War Without Mercy: The Pacific Theater Mr. Johnson U. S War Without Mercy: The Pacific Theater Mr. Johnson U.S. History & World History Focuses on Japan and US, not war in Asian mainland Created by Prof. John Tucker (ECU) & John Johnson (HCHS)

Objectives N.C. Standard Course of Study World History U.S. History Objective 5.03 – Analyze the causes and course of World War II and evaluate it as the end of one era and the beginning of another U.S. History Objective 10.02 - Identify military, political, and diplomatic turning points of the war and determine their significance to the outcome and aftermath of the conflict.

The War in the Pacific Note that Japan did occupy a few of the Aleutian islands (future state of Alaska)

The War in China Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Invasion of Manchuria

“Rape of Nanjing”

Political cartoon (1937) on the invasion of China

Mao Zedong & Chiang Kai-Shek

Stimson Doctrine

US Aid

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

FDR’s Pearl Harbor Address “A date which will live in infamy”

Chain of Events Pearl Harbor attack U.S. declares war on Japan Germany & Italy declare war on U.S. U.S. declares war on Germany & Italy U.S. is fully involved in WWII

U.S. Enters the War Allied strategy: “Germany first”

Japanese Blitzkrieg, 1941-1942

U.S. as a “Paper Tiger”

War in the Pacific: Island Hopping Purpose of island hopping was not to systematically clear Japanese troops off of all occupied territories; it was to establish forward air bases for the bombing of Japan into submission

American Commanders Gen. Douglas MacArthur U.S. Army Adm. Chester Nimitz U.S. Navy MacArthur: “I shall return”

Farthest Japanese Advance Note that Japan did occupy a few of the Aleutian islands (future state of Alaska)

Important Battles Invasion of Philippines, 1941 – Japanese offensive; Bataan death march killed many American POWs Coral Sea, 1942 – Stopped Japanese expansion in South Pacific Midway, 1942 – Turning point of the war, ended Japanese naval superiority Guadalcanal, 1943 – First major landing of U.S. troops… island hopping strategy Leyte Gulf, 1944 – Major defeat for Japanese navy, U.S. liberated Philippines Iwo Jima & Okinawa, 1944-1945 –Small islands close to Japan, kamikaze suicide attacks, new airfields = bombing raids 1 2 3 4 5 6

“Miracle at Midway” Japanese aircraft carrier destroyed at Midway

Landing at Iwo Jima

Desperation: Kamikaze & Kaiten

Kaiten – “Shaking of the Heavens” a.k.a. “suicide torpedoes” Rarely used and largely ineffective compared to normal torpedoes All kaitens were designed to be launched from either the deck of a surface ship or the deck of a submerged submarine. Provision was made for the crew to enter the kaiten from the submarine while submerged. Having a very limited depth capability themselves, when carried on a submarine deck the kaitens similarly restricted the diving depth of the submarine itself. Because of this, as well as the fact that the kaiten would have to be launched within a close distance to the target, they were easy prey for US fighter planes as they approached. This is one of several factors blamed for the very poor survival rate of submarines using them, eight submarines being lost while sinking only two enemy ships and damaging some others. A submarine carried from three to six kaitens. Kaiten means shaking/turning of the heavens; it is also a rolling move in martial arts

Kamikaze – “Divine Wind”

Embargo & Sub Warfare a.k.a. “suicide torpedoes” Rarely used and largely ineffective compared to normal torpedoes All kaitens were designed to be launched from either the deck of a surface ship or the deck of a submerged submarine. Provision was made for the crew to enter the kaiten from the submarine while submerged. Having a very limited depth capability themselves, when carried on a submarine deck the kaitens similarly restricted the diving depth of the submarine itself. Because of this, as well as the fact that the kaiten would have to be launched within a close distance to the target, they were easy prey for US fighter planes as they approached. This is one of several factors blamed for the very poor survival rate of submarines using them, eight submarines being lost while sinking only two enemy ships and damaging some others. A submarine carried from three to six kaitens. Kaiten means shaking/turning of the heavens; it is also a rolling move in martial arts

Estimated U.S. casualties: 500,000-1,000,000 Operation Downfall a.k.a. “suicide torpedoes” Rarely used and largely ineffective compared to normal torpedoes All kaitens were designed to be launched from either the deck of a surface ship or the deck of a submerged submarine. Provision was made for the crew to enter the kaiten from the submarine while submerged. Having a very limited depth capability themselves, when carried on a submarine deck the kaitens similarly restricted the diving depth of the submarine itself. Because of this, as well as the fact that the kaiten would have to be launched within a close distance to the target, they were easy prey for US fighter planes as they approached. This is one of several factors blamed for the very poor survival rate of submarines using them, eight submarines being lost while sinking only two enemy ships and damaging some others. A submarine carried from three to six kaitens. Kaiten means shaking/turning of the heavens; it is also a rolling move in martial arts Estimated U.S. casualties: 500,000-1,000,000

The Manhattan Project: Developing the Atomic Bomb

Incendiary Bombing – 1945 66 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

Incendiary Bombing – 1945 Tokyo 51% Tokohama 58% Toyama 99% Nagoya 40% Osaka 35% Kure 42% Kobe 56% Omuta 36% Wakayama 50% Okayama 69% Nishinomiya 12% Shimonoseki 38% Kawasaki 35% Yawata 21% Kagoshima 63% Amagasaki 19%

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) The Manhattan Project 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

“I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.” July 16, 1945, 5:29:45 am First man-made atomic explosion “Trinity” “I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.” -Oppenheimer Only three weeks later, an atomic explosion would decimate Hiroshima

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

Bomb Directive Selected targets: Hiroshima Kokura Niigata Nagasaki Cities relatively undamaged by previous bombing raids were selected Kyoto, the cultural and historical capital of Japan, was originally considered as a target, but bombing Kyoto was ultimately rejected as a potential trigger of further Japanese resistance.

Tongues of Fire: Hiroshima & Nagasaki

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 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. Blast was immediately fatal for many people at up to two miles from hypocenter Black rain – as the vaporized water accumulated in the atmosphere, it condensed around debris particles and fell back to earth as a “black rain”, giving an injection of radiation into the bodies of the victims upon whom it fell Spreading of fires was due to convection system created by the heat of the explosion

Items recovered from Hiroshima – 8:15 – watch stopped at time of bombing

The only buildings which survived the blast were those that had been “earthquake-proofed”

V-J Day: Surrender & Occupation

Japanese officials on deck of USS Missouri

V-J Day – Times Square, NY

U.S. Occupation of Japan