wwii 2

Battle of Midway

• Midway marked a turning point in the war with Japan.

• Prior Japanese military successes included:

  • Bombing Pearl Harbor

  • Conquering The Philippines

  • Victory at the Battle of the Java Sea.

• Midway reversed Japan's dominance in the Pacific, occurring in June 1942.

• The war continued for over three more years, marked by intense battles.

War in the Pacific

• Notable brutal conflict: Battle of Iwo Jima.

  • Famed for the iconic flag-raising photo.

  • High casualty rates: over 90% for both sides.

  • Described as a "war without mercy" by historians.

Bataan Death March

• Occurred in April 1942, following Japanese invasion of The Philippines.

• American and Filipino soldiers, out of resources, surrendered on April 10, 1942.

• Captured soldiers forced to march 80 miles to a prison camp under harsh conditions.

  • Roughly 80,000 prisoners, many faced brutality, beheadings, and killings.

  • Approximately 600 Americans and 10,000 Filipinos died during the march.

• Prisoners kept in appalling conditions for three years before liberation in 1945.

Cultural Attitudes and Racial War

• Japanese imperial culture viewed surrender as cowardice, leading to harsh treatment of POWs.

• Mutual dehumanization between American and Japanese forces.

• Propaganda depicted Japanese as subhuman, fueling racism on both sides.

• Terms like "Jab" became racial slurs against Japanese.

Japanese Internment

• Following Pearl Harbor, FDR issued Executive Order 9066 in February 1942.

• Ordered internment of 140,000 Japanese Americans, including citizens and immigrants.

  • Different from Nazi concentration camps; no mass killings.

• Camps were makeshift, families lost homes and stability.

• Interned Japanese Americans sometimes served in the military to earn back their freedom.

Bombing Campaign Against Japan

• Intense firebombing campaigns targeted Japanese cities, leading to mass casualties.

• Bombings in Tokyo resulted in up to 100,000 deaths in a single night.

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed to demonstrate the power of atomic bombs.

• The reasons for using the atomic bomb were debated, some viewed it as a tool to save lives, others as a war crime.

World War II: The "Good War"

• Traditionally viewed as a "good war" with clear good and bad sides.

• U.S. faced clear aggressors: Japan and Germany.

• Essential questions arise regarding morality and human cost of warfare,

  • Mass civilian casualties and civil liberties suspension were consequences of "good" wars.

• Military leaders declare war as hell, emphasizing necessity over judgement of goodness.