World War II Part II For 2,000 years Japan had never been defeated. There was no word for "surrender" in the Japanese dictionary. And although the Japanese government never believed it could defeat the United States, it did intend to negotiate an end to the war on favorable terms

War in the Pacific Rape of Nanking The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese troops against Nanking (China) 1937 Historians and witnesses have estimated that 250,000 to 300,000 people were killed.

War in the Pacific Japanese Empire – 1942

War in the Pacific Battle of Midway The Japanese fleet was taken by surprise by the American planes Forced the Japanese to assume a defensive strategy Midway is roughly equidistant between North America and Asia

winning territory from Japan “Island Hopping” winning territory from Japan

Nearing Japan Iwo Jima (March 1945) Okinawa (April 1945) Crucial for invading Japan 75,000 American casualties

The Manhattan Project Atomic bomb Albert Einstein prompted FDR to build the weapon J. Robert Oppenheimer scientist in charge of the project

What would you do? Soviet Union approaching from the West Japan would not surrender Fighting on Mainland Japan might cost One Million American lives.

Nagasaki In order to save American lives, Harry Truman decided to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima More than 60,000 dead from blast Nagasaki More than 35,000 dead from blast

surrendered to the Allies in August 1945 Emperor Hirohito surrendered to the Allies in August 1945 V-J Day http://www.history.com/videos/atomic-bomb-ends-wwII#atomic-bomb-ends-wwII

WW II Only two “Winners” United States: A – Bomb meant U.S. stood alone in Power Soviet Union: Emerged as a great power Helped found the United Nations