War Without Mercy: The Pacific Theater Created by Prof. John Tucker (ECU) & John Johnson (HCHS)

US Aid

December 7, 1941: “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”

War in the Pacific: Island Hopping

American Commanders Gen. Douglas MacArthur U.S. Army Adm. Chester Nimitz U.S. Navy

Farthest Japanese Advance

Important Battles Invasion of Philippines, 1941 – Japanese seize control; Bataan death march Coral Sea, 1942 – Stopped Japanese expansion in South Pacific Midway, 1942 – Stopped Japanese expansion in mid-Pacific Guadalcanal, 1943 – First major landing of U.S. troops… island hopping Leyte Gulf, 1944 – Major defeat for Japanese navy, U.S. liberation of Philippines Iwo Jima & Okinawa, – Small islands close to Japan, kamikaze attacks, bomber bases!!!

Kamikaze – “Divine Wind”

The Manhattan Project: Developing the Atomic Bomb

Incendiary Bombing – Japanese cities were devastated by fire- bombing raids Incendiary bombs: meant to demoralize and cause mass destruction – “total war” Total casualties from incendiary bombings: −241,000 killed −313,000 wounded

F.D.R. approved the development of the atomic bomb – “Manhattan Project” died April 12, 1945

Harry S. Truman VP for less than 3 months Knew nothing about the development of the atomic bomb Saw the atomic bomb as a way to save American lives

Atomic Politics Potsdam Conference (July 1945) −Japan was clearly defeated, but would not surrender −U.S., U.K. and K.M.T. China call for unconditional Japanese surrender −Japanese military refused to surrender, hoping that U.S.S.R. would help with a diplomatic settlement The Manhattan Project −Robert Oppenheimer and Los Alamos −Trinity test explosion

Oppenheimer & Los Alamos

General Leslie Groves “The Atomic General” saw use of atomic bomb as a preferable to Soviet entry into the Pacific war

The Two Atomic Bombs August 6, 1945, 8:15 am Hiroshima – “Little Boy” bomb −one bomb: 100,000 dead immediately 100,000 more dead in five years August 9, 1945, 11:02 am Nagasaki – “Fat Man” bomb −one bomb: 70,000 dead immediately 70,000 more dead in five years

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

Effects of the Atomic Bomb temperature at hypocenter: 5,400° F “a silent flash” to close observers, resulting in death or severe burns black rain massive fire long term effects – “radiation sickness,” blood and bone cancers, miscarriages, birth defects, lesions, etc.

V-J Day: Surrender & Occupation

V-J Day – Times Square, NY

U.S. Occupation of Japan