Japan:
Hirohito gains control in 1926
Attacks Pearl Harbor to keep the United States out of the war
Soldiers told to never surrender
Kamikaze- Japanese people killed themselves by the thousands
Hideki Tojo-
Wanted Pearl Harbor attack
Born in 1884
Demoted by the emperor
Shot himself but failed to commit suicide
Executed as war criminal and hanged
Mid 1942- when axis powers had most land
Japan attacked and took over
-Parts of China
-French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos)
-Hong Kong
-Thailand
-British New Guinea
-Philippines
-Guam
-Malaya
-Kingdom of Sarawak
-Brunei
-North Borneo
-Nauru
-Wake Island
-Christmas Island
-Attu and Kiska Islands(Alaska)
Japan tried to take over:
-Austrailia
-British Columbia(Canada)
-Mongolia
-United States(California, Oregon)
Japan signed Kellogg-Briand Pact
Playing nice during 1920's
Wanted to make sure WWI was the war to end all wars
Great Depression changed that
Invaded Northern China for resources (Manchuria)
Rape of Nanking(late 1937-early 1938)
Mass killing of civilians in Chinese city of Nanking by Japanese (300,000 deaths)
Mass raping
Mass looting and arson
Japan denied civilian killings
Still has tension from the Rape of Nanking
Quarantine Speech- 1937: wanted Britain, France and US to come together and quarantine enemies (Italy, Germany, Japan)
Panay- Dec. 1937: Japanese planes sink American gunboat on Chinese river but pay US for their 'accident'
Major leaders: Hideki Tojo, Emperor Hirohito, Admiral Yamamoto
Yamamoto suggested Pearl Harbor bombing but changed his mind and said not to
December 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor bombing
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in a risky plan to kick the US down so we wouldn't join the war
Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact said USSR and Japan would not go to war enabling Japan to attack the US
December 8, 1941- last date United States has declared war
Doolittle's Raid- bombing Japan to boost American morale
Battle of Coral Sea- military stalemate, but American victory because it was the first time Japan didn't win
Battle of Midway- turning point of war, US defeats Japan and takes a huge toll of Japanese military
Iwo Jima- February-March 1945:
Japanese were dug into ground allowing US forces to gain a false sense of security
Flag Raising on Mt. Suribachi
Nov. 1944 Roosevelt wins election
Roosevelt died in April 1945
Summer 1945 preparing for the Invasion of Japan
Operation downfall- Planned for October 1945 Japanese invasion
Never went through, never invaded but dropped atomic bombs
B-29 bomber made for dropping atomic bombs
Enola Gay name of place to drop bombs
Little Boy and Fat Man
Atomic Shadow
Hiroshima Nagasaki
VJ day- Aug. 14/15, 1945 Japan surrenders
Officially sign Sept. 2, 1945
After the war:
Potsdam Confrence: US, Great Britain, China, and Soviet Union announced terms for Japan's surrender on July 26
Japan didn't surrender, so bombs were dropped
Japan pretty much lost everything after war
Had to give back all gained land
War Crimes trials for atrocities
Government was changed to Democracy, US occupied Japan
Established human rights
Harry Truman president after Roosevelt died
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