The Asian Pacific Conflict

Japan is a densely

populated and

mountainous archipelago.

A lack of natural resources and

agricultural land push the country to seek wealth elsewhere.

How would Japan do this?During the 1920s, the

country was divided into two factions:

1. Liberals - bankers and

capitalists who believe they must trade for resources

2. Militarists – who thought

they must conquer to get new territories

In 1932, Japan invaded

Manchuria.

Fearing communism,

Japan signed an Anti-Comintern

Pact with Hitler in 1936.

In 1937, it captured more territory from

China.

American reaction?

The US limits its exports, which angers Japan.

A. Oil

B. Steel

C. Copper

D. Industrial equipment

In 1939, while the world watched

Hitler in Poland, Japan invaded

Indochina (present-day

Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam)

In 1940, Japan’s conquest continued.

A. French Indochina.

B. British Malaya & Burma.

C. The Dutch East Indies

Roosevelt reacts….

1.He sends his Pacific

Fleet to Pearl Harbour.

2.

He imposes an embargo on Japan.

• A. Create a sphere of influence in South-East Asia

• B. Force out the Europeans

• C. Gain control over natural resources

• D. To dominate all S-EAsian markets

Hirohito’s dream

…an empire

Faced with this crisis Japan has two

options:

1. Negotiate

2. Wage war

To win, Japan wanted a war that would be...

quickapidedecisive

and

Why?

1. America’s industrial superiority

2. Japan’s lack of natural resources

Japan would lose in a long and

drawn out conflict against the US

How can Japan

defeat an opponent

this powerful?

!

A surprise attack against a military and industrial giant

On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It is a partial success. Much of the American

Pacific fleet is destroyed.

This allows Japan to

continue its conquests.

It takes a year for the US to regroup and rebuild its fleet and repel the

Japanese

The most important weapons in this theatre of war are aircraft

carriers

…and aircraft

The US must capture island after island, which is a long and a very

costly waste of human lives

The battles

1. Pearl Harbor - surprise Japanese attack December 7, 1941

2. Battle of the Coral Sea- first time the Japanese advance was stopped- May

1942

3.Battle of Midway – US destroys 4 of Japan’s aircraft carriers- June 1942

4.

Iwo Jima – The US captures the island but 20 000 marines are killed-

this allows easy bombing of Japan February1945

5.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki – The US drops 2 atomic bombs killing about 350 000 people – Japan surrenders

August 1945

Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima

Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki

Before the bomb After

The present-day park at the epicentre of the bombing in

Hiroshima.

I realize the tragic significance of the atomic bomb... It is an awful

responsibility which has come to us... We thank God that it has come to us,

instead of to our enemies; and we pray that He may guide us to use it in His

ways and for His purposes.

—Harry S. Truman August 9, 1945