Island Hopping

Island HoppingLess Fun Than It Sounds

Battle of Midway(June 1942)Naval Battle: US lost 1 aircraft carrier, Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers

Battle of Iwo Jima(Feb. 1945)

70,000 Marines sent to invade the island

Vs.22,000 Japanese soldiers

Results: US wins(takes a month)

About 7,000 US deadAbout 20,000 US woundedOnly 212 Japanese soldiers

taken prisoner

Island was 4.5 Miles x 2.5 Miles

Battle for Okinawa(April 1945)

180,000 US troopsVs.

120,000 Japanese troops

Results: US wins

About 12,000 US deadAbout 38,000 US wounded36 US warships destroyed

About 110,000 Japanese soldiers dead

50,000-150,000 Japanese civilians dead

60 Miles x 2-18 Miles

The Firebombingof Japan

“[We] were behaving as war criminals.” – Robert McNamara

Firebombing

• 67 Japanese cities were firebombed by the United States during WWII

• Firebombs utilize napalm – a jellied gasoline– Bombs explode, fired spreads, burns everything

indiscriminately • As many as 500,000 Japanese killed (mostly

civilians), and as many as 5 million left homeless

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Yokohama 58 Cleveland

Tokyo 51 New York City

Toyama 99 Chattanooga

Nagoya 40 Los Angeles

Osaka 35.1 Chicago

Nishinomiya 11.9 Cambridge

Siumonoseki 37.6 San Diego

Kure 41.9 Toledo

Kobe 55.7 Baltimore

Omuta 35.8 Miami

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Wakayama 50 Salt Lake City

Kawasaki 36.2 Portland

Okayama 68.9 Long Beach

Yawata 21.2 San Antonio

Kagoshima 63.4 Richmond

Amagasaki 18.9 Jacksonville

Sasebo 41.4 Nashville

Moh 23.3 Spokane

Miyakonoio 26.5 Greensboro

Nobeoka 25.2 Augusta

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Miyazaki 26.1 Davenport

Hbe 20.7 Utica

Saga 44.2 Waterloo

Imabari 63.9 Stockton

Matsuyama 64 Duluth

Fukui 86 Evansville

Tokushima 85.2 Ft. Wayne

Sakai 48.2 Forth Worth

Hachioji 65 Galveston

Kumamoto 31.2 Grand Rapids

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Isezaki 56.7 Sioux Falls

Takamatsu 67.5 Knoxville

Akashi 50.2 Lexington

Fukuyama 80.9 Macon

Aomori 30 Montgomery

Okazaki 32.2 Lincoln

Oita 28.2 Saint Joseph

Hiratsuka 48.4 Battle Creek

Tokuyama 48.3 Butte

Yokkichi 33.6 Charlotte

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Uhyamada 41.3 Columbus

Ogaki 39.5 Corpus Christi

Gifu 63.6 Des Moines

Shizuoka 66.1 Oklahoma City

Himeji 49.4 Peoria

Fukuoka 24.1 Rochester

Kochi 55.2 Sacramento

Shimizu 42 San Jose

Omura 33.1 Sante Fe

Chiba 41 Savannah

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Ichinomiya 56.3 Sprinfield

Nara 69.3 Boston

Tsu 69.3 Topeka

Kuwana 75 Tucson

Toyohashi 61.9 Tulsa

Numazu 42.3 Waco

Chosi 44.2 Wheeling

Kofu 78.6 South Bend

Utsunomiya 43.7 Sioux City

Mito 68.9 Pontiac

Name of Japanese City Firebombed

Percentage of City Destroyed

Equivalent American City

Sendai 21.9 Omaha

Tsuruga 65.1 Middleton

Nagaoka 64.9 Madison

Hitachi 72 Little Rock

Kumagaya 55.1 Kenosha

Hamamatsu 60.3 Hartford

Maebashi 64.2 Wheeling

The Fog of War

• Robert McNamara discussing the firebombing of Japan– “[General Curtis LeMay said that] if we'd lost the

war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals …. And I think he's right. …He, and I'd say, I, were behaving as war criminals. …LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?”

Potsdam Declaration“The alternative for Japan is

prompt and utter destruction”

Potsdam Declaration

• Proclamation Defining the Terms for the Japanese Surrender – July 26, 1945

• Developed at the Potsdam Conference– U.S., Britain, and U.S.S.R participated in the

conference; held in Germany– Decisions were made as to how the Allies would

deal with the Axis powers after Allied victory

Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Elimination of Japanese authorities who led Japan to world conquest

• Parts of Japanese territory are to be occupied; Allies get to pick which parts

• Japanese sovereignty is limited to the 4 main islands and a few other tiny ones

Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Elimination of Japanese authorities who led Japan to world conquest

• Parts of Japanese territory are to be occupied; Allies get to pick which parts

• Japanese sovereignty is limited to the 4 main islands and a few other tiny ones

• Japanese military will be completely disarmed

• All (Japanese) war criminals will receive “stern justice”

Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Japan will not be enslaved or destroyed as a nation

• Freedom of speech, religion, and thought, along with fundamental human rights, shall be established

• Japan will have access to—but not control of—resources that they need to rebuild and sustain their economy, and will be free to maintain industries as long as they are not re-arming

• Allies occupying forces will be withdrawn as soon as all of these objectives are met and Japan has established a peaceful, responsible government

Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.”

Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Despite a growing number of Japanese leaders who wanted to negotiate for peace, Japan’s military leadership was unwilling to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

• However, it is known that Japan’s Foreign Minister, Shigenori Togo, sent a message to Russia stating: “Unconditional surrender is the only obstacle to peace….”

So then, why this?