4/15/2015

Island Hopping

Less Fun Than It Sounds

Battle of Iwo Jima Battle of Midway (Feb. 1945) (June 1942) 70,000 Marines sent to Naval Battle: US lost 1 aircraft carrier, Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers invade the island Vs. 22,000 Japanese soldiers

Results: US wins (takes a month)

About 7,000 US dead About 20,000 US wounded Only 212 Japanese soldiers taken prisoner

Island was 4.5 Miles x 2.5 Miles

Battle for Okinawa (April 1945)

180,000 US troops Vs. 120,000 Japanese troops

Results: US wins

About 12,000 US dead About 38,000 US wounded 36 US warships destroyed

About 110,000 Japanese soldiers dead 50,000-150,000 Japanese civilians dead

60 Miles x 2-18 Miles

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The Firebombing of Japan

“[We] were behaving as war criminals.” – Robert McNamara

Firebombing

• 67 Japanese cities were firebombed by the United States during WWII • Firebombs utilize napalm – a jellied gasoline – Bombs explode, fired spreads, burns everything indiscriminately • As many as 500,000 Japanese killed (mostly civilians), and as many as 5 million left homeless

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Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Firebombed Destroyed Yokohama 58 Cleveland

Tokyo 51 New York City

Toyama 99 Chattanooga

Nagoya 40 Los Angeles

Osaka 35.1 Chicago

Nishinomiya 11.9 Cambridge

Siumonoseki 37.6 San Diego

Kure 41.9 Toledo

Kobe 55.7 Baltimore

Omuta 35.8 Miami

Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Firebombed Destroyed Firebombed Destroyed Wakayama 50 Salt Lake City Miyazaki 26.1 Davenport

Kawasaki 36.2 Portland Hbe 20.7 Utica

Okayama 68.9 Long Beach Saga 44.2 Waterloo

Yawata 21.2 San Antonio Imabari 63.9 Stockton

Kagoshima 63.4 Richmond Matsuyama 64 Duluth

Amagasaki 18.9 Jacksonville Fukui 86 Evansville

Sasebo 41.4 Nashville Tokushima 85.2 Ft. Wayne

Moh 23.3 Spokane Sakai 48.2 Forth Worth

Miyakonoio 26.5 Greensboro Hachioji 65 Galveston

Nobeoka 25.2 Augusta Kumamoto 31.2 Grand Rapids

Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Firebombed Destroyed Firebombed Destroyed Isezaki 56.7 Sioux Falls Uhyamada 41.3 Columbus

Takamatsu 67.5 Knoxville Ogaki 39.5 Corpus Christi

Akashi 50.2 Lexington Gifu 63.6 Des Moines

Fukuyama 80.9 Macon Shizuoka 66.1 Oklahoma City

Aomori 30 Montgomery Himeji 49.4 Peoria

Okazaki 32.2 Lincoln Fukuoka 24.1 Rochester

Oita 28.2 Saint Joseph Kochi 55.2 Sacramento

Hiratsuka 48.4 Battle Creek Shimizu 42 San Jose

Tokuyama 48.3 Butte Omura 33.1 Sante Fe

Yokkichi 33.6 Charlotte Chiba 41 Savannah

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Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Name of Japanese City Percentage of City Equivalent American City Firebombed Destroyed Firebombed Destroyed Ichinomiya 56.3 Sprinfield Sendai 21.9 Omaha

Nara 69.3 Boston Tsuruga 65.1 Middleton

Tsu 69.3 Topeka Nagaoka 64.9 Madison

Kuwana 75 Tucson Hitachi 72 Little Rock

Toyohashi 61.9 Tulsa Kumagaya 55.1 Kenosha

Numazu 42.3 Waco Hamamatsu 60.3 Hartford

Chosi 44.2 Wheeling Maebashi 64.2 Wheeling

Kofu 78.6 South Bend

Utsunomiya 43.7 Sioux City

Mito 68.9 Pontiac

The Fog of War

• Robert McNamara discussing the firebombing of Japan – “[General Curtis LeMay said that] if we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war Potsdam Declaration criminals …. And I think he's right. …He, and I'd say, I, were behaving as war criminals. …LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be “The alternative for Japan is thought immoral if his side had lost. But what prompt and utter destruction” makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?”

Potsdam Declaration Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Proclamation Defining the Terms for the • Elimination of Japanese authorities who led Japanese Surrender – July 26, 1945 Japan to world conquest • Developed at the Potsdam Conference • Parts of Japanese territory are to be occupied; – U.S., Britain, and U.S.S.R participated in the Allies get to pick which parts conference; held in Germany • Japanese sovereignty is limited to the 4 main – Decisions were made as to how the Allies would islands and a few other tiny ones deal with the Axis powers after Allied victory

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Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Elimination of Japanese authorities who led Japan to world conquest • Parts of Japanese territory are to be occupied; Allies get to pick which parts • Japanese sovereignty is limited to the 4 main islands and a few other tiny ones • Japanese military will be completely disarmed • All (Japanese) war criminals will receive “stern justice”

Potsdam Declaration and Japan Potsdam Declaration and Japan

• Japan will not be enslaved or destroyed as a nation • "We call upon the government of Japan to • Freedom of speech, religion, and thought, along with proclaim now the unconditional surrender of fundamental human rights, shall be established all Japanese armed forces, and to provide • Japan will have access to—but not control of— proper and adequate assurances of their good resources that they need to rebuild and sustain their faith in such action. The alternative for Japan economy, and will be free to maintain industries as is prompt and utter destruction.” long as they are not re-arming

• Allies occupying forces will be withdrawn as soon as all of these objectives are met and Japan has established a peaceful, responsible government

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Potsdam Declaration and Japan So then, why this?

• Despite a growing number of Japanese leaders who wanted to negotiate for peace, Japan’s military leadership was unwilling to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. • However, it is known that Japan’s Foreign Minister, Shigenori Togo, sent a message to Russia stating: “Unconditional surrender is the only obstacle to peace….”

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