Download The End of World War II

The
End of
the
War in
the
Pacific
Japanese Empire at Its Height
• 150 million people added to the Japanese
Empire
• How many did they start with- 71 million
U.S. Turned the Tide in 1942 and 1943
• U.S. productive capacity was significantly
greater than Japan’s
• The Japanese were stopped (Coral Sea),
beaten (Midway), and CRUSHED
(Marianas Turkey Shoot)
Japanese Total War Efforts
P-38
• Plane that can finally match the Japanese
‘Zero’
• Top U.S. ace  40 kills
Atoll Fighting-Not Fun
• Reefs
hamper
landing craft
• No place to
hide
• It’s hard to
imagine that
this type of
fighting would
be enjoyable
atoll…
The U.S.
Island
Hopped
Towards
Japan in
Two
Prongs
Nimitz coming from Central Pacific
MacArthur From Southern Pacific
Marianas Turkey Shoot
• Huge Battle Between Pretty Much All That Was
Left of the Japanese Navy and Naval Air Force
and an Even Bigger Force of U.S. Armada
• Japanese fighters were now outdated and their
experienced pilots were dead
• Stats
– 395 of 430 total Japanese naval aircraft shot down
– U.S. lost 130 planes, but over 80 of these crashed by
running out of fuel while fighting and being unable to
land on U.S. aircraft carriers
Japanese Civilians
• U.S. started to capture islands with
Japanese civilians living on them
• Civilians had been told by the Japanese
army that they would be raped and
tortured if they were to surrender
• Thus, U.S. forces watched as hundreds of
these civilians blew themselves up and/or
threw themselves off of cliffs
After Germany Fell, Surely Japan
Knew It Couldn’t Win
• However, main remaining hope was to
prevent an invasion of the home islands
and achieve a negotiated peace
• U.S. demanded unconditional surrender
– A big problem for the honor-loving Japanese
– Also, what would happen to the emperor?
• was seen as divine… schoolgirl supposed to avert
eyes
• what if the U.S. refuses to allow the emperor to
remain in power?
General Transition On Japanese
Islands from Banzai Attacks to
Defensive Struggles to the Last Man
• Bonzai attacks- wild charges at the enemy = death in glory
and bravery
– But not necessarily the most effective technique
• Defensive Struggle- Japanese will sell each life dearly
– The point is to make the casualty statistics change the U.S.’s
calculus regarding an invasion of the home islands
• Leads to incredible U.S. casualty numbers on Iwo and
Okinawa
• Kamikaze tactics are an offshoot of this new technique
– Also connected to the fact that the Japanese have few trained pilots
and inferior aircraft left
– Some buzz bombs (with pilots inside) were carried to the battlefield
on Japanese bombers, and dropped to be steered into shipsanother form of Kamikaze fighting
Kamikaze fighters
• “divine wind”
• Most trained pilots had been killed
• Japanese fighters had been outclassed by
newer U.S. fighters
Iwo Jima and Okinawa were the Last
Steps Before the Home Islands
• Okinawa is actually considered a part of Japan
proper, so that will add to the ferocity of its
defense
• 74 days of bombing to prep for Iwo Jima
landings
• U.S. military has reached productive capacity
– More troops and ships and equipment were
launched at Iwo (a few square miles) than the
U.S. used in the entire North African
campaign
• 1300 ships involved and ¼ of a million men
in Iwo invasion
Bombarding of Iwo and Okinawa did
Little Against Entrenched Positions
• Suribachi (high point on Iwo Jima) =
Sonuvabitchi due to its impregnable guns
and AA
• Both were incredibly bloody fights- digging
out an entrenched and fanatical enemy
• *Clip from ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’
The Atomic Bomb
• the Manhattan Project would eventually employ more
than 130,000 people and cost a total of nearly $2 billion
($20 billion in 2004 dollars)
• Irony of the fact that a great many of the U.S.’s scientists
were refugee European Jews
• Weapons weren’t ready until after V-E day…
• Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an effort to
prevent an invasion of the Japanese home islands…
• controversial decision, but only later- top U.S. officials
never wavered in its use
– Argued that the bomb saved lives, perhaps even Japanese lives
– Plus, we’ve spent billions on it. Why, if not to use it?
• the Japanese did surrender a few days after the second
bomb was dropped… the emperor himself came on the
radio (civilians hadn’t heard his voice before)
End of World War II
• August 15th, 1945
V-J day… allies occupied Japan
Hansen
Name ______________
The Pacific Front- The End of World War II
World War II
•
•
Japanese ___________________________
–
150 million people added to the Japanese Empire
–
How many did they start with- _____________
U.S. Turned the Tide ____________________________
–
U.S. productive capacity was _____________________
than Japan’s
–
The Japanese were stopped (______________), beaten
(____________), and CRUSHED (________________)
•
___________
•
Atoll Fighting-Not Fun
–
–
–
–
•
•
Japanese ______________
–
U.S. started to capture islands with Japanese civilians
living on them
–
Civilians had been told by the Japanese army that they
would be __________________ if they were to surrender
–
Thus, U.S. forces watched as hundreds of these civilians
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
•
After Germany Fell, Surely Japan ________________
___________________________________________
Plane that can finally match the Japanese ________
–
Reefs hampered landing craft
_______________________________
It’s hard to imagine that this type of fighting would be
enjoyable __________…
–
However, main remaining hope was to prevent ________
_________________________________________
islands and achieve a negotiated peace
U.S. demanded _______________________________
•
•
–
Marianas Turkey Shoot
–
–
–
Huge Battle Between Pretty Much ________________
___________________________________________
and Naval Air Force and an Even Bigger Force of U.S.
Armada
Japanese fighter planes were now ____________ and
their _______________________________were dead
Stats
•
•
A big problem for the ___________________ Japanese
Also, what would happen to the ___________?
–
•
General Transition On Japanese Islands from
________________ to Defensive Struggles ________________
–
Bonzai attacks- wild charges at the enemy = death in
______________________________
•
–
___________________ total Japanese naval aircraft
___________________
U.S. lost 130 planes, but over 80 of these
________________________________________
_________________________________________
and being unable to land on U.S. aircraft carriers
–
–
–
–
But not necessarily the most ___________ technique
Defensive Struggle- Japanese will sell _____________
_________________
•
•
was seen as __________… schoolgirl supposed to
avert eyes
what if the U.S. refuses to allow the emperor to
________________?
The point is to make the casualty statistics change the
U.S.’s calculus regarding ______________________
Led to incredible __________________________
numbers on Iwo and Okinawa
__________ tactics are an offshoot of this new technique
Also connected to the fact that the Japanese have few
______________________________________________
Some __________ (with pilots inside) were carried to the
battlefield on Japanese bombers, and dropped to be
steered into ships- another form of Kamikaze fighting
Kamikaze Fighters
–
–
–
_________________________
Most trained pilots had been____________
Japanese fighters had been ___________ by newer U.S.
fighters
•
Iwo Jima and Okinawa were _________________
_______________________________
•
Okinawa is actually considered a part of _________, so that will
add to the ______________________________________
–
–
_____________ of bombing to prep for Iwo Jima landings
U.S. military has reached ___________________________
•
More troops and ships and equipment were launched
at Iwo (a few square miles) than the U.S. used in the
entire ___________________________________
– ________ships involved and _____of a
million men in Iwo invasion
•
Bombarding of Iwo and Okinawa did Little Against Entrenched
Positions
–
Suribachi (high point on Iwo Jima) = _____________
due to its impregnable ____________________
–
Both were incredibly bloody fights- digging out an
_________________________________ enemy
–
*Clip from ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’
•
The Atomic Bomb
–
–
–
–
–
the _________________________ would eventually
employ more than ___________ people and cost a total
of nearly ___________ (_________________ in 2004
dollars)
Irony of the fact that a great many of the U.S.’s scientists
were refugee ______________________
Weapons weren’t ready until after __________…
Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an effort to
prevent an _________________________________
__________________________________________…
controversial decision, but only _______- top U.S.
officials _____________________________________
•
•
–
•
Argued that the bomb saved lives, perhaps even
___________________________________
Plus, we’ve spent billions on it. Why, _________
____________?
the Japanese did ____________ a few days after the
second bomb was dropped… the ________________
came on the radio (civilians hadn’t heard his voice
before)
End of ______________
–
–
August 15th, 1945
______________… allies occupied Japan