War Without Mercy: The Pacific Theater Mr. Johnson U.S. History & World History Created by Prof. John Tucker (ECU) & John Johnson (HCHS)

Objectives N.C. Standard Course of Study World 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 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 China Sino-Japanese War,

“Rape of Nanjing”

Mao Zedong & Chiang Kai-Shek

US Aid

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

FDR’s Pearl Harbor Address Click here Click here for text and audio of the address

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

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!!!

Desperation: Kamikaze & Kaiten

Kaiten – “Shaking of the Heavens”

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

Incendiary Bombing – 1945 Tokyo51% Tokohama58% Toyama99% Nagoya40% Osaka35% Kure42% Kobe56% Omuta36% Wakayama50% Okayama69% Nishinomiya12% Shimonoseki38% Kawasaki35% Yawata21% Kagoshima63% Amagasaki19%

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

July 16, 1945, 5:29:45 am First man-made atomic explosion “Trinity” “I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.” -Oppenheimer

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

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 −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