navy destroyed
Land control took another
year as JP soldiers
resisted
Importance of the Philippines
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BATTLE of IWO JIMA - 1945
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Island hopping. . .
Bloody battle to
secure small island
Vastly outnumbered
the JP fought to the
last man (216 POWs)
25,000 US casualties
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BATTLE of OKINAWA - 1945
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Equally bloody
2000 kamikazes
Banzai charges
Last obstacle to a
land invasion of
Japan
Bloodiest battle
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INVADING JAPAN . . .
US ponders the cost of a land invasion
 Major decision in terms of troops and
money
 WHAT TO DO?
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FDR had died in April 1945
 Iwo Jima and Okinawa in June 1945
 Decision lies with Harry Truman