World War II in the Pacific

I. Background-
In 1931, the Empire of Japan (H) invades Manchuria (I) in order to increase its natural
resources. This begins a push to Japan into mainland Asia that continues throughout the 1930’s.
A decade later, Japan has been slowly pressing into China (K) and is prepared to make a major
assault in the Pacific Theatre. In order to prevent the U.S. from interfering with their plans,
they stage a sneak attack at Pearl Harbor (F) on December 7, 1941. Much of the United States
fleet is destroyed. The Japanese are prepared to move quickly.

II. Japan’s Pacific Offensive-

On December 8th, 1941, the Japanese attack the American forces in the Philippine Islands (D),
the British holdings of Hong Kong (L) and Singapore, on the Malayan peninsula (A).

 Battle of Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island- _____________________________

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 Bataan Death March- __________________________________________________
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The Japanese are conquering new territory rapidly while the Americans recover. Japan
continues to conquer territory throughout the Pacific towards Australia (M). By May of 1942,
the Japanese have reached the Coral Sea (G), where American ships are waiting for them.

 Battle of the Coral Sea- ________________________________________________

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In June of 1942, the Japanese send a large fleet to the island of Midway (B). American planes
have been using this island to refuel on the long trips from California to the South Pacific. If
the Japanese can take this island, they will stop these flights entirely.

 Battle of Midway- ____________________________________________________

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III. The Allies go on the Offensive

In order to defeat Japan, American forces will have to wage a long campaign of island-hopping,
slowly taking back islands the Japanese have conquered. On August 7, 1942, the 1 st Marine
Division lands on Guadalcanal. (J)

 Battle of Guadalcanal- _________________________________________________

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“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 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.”

IV. Island hopping-

By 1943 the Allies were beginning to push the Japanese back to their home islands. The Allied
drive followed two main paths.
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2. _________________________________________________________________
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 Nimitz’s campaign began in the Gilbert Islands late in 1943, advancing to the Marshall
Islands early in 1944. In the summer of 1944 the Allies move on to the Mariana Islands,
capturing Guam and Saipan.

 General MacArthur- Roosevelt ordered him to go to Australia after evacuation on Bataan:

“I shall return.”

 Battle of Leyte Gulf- __________________________________________________

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Kamikaze- _______________________________________________________________
V. On to Tokyo-

In February of 1945, 30,000 U.S. Marines land in one day on the tiny island of Iwo Jima. (C)

 Battle of Iwo Jima- ___________________________________________________

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Joe Rosenthal’s
“ Raising the flag on Iwo Jima”

What human qualities or events do you think

Rosenthal’s photograph symbolize?

 Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima- ____________________________________________

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The symbol for FDR's "_________________” Artist's rendition of the famous photo.
For the next two months everyone in America would see this picture over and over. You couldn't
avoid it. It hung in:
***One million Retail Store windows. ***16,000 Movie Theaters.
***15,000 Banks. ***200,000 Factories.
***30,000 Railroad Stations. ***5,000 Large Billboards.
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In April 1945, more than 180,000 Americans land on the island of Okinawa (N) and face a
Japanese army half their size.

 Battle of Okinawa- ____________________________________________________

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American fire bombing raids have heavily damaged the home island of Japan, but Japan is
unwilling to surrender and prepares to fight to the very end.

 Firebombing of Tokyo- _________________________________________________

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“What was most awful, my witness told me, was having to get off his bicycle every couple of
feet to pass over the countless bodies strewn through the streets. There was still a light wind
blowing and some of the bodies, reduced to ashes, were simply scattering like sand. In many
sectors, passage was blocked by whole incinerated crowds.”

 The Manhattan Project- _______________________________________________

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 Potsdam Conference- _________________________________________________

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 Hiroshima (E)_______________________________________________________
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 Nagasaki- ___________________________________________________________
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