After battle of Midway
- US + allies → gradually → drove Japanese back across Pacific from the territories they had taken.
- used strategy known as island-hopping
US island hopping strategy → led to several key victories → 1942-1945
- such as in battle to regain Philippines → which continued to weaken Japanese military.
Japans resources → severely overstretched → was not able to defend entire empire.
- Japanese fought fanatically → for each island → in Pacific + each territory in China and Burma.
Soon → war reached pivotal stage.
- 1945 → US raids on Japanese soil → such as bombing of Tokyo.
April 1945 → Br. and US forces → took island of Okinawa
- Allies → had to kill/capture → all 100000 Japanese soldiers → defending the island as none of them would surrender. Allied ships → also badly damaged → by Japanese kamikaze → suicide bombers → crashed their planes deliberately into them.
- attacks were used as last resort by Japanese. Although Japan was being pushed back → came at great cost for Allies.
May 1945 → US → confident → of winning war eventually.
US troops → would have to beat Japanese → island by island → and then invade Japan itself. Alternative:
- international team of scientists in US → working on what was known as the Manhattan project → had perfected the worlds first atomic bomb
Truman → had to deliberate whether or not to drop the bomb on Japanese.
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also thought about whether or not he should warn the Japanese or arrange demonstration in unpopulated area.
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Decided to use bombs without warning
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accepted military advice → dropped 2 bombs in quick succession.
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was to convince Japanese → that US → had large stockpile of weapons, which it did not
6 Aug 1945 → American Bomber → Enola Gay → dropped 5 ton atomic bomb → over Hiroshima. 9 Aug 1945 → second atomic bomb → over Nagasaki
→ both caused appalling damage + horrific casualties.
- reduce both cities to ruins
- also left legacy of cancer and other radiation related diseases among survivors
| Hiroshima | Nagasaki | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 225 000 | 195 000 |
| Dead | 66 000 | 39 000 |
| Injured | 69 000 | 25 000 |
| Total casualties | 135 000 | 64 000 |
Japanese emperor → Hirohito + most of his govt → told army to surrender after Nagasaki bomb
- some military leaders disagreed → attempted to overthrow emperor + continue war instead. → proved to many people on allied side → that decision to use bombs was right. → Emperor’s will prevailed → Japan surrendered → 14 Aug 1945