Douglas MacArthur

Seung-Ho Choi

&

Brian Lee

Background History

• Born in Little Rock, AK to Arthur and Mary MacArthur.

• Graduated from West Point in 1903 1st in 930 student class.

• Commanded 42nd division in WWI and promoted to brigadier general.

• He retired from US Army in 1937.

Beginning of WWII

• Summer of 1941, MacArthur was recalled to active duty to head the US military forces in the Far East.

• He was given control as the Supreme Commander of the Philippine army.

• His headquarters during the Philippines Campaign was on the island fortress of Corregidor.

MacArthur’s Retreat

• Japanese Army invaded the Philippine and held three air bases in Luzon.

• MacArthur ordered retreat to Bataan peninsula.

• He was ordered to leave Bataan and go to Australia.

After the Retreat…

• MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz decided to establish and protect communication line throughout South Pacific.

• He engaged the enemy for 8 months in 10 major battles after landing in Guadalcanal.

• By Spring of 1944, MacArthur surrounded the Japanese troops in New Guinea.

MacArthur’s Counterattack

• MacArthur was given permission to recapture the Philippines.

• On October 20, 1944, MacArthur’s forces invaded Leyte Island in the Philippines.

• On January of 1945, MacArthur sent troops to Luzon and captured it in March.

Assault on Japan

• MacArthur set his eyes on Okinawa, Japan, and sent 60,000 troops to the city of Haguushi.

• MacArthur faced heavy opposition when he reached Shuri and repelled counterattack.

• Capture of Okinawa cost the Americans 49,000 casualties.

Surrender of Japan

• In January of 1945, MacArthur was promoted to five star general.

• On August 6th and 9th, two atomic bombs were released in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• On September 2, 1945, MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender.

Occupation of Japan

• MacArthur exonerated Emperor Showa and the imperial family.

• He helped rebuild the nation and encouraged democratic reforms.

• MacArthur was heavily criticized by both Japanese and Americans.

After WWII

• MacArthur was appointed as head of the Allied occupation of Japan.

• He fought in Korean War in 1950 as a commander of the UN forces.

• MacArthur led campaign against Harry Truman and the Democratic Party.

• He died in the Water Reed Hospital, Washington, on April 5th, 1964.