War in the Pacific

1. In what ways were the American victory at Midway and the Japanese triumph at Pearl Harbor alike?      
At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese bombed many American weapons and the Americans were defenseless. The same battle at Midway was very similar, but this time the Americans were attacking the Japanese. The Japanese were devastated, which made up for how devastated the Americans were after Pearl Harbor.


2. Why was the Battle of Leyte Gulf so crucial to the Allies?      
Japan had disastrous results and lost 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 13 cruisers and nearly 500 -lanes. From this point on, the Imperial Navy wasn't too important to Japan's defense. 


3. Why was Okinawa a significant island in the war in the Pacific?      
After they took Iwo Jima, It was the only island that stood between the Allies and a final assault on Japan.


4. What was the Manhattan Project? And who was J. Robert Oppenheimer?        
The Manhattan project was the development of the atomic bomb. J. Robert Oppenheimer was the lead research developer of this.


5. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?      
Because he wanted the USSR to help America against Japan in the pacific and he wanted Stalin's support for the United Nations- a world peace-keeping organization.


6. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?        
Germany would be divided into 4 zones; America, Britain, France and the USSR each would control one. These zones would eventually combine together for a reunited Germany. Stalin promised "free and unfettered elections" in Poland and other Eastern-European countries that the USSR occupied. Stalin also agreed to join in the war against Japan, and to participate in an international conference, where Roosevelt's dream of the United Nations would come true.


7. At the trials, many Nazis defended themselves by saying they were only following orders. What does this rationale tell you about the German military? Why was it important to negate this justification?   
This tells us how the German military would follow any order that they were given and were very loyal. It was important to negate these Nazis' justifications because despite the orders they were given, they still followed them and committed these horrible acts. This established the concept of individual responsibility even in times of war.