World War II in the Pacific

The Pacific theater of the Second World War was a war between Japan and the Allied powers across East Asia and the Pacific from 1941 to 1945.

Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japan’s surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The attack brought the United States into the Pacific war.
Battle of Guadalcanal: A campaign fought from August 1942 to February 1943 for control of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. It marked the first major Allied offensive against Japanese-held territory.
Second Sino-Japanese War: A war between China and Japan that began in 1937 and became part of the wider Second World War. Japan’s prolonged war in China preceded and shaped its Pacific campaigns.
Surrender of Japan: Japan’s acceptance of Allied surrender terms in August 1945, formally signed on September 2. It ended the Pacific war and began the Allied occupation of Japan.
Douglas MacArthur: A U.S. general who commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and later led the occupation of Japan. His return to the Philippines and role in Japan’s occupation marked major phases of the war.
Battle of Midway: A June 1942 naval battle in which U.S. forces defeated a Japanese fleet near Midway Atoll. The defeat checked Japan’s expansion and shifted naval initiative toward the Allies.
Battle of the Philippine Sea: A June 1944 naval battle in which U.S. forces inflicted heavy losses on Japanese carrier aviation. Its outcome further weakened Japan’s ability to contest Allied advances.
Japanese invasion of Manchuria: Japan’s 1931 seizure of Manchuria, followed by the creation of the puppet state Manchukuo. It began a period of expansion that brought Japan into conflict with other powers.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The U.S. atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. They were followed by Japan’s surrender and remain central to debates about the war’s end.
Chester W. Nimitz: A U.S. admiral who commanded Pacific Fleet and ocean-area forces during the war. His command directed the central Pacific advance toward Japan.

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