Starring Captain America as: himself WWII-Final Victory Starring Captain America as: himself

War in the Pacific US needs to control the Pacific Ocean Island Hopping- capture of Japanese held islands while going around others. Midway-US planes sink 4 Japanese aircraft carriers, hurting the Japanese and preventing them from attacking Hawaii again

Big Wins Iwo Jima Okinawa 350 miles from the Japanese home islands

Japanese resistance Kamikaze- pilots who deliberately crash their own planes into Allied ships Why? Bushido - the code of the Samurai - undying, unquestioned loyalty to their emperor. Pride, honor, reputation are more important than life. Tradition of Hari - Kari - ritual suicide - only way to restore your honor. True honor and greatness is achieved through death in battle.

Japanese resistance (cont’d) Japanese soldiers refuse to surrender on many Pacific islands, fighting to the death. Japanese propaganda warns Japanese citizens that American soldiers will rape and murder the women and eat the babies if they are captured. Civilians on Saipan jump to their death from 200 foot cliffs rather than be captured. Last Japanese soldier surrenders in 1972 and only after receiving orders directly from his 90 year old former commander.

The Bomb-Why’d we do it? Based on tradition we didn’t think Japan would surrender. Invasion of Japan was estimated to cost more than 1 million US lives (3x the rest of the war) and up to 10 million Japanese soldiers and civilians. Show of force against the Soviet Union who would soon become our arch enemy.

Where did we get the bomb? 1939 - Albert Einstein warns President Roosevelt that German scientists could possibly create a weapon like this. US desires to have such a powerful weapon before a madman like Hitler. US creates a top secret program called the Manhattan Project. Costs the US 2 billion dollars.

Dropping bombs The bombs named Fat Man and Little Boy were made in different styles, one was Uranium, the other Plutonium. Each was equal to 40,000,000 pounds of TNT. Aug. 6th, 1945 - Hiroshima is bombed, Aug. 9th, Nagasaki is bombed. Approx. 100,000 people die instantly in each city. Almost 100,000 more die soon after in each city. Hundreds of thousands will die from radiation poisoning and Cancer. 98% of the cities are leveled.