1. Ending WW2 in the Pacific
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Ending WW2 in the Pacific

2. What is the price of victory?
Can the Price be TOO HIGH?

3. Japan: The Invincible Island
After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1942, Japan went on to conquer many areas of the Pacific.
Japan took control of roughly 1 MILLION square miles and 150 MILLION people
The Japanese were fierce fighters and their warrior culture forbid them from ever surrendering. They fought to the death.

4. Japan: The Invincible Island
Not only were the Japanese fierce fighters, but they were cruel to their prisoners.
Lt. John Spainhower, a POW, wrote:
“They took me outside and I was forced to watch as 6 of my soldiers were buried alive. They made them dig their own graves, then had them kneel in the pit. The guards hit them over the head with shovels and piled the earth on top”.
Source: World History Patterns of Interaction, pg 932

5. The United States Turns the Tide
General Mcarthur, the American General, in charge of the war in the Pacific began to turn the tide against the Japanese.
He ordered Allied Forces to ISLAND HOP across the Pacific past Japanese defenses.
Not all battles could be avoided and casualties were tremendous on both sides

6. A Secret Weapon is Born
Island Hopping, while successful, could not defeat the bulk of the Japanese military
Pres. Harry Truman was told by his advisors that an invasion of the main Japanese island would cost at least 500,000 American lives.
Truman had to make the most difficult decision, invade the island or use the most terrible weapon ever invented, the Atomic Bomb?

7. The Atomic Bomb was created by a top secret American program called the Manhattan Project.
The bomb uses radioactive uranium to cause a massive explosion.

8. Big Boy and Little Man
Truman made the decision to drop 2 atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On Aug. 6th 1945 the bomber plane Enola Gay dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima

9. The Bomb Drops At 8:16 am the first bomb was dropped.
The explosion was measured in the following ways:
Ground Temp: 7000 F
Wind: 980 miles/hr
Energy released: 20,000 tons of TNT
Buildings destroyed: 62,000
People killed: 70,000 instantly. 210,000 total

10. Destruction

11. Destruction

12. Japan Surrenders
Overwhelmed by the force of the atomic weapons, Japan surrenders.
The United States is joyous over the victory and celebrations break out all over the world

13. Victory & Celebration

14. Victory & Celebration

15. What is the Price of Victory?
Was the Atomic Bomb too high of a price?

16. The Victims of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

17. The Victims

18. The Victims

19. The Legacy
The United States is the ONLY country to ever use atomic weapons.
This creation would lead to a massive weapons buildup by many countries after WW 2
The threat of nuclear and atomic holocaust still is very real today.

20. Was the price of Victory too High?