War in the Pacific

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War in the Pacific

• Chapter 25(3)

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The Battle of Midway
-Turning point in the Pacific. -Americans turn
back a Japanese invasion force headed for Hawaii.
-America goes on the offensive. -Beginning of
US Island Hopping.
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Guadalcanal

-Japans first defeat on land.

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Personal VoiceRalph G. martin (War correspondent)
Hell was red furry spiders as big as your fist,
giant lizards as long as your leg, leeches
falling from trees to suck blood, armies of white
ants with a bite of fire, scurrying scorpions
inflaming any flesh they touched, enormous rats
and bats everywhere, and rivers with waiting
crocodiles. Hell was the sour, foul smell of the
squishy jungle, humidity that rotted a body
within hours, stinking wet heat of dripping rain
forests that sapped the strength of any
man. -The GI War
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Leyte Island (Philippines)
-Japan introduces new tactic, kamikaze, or
suicide plane. -Battle lasted only 3 days -Last
time Japanese navy will play a major role in the
defense of Japan -424 kamikaze pilots destroy
16 ships damage 80 -Japan lost 3
battleships 4 aircraft carriers 13
cruisers 500 planes
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Second flag raised, larger and more dramatic
Rarely seen photo of the First flag raising at
Iwo Jima.
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Iwo Jima
an ugly, smelly glob of cold lava squatting in a
surly ocean. Author-William
Manchester -Thought to be the most heavily
defended spot on earth -Critical to the U.S. as a
base from which heavily loaded bombers might
reach Japan. -20,000 Japanese troops entrenched
in tunnels and caves/only 200 survived -70,000
marines converged on the tiny island/6,000 died
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Okinawa
-Last land battle before the island of
Japan. -Even fiercer opposition than Iwo
Jima -Japanese 110,000 died/Americans 7,600 die
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July 1945, Los Alamos, NM
The Manhattan Project (building of the atomic
bomb) -American Scientist-J. Robert Oppenheimer.
-600,000 Americans were involved in the project
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Personal Voice-J. Robert Oppenheimer(Describ
ing the first bomb test in New Mexico.)A few
people laughed, a few people cried, most people
were silent.
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August 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-Aug. 6th- Atomic bomb Little Boy over
Hiroshima -Aug. 9th- Atomic bomb Fat Man over
Nagasaki -200,000 die
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A Personal Voice -Yamaoka MichikoThey say
temperatures of 7,000 degrees centigrade hit
me.Nobody there looked like human beings.Humans
had lost the ability to speak. People couldnt
scream, It hurts! even when they were on
fire.People with their legs wrenched off.
Without heads. Or with faces burned and swollen
out of shape. The scene I saw was a living
hell. -quoted in Japan at War An Oral
History
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Tokyo Bay
-Hirohito/Japan formally surrender to General
Douglas MacArthur.
-Surrender ceremonies take place aboard the U.S.
battleship Missouri.
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Back in Europe Feb 1945, in Yalta
Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at the Yalta
Conference. Allied leaders made important
decisions about the postwar world.
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Three Different Approaches to the postwar world
and Germany
Stalin Favored a harsh approach. Wanted
Germany divided into occupation zones controlled
by Allied military forces so Germany could never
again threaten the Soviet Union. Churchill
Strongly disagreed with Stalin and his harsh
approach. Roosevelt Acted as the mediator.
Was willing to go along with Stalin for two
reasons 1. Hoped Soviet Union would join the
Allied forces against Japan 2. Wanted Stalins
support for a United Nations
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San Francisco (USA) April 1945
United Nations established.
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Nuremberg, Germany 1945-1949
-The Nuremberg Trials Nazi leaders are tried for
crimes against humanity.
-Established the principle that individuals are
responsible for their own actions even in times
of war.
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War Criminals on Trial, 1945-1949 1. Crimes
Against the Peace Planning and waging an
aggressive war 2. War Crimes Acts against
the customs of warfare, such as the killing of
hostages and prisoners, the plundering of private
property, and the destruction of towns and
cities3. Crimes against Humanity The murder,
extermination, deportation, or enslavement of
civilians.
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How did MacArthur reshape Japans
economy? -Introducing free-market practices
How did MacArthur help transform Japans
government? -New Constitution Womans
suffrage Free Elections/democratic
government The guarantee of basic freedoms