Timeline December 7 1941 Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor

Timeline • • • December 7, 1941 - Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. December 8, 1941 - U. S. and Britain declare war on Japan. January 7, 1942 - Japanese attack Bataan in the Philippines. April 3, 1942 - Japanese attack U. S. and Filipino troops at Bataan. April 10, 1942 - Bataan Death March begins as 76, 000 Allied POWs including 12, 000 Americans are forced to walk 60 miles under a blazing sun without food or water toward a new POW camp, resulting in over 5, 000 American deaths. May 5, 1942 - Japanese prepare to invade Midway and the Aleutian Islands June 4 -5, 1942 - Turning point in the war occurs with a decisive victory for the U. S. against Japan in the Battle of Midway. August 6, 1945 - First Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima. August 9, 1945 - Second Atomic Bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. August 14, 1945 - Japanese accept unconditional surrender.

Hideki Tojo General Tojo Hideki (1848 -1948) was the wartime leader of Japan’s government during the Pacific war and World War II. He served under Japan’s Emperor Hirohito. • He was nicknamed “Razor Tojo” because of his bureaucratic efficiency. He was said to have climbed the command ladders, in close association with the army faction seeking to upgrade and improve Japan’s fighting capabilities. • He was responsible for : -playing a key role in opening hostilities against China -pushing for alliance with Germany and Italy, and he supporting the formation of a broad political front of national unity. -giving final approval on the attacks on the United States, Great Britain, and the Dutch East Indies in December 1941. -asserting his personal responsibility for the war in attempt to deflect attention from the emperor. • He served as both prime minister and army minister, and this gave him the responsibility of managing home affairs, such as responsibility over the police, education, munitions, commerce, and industry. • Despite all his posts, Tojo was never able to establish a dictatorship like Adolf Hitler's. • After the island Saipan in Japan fell he was forced from power, he tried to attempt suicide when Japan surrendered. Instead he was tried and hanged as a war criminal on December 23, 1948. •

Japanese Military Strategies and Battles! • The Japanese plan was to win a quick victory over the powers who could stop them from gaining control of the Pacific. • Kamikaze: “special attack unit” -suicide attacks -Japanese planes, loaded with explosives , bombs , torpedoes, and full fuel tanks • Battle of Midway -most important naval battle of World War II -Japanese attempted to capture the island of Midway but were thwarted by the U. S. -turning point, led to the final phase of the war • Battle of Okinawa “Operation Iceberg” -largest amphibious assault in the Pacific during World War II -U. S. campaign of island hopping lead the U. S. to victory

Pearl Harbor • • • On December 7 th, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy led a surprise attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii The attack was by 353 Japanese fighters , bombers, and torpedo planes and was launched in two waves from six aircraft carriers The United States lost 188 aircraft, all eight of its U. S. Navy battleships were damaged with four being sunk, 2402 Americans were killed and 1282 were wounded, but the important base installations were not attacked or destroyed The Japanese only lost 29 aircraft, five midget submarines, and 65 of its servicemen were killed or wounded The following day, the United States declared war on Japan FDR said of the surprise attack that it was , ”A date which will live in infamy!” This attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on the United States was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions made by Japan against other countries, but all it served to do was to lead the United States into WWII This attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the biggest causes for the United States entry into WWII Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamato later supposedly said of the attack on pearl Harbor that “ I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve. ”

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki • • • On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb created by the United States called “Little Boy”, was dropped from a B-29 bomber plane onto the city of Hiroshima, Japan which wiped out 90% of the city and immediately killed 80, 000 people. What led to the bombing of Hiroshima was the Japanese rejection of the Allies demand for surrender in the Potsdam Declaration. The Manhattan Project took place to create the first atomic bomb. US President Henry S. Truman decided to use the bomb on Japan to end the war quicker so no more casualties would occur. However, after the incident at Hiroshima the Japanese still refused to surrender so a second atomic bomb called “Fat Man” was dropped onto the city of Nagasaki. “Fat Man” was supposed to be more powerful than “Little Boy”, but the topography of Nagasaki reduced the bomb’s effect. On August 15, 1945 Emperor Hirohito announced the Japanese surrender on a radio address. Victory-Japan Day was celebrated among the US and other Allies nations. The former surrender agreement was signed on September 2, 1945 on a US aircraft Missouri.

Pacific Theater In order to end WWII, was it necessary for the United States to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?