War in the Pacific
Objective: analyze the events that
occurred in the Pacific and how
Japan was defeated
What was the extent of Japanese
conquests by 1942?
Japanese launched attacks throughout
the Pacific at the same time as the attack
on Pearl Harbor.
 Bombed American airfields in the
Philippines
 Conquered parts of southeast Asia within
months

March, 1942 – MacArthur withdrew from
the Philippines to Australia
 US troops on Corregidor surrendered
shortly after MacArthur left. Endured
brutal Bataan Death March

How did the Allies turn the tide of
the war against Japan?
April, 1942 – Doolittle’s led air raid on
Japanese cities including Tokyo
 Air raid did little damage but shocked
Japanese leaders and boosted morale
for the Allies

Why was the Battle of Coral Sea
unique?
Battle of the Coral Sea – first time in
history, enemy ships fought each other
without seeing each other. Launched
war planes from aircraft carriers to fight.
 American’s blocked Japanese push
toward Australia

What was the turning point of the
war in the Pacific?
Battle of Midway – June, 1942
 US navy destroyed 4 Japanese carriers
and 250 planes

How did island hopping help the Allies gain
control in the Pacific?
Island hopping – invade islands that
were not heavily defended by the
Japanese. Use captured islands to
stage further attacks.
 Code Talkers – Navajo Indians
accompanied troops into battle and
helped them communicate safely.
Japanese could not break the code.

October, 1944 – Allied forces invaded
the Philippines. Allies won
 Japan increased use of new weapon
during this battle, kamikaze - suicide
pilots, but could not stop the Allied
advances

What was the military significance of the
invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa?
Early, 1945 – Japanese defenses
weakened
 Allies need to establish bases closer to
mainland to attack Japan
 Feb. 1945 – US marines invade Iwo
Jima
 April, 1945 – US marines invade
Okinawa

What was the purpose of the
Manhattan Project?
Manhattan Project – top-secret program
to build an atomic bomb
 Developed in a secret location in Los
Alamos, New Mexico

What prompted American officials to
use the atomic bomb?
Allies planned to invade Japan in Nov.,
1945
 American military leaders feared an
invasion might cost 200,000 American
lives
 Truman delivered an ultimatum to Japan
– surrender or face destruction

Japan would not surrender
 August 6, 1945 – atomic bomb dropped
on Hiroshima
 Killed more than 70,000 people; turned 5
square miles into a wasteland

August 9, 1945 – second atomic bomb
dropped on Nagasaki –killing another
40,000
 August 14, 1945 – Japan surrendered
 Sept. 2, 1945 – Japan signed official
letter of surrender aboard the US
battleship Missouri

Human Costs of WWII
Most destructive conflict in history
 More than 55 million died
 More than half were civilians
 About 28 million soldiers and civilians
died in the European Theatre
 About 27 million soldiers and civilians
died in the Pacific Theatre

About 322,000 Americans died, and
800,000 were wounded
 Soviet Union – at least 18 million people
died ; perhaps millions more
 Holocaust: about 6 million Jews died in
Nazi concentration and death camps


Atomic Bombs: bombs in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki killed between 115,000 and
194,000 people. Thousands more
suffered burns and illness caused by
atomic energy.
Summary
What was the strategy of island hopping,
and what was its purpose?
 What was the Manhattan Project?
 Why were the battles on the islands of
Iwo Jima and Okinawa significant to
Americans?
Activity suggestions: illustrate island
hopping; design announcement for the end
of the war
