WWII and the Pacific Theater

Step 1 - Leaders of WW2 - Choose one US Leader and one Japanese Leader

Basic question:  What was their role in the Pacific Theater?

US Leaders 

Douglas MacArthur  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur_in_World_War_II   
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=3  

Chester Nimitz
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=10  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_W._Nimitz  

Japanese Leaders
Tojo Hideki
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/tojo-hideki  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Tojo  

Isoroku Yamamoto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoroku_Yamamoto  
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=1  

Step 2 - Attack on Pearl Harbor

Basic Questions:

1. When did the attack occur?
2. What military elements (air, sea, ground) were utilized by the Japanese?
3. What military elements (air, sea, ground) were lost by the US?
4. Who planned the attack?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor  
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor  
https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack  
http://www.historynet.com/pearl-harbor  

Basic Questions:

1. What were the dates of the battle (beginning to official end)?
2. What military elements (air, sea, ground) were utilized by the US?  By the Japanese?
3. What were the dominant elements (air, sea, ground) utilized by the US?  By the Japanese?
4. What were the costs in casualties and materiel for the US? For the Japanese?
5. Was there a special significance to this battle?

Battle of the Coral Sea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea   
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-coral-sea  

Battle of Guadalcanal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_Campaign  
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-guadalcanal  

Battle of Leyte Gulf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf   
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-leyte-gulf   

Battle of Iwo Jima
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima   
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima   

Step 4 - Sudden End - The Atomic Bomb

Watch this brief video for an introduction (the Godzilla music seems appropriate):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYYTZQF-dA

Basic Facts

1. Hiroshima  
2. Nagasaki   
3. Surrender  

Basic Questions:

1. When and where were atomic bombs dropped?
2. When did Japan surrender?
3. How long after the last atomic bomb was dropped did Japan surrender?
4. Do you think atomic bombs influenced Japan's decision to surrender?

Step 5 - Was it right to drop atomic bombs on Japan?

There is an ongoing debate about the ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of atomic weapons.

Look at the links below and decide if the US should have dropped atomic bombs on Japan.

• https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/debate-over-bomb 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate_over_the_atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki   
• https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/was-the-us-justified-in-dropping-atomic-bombs-on-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-during-the-second-world-war-you-debate/