Key Devlopments: WW2 in Asia Pacific (1937-1945)

• 1. Attack on Pearl Harbour (7 Dec 1941)
• Short term impacts of PH attack?

  • Massive losses on US side
• Long term impacts of PH attack?

  • USA recovered quickly within months and retaliated a day after
  • outrage over attack allowed Roosevelt to rally and unite country (more united and organised than ever to wage war on Japan)
  • US directed money might against Japan - constructed ships (aircraft carriers) + produced many superior carrier-based aircraft (dive bombers)
  • failed to destroy remaining carriers - did not gain control of Pacific
• 2. Battle of Midway (1942)
• Date of Battle of Midway?

  June 1942
• Aim of Battle of Midway?

  • Japanese hoped to lure the American aircraft carriers into a decisive battle and destroy them
• However,

  • US had broken the Japanese naval code and obtained crucial intelligence regarding their plans - prepared for the assault
• Impact of Battle of Midway?

  • Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers + almost 3/4 experienced pilots - affected naval and air defence capabilities for WW2
  • Japan couldn't match output of US shipyards and aircraft factories
  • Japan remained weakened
• 3. Defeat of Japan and Atomic Bomb
• What is island hopping?

  • after capturing each island - build base and airstrip - move to next island
• Significance and impact of very successful US island hopping?

  • Japan's resources became severely overstretched - unable to defend entire empire
  • Japs. fought fanatically for each island in Pacific and each territory in China and Burma
  • resulted in several key victories by US (e.g. battle to regain Philippines)
• Britian and US took Okinawa on April 1945

  • allies had to kill/capture every single of 100k Japanese soldiers defending the island (none surrendered)
• Allied ships heavily damaged by Japanese Kamikaze suicide bombers:


  (crashed planes deliberately into allied ships as last resort)
• When did the international scientists' team in US first perfect the world's first atomic bomb?

  • Manhattan project
  • by may 1945
• Truman's decision:

  • either - drop bomb on all japanese cities (massive casualties but may shorten war) OR
  • warn japanese/arrange demonstration of bomb in unpopulated area (lesser casualties but may be smaller impact to Japanese so war may not shorten)
• Truman decided to:

  • drop bomb without warning in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Date, name and impact of bomb dropped in Hiroshima?

  • 6 August 1945
  • 5 ton atomic bomb "Little Boy"
  • 135k dead out of 255k
• Date, name and impact of bomb dropped in Nagasaki?

  • 9 August 1945
  • "Fat man"
  • 64k dead out of 195k
• General impact in both cities:

  • appaling damage
  • horrific casualties
  • cities reduced to ruins
  • left legacy of cancer and radiation-related diseases to survivors
• Emperor Hirohito and most of government wanted to surrender after Nagasaki 


  but some military leaders disagreed and attempted to overthrow emperor and continue war
• Emperor's will prevailed:

  Japan surrendered 14 august 1945