Answer:
Japan strongly and passionately defended Iwo Jima because it was considered part of the Japanese homeland.
Explanation:
Iwo Jima is an island in the Ogasawara Group in the Pacific, only 750 away from Tokyo. During World War II, this island was a strategically important place, as it could be an airbase for American bombers to attack Tokyo.
The Battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and the Empire of Japan took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945, during World War II. The battle ended with the Americans gaining control of the island of Iwo Jima and its airports. 22,000 Japanese were killed or eventually killed themselves, and just over 6,825 Americans were killed.
Very few Japanese surrendered, only a few hundred.
The extraordinary willingness to fight even when the battle was lost and the readiness for suicidal counter-attacks that the Japanese displayed at Iwo Jima, among others, helped make the decision to use nuclear weapons later in the year very easy for Americans. They did so because the island was considered an integral part of the Japanese territory, and they had the orders (but also the willingness) to defend it until death.
