CHAPTER 7: JAPAN’S DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR II

THE WORLD

IN CRISIS

Bombing of Hiroshima

(http://www.history.com/topics/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/videos#atomic-bomb)

Play this video clip for the students and then ask them this question:• How important do you think the

dropping of the atomic bomb was on Japan’s defeat in World War II?

CHAPTER 7: JAPAN’S DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR II

The video contains graphic material, and may not be suitable for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Iwo Jima (Letters of Iwo Jima trailer)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g65ewJJ1USc

)

Play this video clip for the students and then ask them these questions:• What does it show about the

Japanese attitude towards defending the island of Iwo Jima?

• What does the video show about the Japanese perspective on the war?

How far do you agree that the defeat of Japan could only have been brought about by the dropping of the atomic

bomb?

CHAPTER 7: JAPAN’S DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR II

Brief Summary of Pacific War

Japan Sweeps into SEA

0Attack on Pearl Harbour coordinated with advance into SEA.

01941 – Hong Kong, Malaya, Philippines & Burma fell01942 – Singapore & Dutch East Indies fell0Thailand signed alliance with Jp to avoid being

conquered0French Indo-China became Jp ally as well. 0SEA came under Jp control by 1942

Japanese strategy

0Jp believed that its quick and early successes would convince Allies to negotiate for peace

0Thought that US would be unwilling to pay price of long and total war

0Underestimated US determination to fight back; Pearl Harbour attack united US in bitter hatred of Jp

The Tide Turns…

0America rebuilt Pacific Fleet & was out for revenge.

0Naval battle at Midway saw America cripple Jp Navy.

0U.S. marines began the “island-hopping” strategy hatched by Admiral Chester Nimitz

American navy wins a decisive battle against the Jp at the Pacific island of Midway

By early 1945…

0Allied forces had retaken Philippines, fighting to retake Burma, & preparing to retake Malaya.

0Island hopping brought U.S. marines within striking range of Japan.

General Douglas Macarthur – “I have returned!”

Approaching Japan

0Costly battles at Iwo Jima & Okinawa convinced Americans that invasion of Japan would result in high casualties.

0Jp kamikaze tactics showed desperation

0The solution?

The iconic American flag raising at Iwo Jima. The battle gave the U.S. marine corps its highest casualty rate in any battle in history.Kamikaze plane in

action

Truman drops the Bomb

Top & left: Hiroshima flattened.

Right: Radiation burns from survivors

Aftermath0Emperor Hirohito declares

unconditional surrender0Jp came under American

occupation0Hirohito absolved from blame.0Tojo & many Jp tried &

executed for war crimes.0Jp becomes staunch U.S. ally in

Cold War

Hirohito with Macarthur, who was the Supreme Allied Commander for occupation forces in Japan.

Key reasons for Japan’s defeat

0Strengths of USA0Over-extension of Japanese Empire0Resistance to Japanese rule0Allied victory in Europe0Dropping of the atomic bomb

Strengths of the USAEconomic strengthContribution of women to

war effortMilitary strength

CHAPTER 7: JAPAN’S DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR II

Battle of Midway.

Economic strength

0US – largest industrial producer in the world with abundant raw materials

0Jp had only one-tenth the productive capacity of US

0US able to produce more ships, planes, tanks, guns and bombs than Jp

Military production by Jp and US during WW2(Source 7.2 on p.194)

Japan USA

Aircraft 76,000 324,000

Carrier battleship 18 30

Artillery 13,000 257,000

Tanks 2,500 88,000

Guns 380,000 2.6million

Economic strength

0US submarines sank more than 75% of Jp merchant ships, crippling Jp supplies of raw materials

0US bombing destroyed Japanese homes and factories

01945 – Jp ppl starving & facing collapse of industrial production

Contribution of women to war effort

0US women made significant contribution to war effort

0Worked in factories to produce weapons and military supplies

0 Jp women stayed at home to fulfill role of mother and child-bearer

Military strength

0US was still militarily strong enough to fight back despite Pearl Harbour attack

0Three US aircraft carriers survived as they were not at harbor during attack

0Jp also failed to destroy fuel storage & maintenance facilities – this enabled US to rebuild Pacific Fleet and retaliate later

Military strength

0Three key events illustrated US military strength:

0Doolittle Raid (Apr 1942)

0Battle of Coral Sea (May 1942)

0Battle of Midway (June 1942) – decisive battle that severely weakened Jp air and sea capabilities; turning point in Pacific War

0Read pp.196-197 for details

Battle of Midway

0 Jp wanted to destroy what was left of US fleet in final battle

0Once US fleet destroyed, Jp could use Midway to threaten Hawaii and US Pacific coast

0Yamamoto assembled a huge fleet and confident of victory

American navy won a decisive battle against the Jp at the Pacific island of Midway

Battle of Midway

0US broke Jp naval codes

0After withstanding the first Jp strike, US bombers attacked Jp fleet while Jp planes were refueling

0 Jp lost 4 aircraft carriers, over 300 planes and their best trained pilots

American navy won a decisive battle against the Jp at the Pacific island of Midway

Over-extension of Japanese Empire

0 Jp Empire had overstretched itself

0Rapid conquests gave Jp too large an area to control

0 Jp struggled to defend its massive empire due to its limited resources and manpower

0 Jp also had to fight on many fronts – China, SEA, Pacific – due to vastness of its empire

How do you defend an empire as large as this?

Island-hopping

0US forces began ‘island-hopping’ campaign

0Aim was to leapfrog across the Pacific by capturing strategically important islands one by one until they reached Jp

0Guadalcanal Marianas Islands Philippines Iwo Jima Okinawa bloody fighting and severe casualties on both sides (Read p.199 for details)

Kamikaze attacks

0From 1944, Jp resorted to kamikaze attacks in their desperate attempts to defend their territories

0Suicide missions by Jp pilots against Allied ships

0Sank 21 US ships; more than 5000 Americans killed – too little too late to reverse situation

0Strengthened US resolve to bring about quick end to the war to minimize losses

Resistance to Japanese rule

0 Jp brutality and mistreatment of local Asian populations led to increasing hostility to Jp rule

0Kempeitei carried out Sook Ching which killed about 50,000 Chinese in Singapore

0Construction of Thai-Burma Death Railway led to deaths of large numbers of Asian labourers and Allied prisoners of war (see p.200)

Resistance to Japanese rule

0Opposition movements were formed to resist Jp rule

0E.g. Force 136, Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA)

0Deployment of soldiers to keep locals under control further drained Jp resources available for war

Allied victory in Europe

0Allied victory in Europe in May 1945 meant that Jp could no longer rely on Germany to distract Allies

0Allied forces could be concentrated against Jp – Soviets promised to bring their troops to the East to help with final assault

0 Jp leaders knew that it was a matter of time before Allies would win war

Allied victory in Europe

0But they refused to accept Allied demands for unconditional surrender – humiliating stigma to Jp

0Feared that Allies might remove Jp emperor and try him as war criminal

0Continued fighting while attempting to negotiate peace terms with Allies through the Soviet govt.

Dropping of atomic bomb

0US President Truman decided to use atomic bombs to force Jp surrender without having to invade Jp

0Bloody battles at Iwo Jima & Okinawa convinced US that invasion of Jp would result in heavy casualties

0Another motive was to impress and intimidate Soviet Union with US power at the onset of Cold War (read pp.203-204)

Dropping of atomic bomb

0US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (Aug 6) and Nagasaki (Aug 9).

0More than 100,000 killed instantly

0Destruction shocked the Jp military & Emperor; no way Jp could compete with such weaponry.

0Aug 15: Emperor Hirohito announced unconditional surrender

Was dropping of A-bomb necessary?

0Yes: Hasten defeat of Jp0Shorten agony of war and save lives0Costly battles during island campaign0Jp atrocities, mistreatment of POWs

Was dropping of A-bomb necessary?

0No: Jp was on verge of defeat0Jp was severely weakened and ready to

surrender 0US ‘island-hopping’ campaign inflicted

heavy damage to Jp military strength0US bombing of Jp factories crippled Jp

industrial production