-
Japan in World War II
Japan entered World War II with limited aims and with the intention of fighting a limited war. Its principal objectives were to secure the resources of Southeast Asia and much of China and to establish a "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" under Japanese hegemony. -
Japan enters the war
Japan entered World War II by launching a surprise offense which opened with the attack on Pearl Harbor at 7:48 a.m. on December 7, 1941. -
The fighting!
After the Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese quickly took over much of Southeast Asia and were well on their way to dominance by 1942.. Afterwards, there were many battles over islands in the South Pacific between 1942 and 1945. -
No surrender!
Finally in 1945 the Japanese army had been pushed back to Japan. However, the Japanese would not surrender. American leaders felt that the only way to get Japan to surrender would be to invade the main island of Japan. However, they feared this would cost the lives of up to 1 million US soldiers. -
No invasion but bombing!
Instead of invading, President Harry S. Truman decided to use a new weapon called the atomic bomb. -
Hiroshima
Hiroshima, located about 500 miles from Tokyo, was selected as the first target. The plane, B-29 bomber christened Enola Gay (after the mother of its pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets), dropped the bomb–known as “Little Boy” at 8:15 in the morning, It exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima destroying five square miles of the city and killing over 50000-80000 people instantly. The final death toll was calculated at 135,000. -
No surrender and Nagasaki
Hiroshima’s devastation failed to elicit immediate Japanese surrender. On the morning of 9 August, the Americans dropped a second, bigger atomic bomb. The original target was Kokura, but this was obscured by cloud so the bomb was dropped on nearby Nagasaki, an important port. About 40,000 people were killed instantly and a third of the city was destroyed. The final death toll was calculated as at least 50,000. -
The surrender!
On 14 August, Japan agreed to the Allies' terms of surrender. At midday on the following day, Emperor Hirohito broadcast the news to the Japanese people. It was the first time his voice had been heard on the radio. -
The war is over!
On September 2, above the deck of Missouri, the battleship, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed the surrender treaty on behalf of the Japanese government. and General Yoshijiro Umezu for the Japanese armed forces.
Ten more signatures were made by the US, China, Britain, the USSR, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, As the 20-minute ceremony ended, the most devastating war in human history was over. -
The references
Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Image by Maïlys Jans from Pixabay
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
Image by Michael Gaida from Pixabay
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-surrenders
