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The Pacific Theatre, Japanese Internment & the Atomic Bombs. THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC. Japan had been at war since 1935 Initially, Japan seemed unstoppable. They spread rapidly in every direction defeating British, French, Canadian and American forces with ease. The War in the PAcific.
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The Pacific Theatre, Japanese Internment & the Atomic Bombs THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
Japan had been at war since 1935 Initially, Japan seemed unstoppable. They spread rapidly in every direction defeating British, French, Canadian and American forces with ease The War in the PAcific
The US turned the tide of the war in 1942 with a major naval victory near Midway Island The US also scored a several major victories around the Philippines and crushed the Japanese Navy The US Marines “island hopped” across the pacific slowly driving the Japanese off each island (a slow and extremely bloody process) Japan continued to fight hard despite the fact they were clearly losing the war– Japanese soldiers often fought to the death and Kamikaze pilots made themselves human bombs and smashed into US ships However, by 1945, the US had invaded “sacred” Japanese territory (Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa) and were bombing Japanese cities day and night Japan tried to negotiate with the US, but the US wanted only “unconditional surrender” Turning the Tide
There was a high Japanese population in British Columbia and Western USA Before the war, the Japanese began to dominate the fishing industry and faced a lot of racism (the Yellow Peril) After Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, racism against Japanese turned to outright hatred and violence The were accused of being spies and saboteurs Anti-Japanese riots and street violence became common Japanese internment
The BC government asks the Federal government for help It is decided to “intern” the Japanese people “for their own safety” Japanese Canadians were taken from their homes and placed in work camps Families were separated, forced to do heavy labour, placed in shacks with no heat or plumbing and all their property was auctioned off by the BC Government Japanese Internment con’t
After the war, Japanese Canadians still experienced racism and hatred Many were deported to Japan (even those who were born in Canada) In 1988, the Canadian Government apologized for internment and issued $21 thousand to survivors Japanese Internment (the Aftermath)
In response to rumors that Germany was developing a weapon based on atomic energy, the USA begins the top secret “Manhattan Project” Using Canadian uranium, many of the world’s top scientists meet in the deserts of Nevada to build the world’s first Atomic Bomb However, the German’s surrendered before the bomb was completed The Manhattan Project
The USA is now faced with 3 options: Use the Atomic Weapon against Japan Invade Japan Negotiate with Japan The USA decides to use the bomb On Aug. 6, 1945, “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima killing 75,000 people On Aug 9, “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki killing 39,000 people Japan surrenders and WW2 is finally over However, the effects of the bomb lasted for years with radiation poisoning, high cancer rates and birth defects Using the Bomb
Despite furious resistance by the Japanese, the USA slowly crushes the Imperial Army, Navy and Air force. Both Canada and the United States turn people of Japanese racial origin (violence, theft and internment) The “Manhattan Project” creates the worlds first atomic weapons Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki The Atomic bombs ended WW2, but the effects of the bombs are still being felt Key Points
