USA largest industrial producer at that time; able
to quickly switch over to military production (e.g
Auto factories switched to make planes)
After Great Depression, many
unemployed people eager for
work (willing workers)
Japanese unable to protect
merchant fleets from attacks
by American submarines --
factories lack materials and
people lacked food; Allies
bombed Japanese factories
American factories well
out of range & merchants
ships were better
protected
Contribution of women to the war effort
Allied countries encouraged women
to contribute to war effort through
propaganda (E.g. USA, Women
Ordance Worker, worked in factories
to produce weapons, vehicles &
military supplies necessary for war
effort. Some joined armed forces as
nurses or even soldiers)
While in Japan, they emphasised the
role of women as mothers &
child-bearer, stressed they should
stay at home. Only later in the war
did Japan made efforts to encourage
women to enter the workforce
Military and naval strength
Despite attack on Pearl Harbour, Japan did not
break USA's resolve and did not totally destroy USA's
capacity to retaliate in Asia Pacific (Three aircraft
carriers were not at the harbour during the attack)
Doolittle raid
on Tokyo
Japanese thought their
homeland was out of range
as bombers would not have
enough fuel to return
However USA planned to
fly bombers over Japan and
land them in China, even
though they risked capture
by Japanese forces
Managed to bomb
Tokyo, Nagoya & Kobe
Continued bombing of
mainland Japan
USA showed its military might through
continued aerial bombings of mainland
Japan; made possible by capture of
strategic island bases like the Philippines &
Iwo Jima (captured using island-hopping
strategy)
Nov 1944, Allies bombed aircraft factory in
Tokyo, campaign intensified in 9 Mar 1945,
1/4 of Tokyo destroyed, 250,000 buildings
destroyed, 185,000 people civilians killed
War production disrupted; Japan's economy, which was
needed to sustain the war effort, to the brink of collapse
Battle of the Coral Sea
Japan planned to land its
soldiers at Port Moresby
and take control of New
Guinea (necessary step to
launch attack on Australia)
Americans were prepared
as had decoded Japanese
coded messages ordering
the attack; brought in 2
aircraft carriers against Jap
carriers
Battle draw in terms of
damage but attack
cancelled thus victory for
Allies as Japan's southward
advance was halted
Battle of Midway
Major turning point: Put a halt to Jap growth in the Pacific &
put US in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese Empire
Midway Islands impt due to their airfields
and their route to Pearl Harbour
Japan's aim: bomb the island defences and land troops so
the islands could become a base for Jap naval & air forces
USA held element of surprise (hid their
carriers in open sea, away from islands, out of
sight frm the 1st wave of Japanese bombers
As a result, Jap lost 4 aircraft carriers & nearly
3/4 of their experienced pilots
Ineffectiveness defence of
overextended Japanese empire
By 1942, Jap occupied
almost whole of SEA, which
was a large territory for Jap
forces to manage (empire
overstretched)
Too large territorially to be
effectively controlled due to
limited funds, manpower &
resources; made worse by
island-hopping by the US
Desire of Allies to secure a
quick victory in the Asia Pacific
Liberation of Allied
Prisoners-Of-War (POW)
Jap turned to forced labour (unwilling
labour -- inefficient production) to solve
shortage of manpower; thousands of
workers from Asia forced to work in
factories or on construction projects like
the Thai-Burma Railway
US highlighted Japanese
hostility towards POWs in their
campaigns to motivate workers
Minimise Allied losses
from kamikaze attacks
Refers to the suicide
missions by the Jap air
pilots against Allied ships to
inflict max damage; Allied
leaders worried continued
kamikaze attacks would
result in massive no. of
casualties, so wanted to
bring quick end to war to
minimise losses
Allied victory
in Europe
Allied adopted
Europe-first
strategy & resources
were concentrated
in Europe -- more
time for Japan to
consolidate power
Fall of Italy & Germany
-- Japan left to fight
allied forces alone
Demand for
unconditional surrender
Avoid situation that
existed after WWI in
Europe; popular opinion
at home influenced
Allied leaders' desire to
deliver complete victory
to their people
Allied enraged by
stories of Japanese
atrocities, especially
against their POWs
Dropping of the atomic bomb
Americans considered to
use the bomb to end war
once & for all when Japan
showed it wld not accept
unconditional surrender
Allies wanted to impress
USSR & defeat Japan without
USSR help; USSR played major
role in liberation of Europe,
occupying half of Europe
USSR & Allied deeply divided in
ideology; Churchill and Truman
wanted to contain spread of
communism, therefore wanted
to gain an edge over USSR
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
6 Aug 1945 'Little boy' dropped over Hiroshima, killed 1/3 of
population instantly, another 70,000 injured which many
died soon after; firestorm incinerated everything within 7km
of where the bomb fell; 30mins later, black radioactive rain
fell over surrounding areas, poisoning more land & people
9 August, 'Fat Man' dropped on Nagasaki; 40,000 people
killed instantly, another 25,000 burnt by explosion
Thousands affected by long-lasting effects of atomic bomb
(e.g. genetic mutation, cancer, skin disease)
15 Aug, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced his country's
unconditional surrender; Formal 'instrument of surrender'
signed on 2 Sept