The Pacific War

Brainstorm

Build Up to War

1937- Japan attacks China

United States issues sanctionso Stopped selling Iron Ore, Steel and Oil to Japan

Japanese viewed this as an “act of aggression”

Early 1941 – Japan decides to go to war with the Western Powers

Priority of Expanding “Sphere of Influence”

Pearl Harbour

Base for the United States Pacific Fleet

Designed to cripple US Naval strength in the Pacific

Japanese used the element of surprise to attack on December 7th 1941

6 Ships Sunk (3 Battleships), 9 Other Ships Damaged, 188- Aircraft Destroyed, 3,649 Casualties

Attack on Pearl Harbour Success or Failure?

SuccessElement of Surprise

Huge Damage to the Pacific Fleet

Crippled the American Fleet for months

Brought the United States into the War

Failure No US Carriers were in

Pearl Harbour at the time of the attack

It was an unprovoked attack

The United States mobilised for war

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Yamamoto

Do Q. 3 p 82

WAR in the Pacific

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8gYGg0dkE

Simultaneously Japan attacked o Philippineso Guamo Wake Islandso Malayao Hong Kong

Continued their march southward o Burmao French Indo Chinao Invading Guadalcanalo New Guinea

Fall of Singapore 1942

Q: What was the Singapore Strategy?

Q: What was the importance of Singapore to Australia?

Q: Why were the British so convinced that any attack on Singapore would come from the Sea?

Q: What did the Fall of Singapore mean for Australia?

Naval War in the Pacific

The Naval War in the Pacific was known for its use of the Aircraft Carriers

US was able to rebuild ships lost at Pearl Harbour and gain strength

Stage was set for clash of the two naval powers

Battle of the Coral Sea May 1942- Battle off North Queensland

Turning Point: Battle Of Midway June 1942 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v4I6RGRW50

(4:47)

Sphere of Influence

Turning Point of the War

Guadalcanal 1942o Stopped Japanese from

cutting off supply route to Australia

Solomon Islands 1942o US and Australian troops

held the Japanese advance against overwhelming numbers

New Guinea 1942o Australian troops stopped

Japanese advance on Port Moresby

The Beginning of the End

Once the Japanese forces had been stopped the United States went on the offensive

Japanese war industry unable to compete with the United States

US begin two pronged attack to defeat the Japaneseo Island Hopping

Stepping Stones before the invasion of Japan

o Asian Mainland Liberating all the countries under Japanese control

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHnHWzi9c60

Important Battles in the Pacific

Mainland OffensivePhilippines 1943

Burma 1944

Borneo 1945

China 1945

Island HoppingTarawa 1943

Guam 1944

Iwo Jima 1945

Okinawa 1945

Victory in the Pacific Game

Manhattan Project

Development of the Atomic Bomb

Two Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japanese Surrender 15th August 1945

Australia in the Pacific

Q: Where had the Australians been fighting prior to 1941-42?

Q: What was the Australian response to the war with Japan?

Q: What does the term ‘Chocolate Soldiers’ mean?

War at Australia's Doorstep

Bombing of Darwino First Bombed on 19th February 1942

10 ships sunk, 250-320 killed

o Darwin was bombed 64 times throughout the waro Other places bombed included Broome and

Townsville

Battle of the Coral Sea (6:00)

Attack on Sydney Harbour (6:45)o Midget submarines attacked Sydney Harbour on 31st

May 1942

Kokoda – Our Finest Hour

The Kokoda Trail was a pitch battle in Papua New Guinea

The Japanese landed an army on New Guinea and sent them along the trail to capture Port Moresby

It was the last barrier between the Japanese and the Australian mainland

If captured Port Moresby would be used as a base to attack northern and eastern Australia

Kokoda

Read p. 86-87

Answer Questions 1,2 & 3

Group Discussion:o Which battle was more important in shaping our

nation’s identity?

Video Australians At War (8:30 – 23:00)

Prisoners of War

Japanese had not agreed to the terms of the Geneva Conventiono Resulted in poor treatment by the Japanese

Australian troops were used for forced labouro Burma Railwayo Hellfire Pass

Some Australian troops were shipped to Japan for forced labour

Read p. 108 – 109

Questions

Remember: 1, 4

Understand: 5, 7, 8

Analyse: 12 B