The United States in World War II Chapter 17 Section 3 The War in the Pacific

The Japanese Tide While the Allies agreed the defeat of the Nazis was their first priority, they did not wait until V-E Day to move against Japan Attack on Pearl Harbor had missed the Pacific Fleet’s submarines and aircraft carriers

Japanese Advances First six months after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese conquered an empire that dwarfed the Third Reich –Asian Mainland Malaya, Hong Kong, French Indochina, Burma, Thailand and much of China –South and East Pacific Dutch East Indies, Guam, Wake Island, The Solomon Islands and two islands in the Aleutian Chain (part of Alaska)

The Asian Pacific

The Aleutians

Japanese Advances continued… Philippines: 80,000 American and Filipino troops battled the Japanese for control Douglas MacArthur was in command of Allied forces on the Islands Forces found themselves with their backs against the wall Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave “I shall return”

Doolittle’s Raid Spring of 1942, the tide began to turn against the Japanese Raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led 16 bombers in the attack Pearl Harbor style air raid that lifted American’s spirits “Tokyo Bombed! Doolittle Do’od It!”

Battle of the Coral Sea Main Allied forces in Pacific were Americans and Australians May 1942 stopped Japanese drive toward Australia Five day battle Air battles that took off from enormous aircraft carriers Japanese invasion had been stopped and turned back

Early War in the Pacific

Battle of Midway Island northwest of Hawaii Broke Japanese code Chester Nimitz commander of naval forces in Pacific In June 1942 his scout planes found the Japanese fleet Sent dive bombers and torpedo planes to attack Japanese caught with their planes still on the decks of their carriers

Battle of Midway continued… Lost four aircraft carriers, a cruiser and 250 planes “Avenged Pearl Harbor” Turning point of the Pacific War “Island hopping” winning back territory from the Japanese moving closer to Japan

Battle of Midway

The Allies Go On Offense 19,000 troops stormed Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands “Island of Death” after Japanese defeated –White ants, scorpions, crocodiles, rats and bats everywhere Marked first land defeat of Japanese October 1944, 178,000 Allied troops converged in the Philippines on Leyte Island MacArthur, “People of the Philippines, I have returned.”

Guadalcanal

The Japanese Defense Japanese threw their entire fleet into the Battle of Leyte Gulf New tactic kamikaze: suicide plane attack in which Japanese pilots crashed their bomb-laden planes into Allied ships (divine wind) In Philippines, 424 kamikaze pilots, 16 ships destroyed and 80 damaged Battle of Leyte Gulf was a disaster for Japan –Lost 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 500 planes

Kamikazes

Iwo Jima “Sulfur Island” Critical to US base and most heavily defended spot in Pacific 20,700 Japanese troops entrenched in tunnels and caves 6,000 marines died Only 200 Japanese survived Mount Suribachi and the “photograph”

Iwo Jima

Battle for Okinawa April 1945, US Marines invaded Okinawa 1900 kamikaze attacks, sinking 30 ships, damaging 300 more and killing nearly 5,000 seamen Fiercer opposition than Iwo Jima By the time the fighting ended, 7,600 Americans and 110,000 Japanese had died Two Japanese generals committed suicide over the shame of surrendering Okinawa had given Allies a chilling foretaste of what the Allies imagined an invasion of Japan’s home islands would be…

Iwo Jima and Okinawa

The Atomic Bomb Allied leaders feared invasion of Japan would be a desperate struggle The Manhattan Project: Development of the atomic bomb by American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer At its peak more than 600,000 Americans were involved in the project, although few knew its purpose First test in July 1945 in New Mexico

The Atomic Bomb continued… Should Truman use the bomb to end the war? US told Japan they face “prompt and utter destruction unless they surrender at once” August 6, 1945 The Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber released an atomic bomb (Little Boy) over Hiroshima, an important military center 43 seconds later almost every building in the city collapsed into dust Three days later, Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki 200,000 people died from the blast and radiation poisoning Japan formally surrenders

The Atomic Bomb

Japan Surrenders

Rebuilding Allies turn to challenge of rebuilding war-torn nations The Yalta Conference February 1945 –Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill meet to discuss the fate of Germany –Stalin favored a harsh approach; divide Germany into occupation zones –Churchill strongly disagreed; Roosevelt mediated –Needed to Stalin to help with war in the Pacific and support for the peace-keeping organization (to be named United Nations)

Rebuilding continued… Series of compromises at Yalta Temporary division of Germany into four zones to be controlled by the French, British, Americans and Soviets Stalin promised free elections in Soviet- occupied Eastern European countries Stalin agreed to help in the Pacific and participate in international peace-keeping conference in San Francisco (UN)

Yalta Conference

Nuremberg War Trials The discovery of the death camps led the Allies to put 24 surviving Nazi leaders on trial for their Crimes Against Humanity Trials held in southern German town of Nuremberg; called Nuremberg Trials See passage on pg 586 of text 12 of 24 sentenced to death Nearly 200 more found guilty of war crimes after Some Nazis went free; Simon Weisenthal (Nazi hunter) Precedent that individuals are responsible for their own actions, even in times of war

Nuremberg Trials continued…

The Dachau Trials

Occupation of Japan Under General Douglas MacArthur 1,100 Japanese under Tojo were arrested and put on trial 7 were sentenced to death (including Tojo) Seven year occupation, MacArthur reshaped Japan’s economy, helped create a new constitution that provided women’s suffrage and implemented a sound democracy Constitution is still called “MacArthur’s Constitution”

World War II Ends