The War in the Pacific
Agenda
1. Bell Ringer: What is the message behind the following
poster? (5)
2. Lecture: War in the Pacific (20)
3. History in film, the Doolittle Raid (12)
4. Dr. Seuss and World War II (10)
5. Bataan Death March video clip (6)
6. Bataan Death March Comparison (15)
7. The impact of Pearl Harbor (10)
Please Note: Test is on Monday (8) and Wednesday (9-10)
Extra Credit: Review Guide (10) and Kahoot (5)
Attack on Pearl Harbor
• Partly caused by the
United States cutting off
oil shipments.
• Japanese believed that
the fleet at Pearl Harbor
had to be destroyed.
• 18 ships, and nearly
2,400 killed on December
7th, 1941.
• “A Day which will live in
infamy”
War in the Pacific
• By February, 1942,
the Japanese took
Singapore and
Burma, and most of
the islands in the
Pacific.
• Bataan Death March
– Forced march in the
Philippines that led to
the death of 80,000.
Doolittle Raid
• This was revenge for
Pearl Harbor.
• 16 B-25 bombers sent
from aircraft carriers to
bomb Tokyo.
• Little damage, but it
showed the United States
that we COULD attack.
Creates morale.
• Japanese call it the “donothing raid” to
strengthen country.
Turning Points
• Battle of the Coral Sea
stops the Japanese
Advance in 1942.
• Battle of Midway, 1942
– Nimitz was outnumbered
by Japanese ships and
planes.
– He waited for Japanese to
strike Midway, then he
attacked the Japanese
fleet, much like Pearl
Harbor.
– Japanese would keep
soldiers in quarantine, to
limit the devastating effect
of the battle.
General MacAuthur
• Begins Island-Hopping
Campaign past Japanese
strongholds and take
weaker islands closer to
Japan.
• Afterwards he would cut
supply lines to the islands
so Japanese troops
would either surrender or
starve.
• By 1943 the Japanese
were retreating. America
was winning the war in
the Pacific.
Japanese Warfare
• Kamikazi pilots and
samurai morals claim
there is no retreat, only
death.
• Japanese propaganda
would vilify Americans,
claiming they will kill
women and children upon
reaching the Japanese
islands.
• Civilians would commit
suicide instead of face
American capture.