War in the Pacific

Read Chapter 25-3 (pg 784)

1. What was the importance of the Battle of Midway?
The Battle of Midway was a turning point for the Pacific War. By the end of the Battle of Midway, the Japanese had lost 4 aircraft carriers, a cruiser, and 250 planes and soon the allies began "island hopping".

2. What strategy did the United States adopt in fighting Japan?

3. Why did the Japanese fight so hard on Iwo Jima?
It was critical to the U.S. as a base from which heavily loaded bombers might reach Japan.

4. Why did the Allies believe Okinawa was a foretaste of an invasion of Japan?
Because Churchill predicted that the cost would be a million American lives and half that number of British lives and by the end of the battle 7,600 Americans had died which was a taste of the real thing, when they actually invade Japan.

5. What was the Manhattan Project?
The Manhattan Project was the atomic bomb.

6. Ultimately, why did President Truman decide to drop atomic bombs on Japan?
It was his only way to avoid an invasion of Japan.