Characteristics
of the Pacific
War
• Soldiers will be
fighting in tough
environmental
conditions
– Intense heat
– Heavy rain
– Mud & Sand
• Battles involve large amphibious assaults on
islands
– Island Hopping Campaign
• Japanese will
initially
embrace
offensive
maneuvers
• defense-in-
• The Japanese do
not believe in
surrender
– Bushido Code
• The Japanese will use brutal tactics to achieve
goals and intimidate the enemy
– Civilian Deaths
– Mutilations/torture
– Banzai attacks
• Many Americans will reciprocate with equal
brutality as the war drags on
Sealing the Deal
• Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles of
the Pacific Theater
– For 74 days in the fall of 1944, US bombers and
warships launched more than 7,000 tons of
bombs and 20,000 shells on the island
– By February, marines invaded the beaches, but
every yard gained took time and men
– It took a
month to
root out the
25,000
Japanese
defending
the island,
and barely
200 would
be taken
alive
– ¼ of American marines died on the island, and
more Medals of Honor came from this battle
than any other in the entire war
Battle for Okinawa
• One month after Iwo Jima, American and
British troops invaded the island of Okinawa
• 2,000 kamikaze attacks against 1,300
• Kamikaze attacks would…
– Kill 5,000 US sailors and wound another 4,800
– Sink 13 destroyers
– Heavily damage 13 carriers, 10 battleships, 5
cruisers
– Lightly damage 50 destroyers
• 100,000 Japanese defenders vs. 180,000 Allied
troops…
• After 3 months of fighting, only 7,200
Japanese soldiers were still alive and over
100,000 civilians had been killed…
• …and now
nothing stood
in the way
between the
Allies and
Japanese
homeland
Manhattan Project
• Begun 1941 by FDR
• Creation of atomic weapons
• Involved facilities across the United States
– Los Alamos, New Mexico
– 120,000 people
• Heavily top-secret
– Secluded groups
– Pseudonyms
– Limited communication with outside world
– Military security
• Trinity Test
(Alamogordo, NM)
– July 1945
– 20,000 tons TNT
– 1-mile radius destroyed
– Public not notified
– Sand into glass
– Windows broken 100
miles away
• Little Boy (uranium)
– 9,700 lbs
– 10 ft x 28 in.
– 15,000 tons TNT
• Fat Man (plutonium)
– 10,800 lbs
– 10.8 ft x 60 in.
– 21,000 tons TNT
• 3rd plutonium
7 Ways to End the War
• 1. Install a naval blockade of Japan
– ADVANTAGES:
• Little loss of life
• Naval capability possible
– DISADVANTAGE:
• Involves a lot of
ships, fuel, and
24/7 monitoring
• It may not achieve
the desired result
• 2. Continue
conventional bombing:
– ADVANTAGES:
• No loss of life
• Big hit to Japanese morale
• DISADVANTAGES
– Could last a long time
– cost many resources
-- Hurts morale of pilots
• 3. Soften the Rules
of Surrender
– ADVANTAGES:
• Could avoid US occupation of the mainland
• Japan wants a surrender anyway (conditional)
• DISADVANTAGES:
– It will be hard
making peace with
fanatical military
leaders
– We already said we
wouldn’t do
conditional
surrender
– They don’t
“deserve” it
– Could increase will
of Japanese
government to
undermine
Americans
• 4. Wait for Soviet Union to invade Japan
• ADVANTAGES:
– Less loss of life for Americans
– More losses for Soviet Union
• DISADVANTAGES:
– It would be conducted
on Soviet terms
– It will allow Stalin to
have a say in
negotiations
• 5. Test the new-found weapon (atomic bomb)
on a nearby island
• ADVANTAGES:
– No loss of human life
– It is a warning
– It should intimidate Japan
• DISADVANTAGES:
– It could backfire
– It may give Japan
time to prepare
– Few intact cities
– Possible Japanese
interception
• 6. Invade Mainland Japan
• ADVANTAGES:
– Will definitely stop Japanese aggression
• DISADVANTAGES:
– Japanese military
still wants to
fight
– Estimated
63,000-290,000
US casualties
expected
– Japan still has 2
million soldiers
and equipment
• 7. Drop the Atomic
Bomb on the
mainland of Japan
• ADVANTAGES:
– Quick end
– Will save US lives
• DISADVANTAGES:
– Against moral grounds
– Some military personnel are
against its use