The morning of December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor was not expected by us Americans. A devastating two hours of living through the attack resulted in 20 destroyed American naval bases, including eight battleships and 200 airplanes[1]. “More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded”[2]. What lead to this tragic event? Well it seems that the United States had already encountered conflicts with Japan prior to this date. The United States was unhappy with Japanese’s attitude towards China[3]. The Japanese believed that in order to solve their own economic and demographic problems, they would expand their territory to their neighbors, China[4]. As a result, Japan declared war on China in 1937, a war that lead up to World War II. Although the United States was not involved in the war aspect of this conflict, American officials responded with aggression with economic sanctions and trade embargo's[5].
The United States plan backfired when the Japanese stood their ground and where more determined to conquer what they wanted. It seems that the United States was cutting on money and goods, especially oil in China, which angered the Japanese officials[6]. Neither Japan nor the United States could reason things out without going to war.
The United States plan backfired when the Japanese stood their ground and where more determined to conquer what they wanted. It seems that the United States was cutting on money and goods, especially oil in China, which angered the Japanese officials[6]. Neither Japan nor the United States could reason things out without going to war.
Japanese strategies on attacking American bases where thought off well. The Americans never saw coming the attack so near to home. They expected to either not be attacked at all, and if they were, they expected an attack nearby the European colonies, the Dutch East Indies[7]. The bases in Pearl Harbor were not well protected for an attack, an irresistible target for the Japanese.
President Roosevelt was so determined that if the Japanese were going to attack it would be near the Dutch Indian oil fields. To this, he set up bombers in the Philippines, between both the Japanese and the oil fields, as well as sending U.S fleet to the Pacific[8]. On December 2, 1941, Hawaii was sent a message from Washington D.C mentioning that Isoroku Yamamoto, a Japanese Marshal Admiral and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, was planning a Pacific attack, that this was a war warning with no date and no place specified[9].
Five days later, the American naval bases on Pearl Harbor were under attack by the Japanese. Their battleships were the first targeted. Aircraft carriers were saved, as they were sent away from the base earlier that morning. The attack had killed thousands, lives that were not able to bring back like they did with the rebuilding of the ships of the USS Utah and Arizona[10]. Many of their onshore facilities were still protected, allowing the U.S Navy to rebound quickly from the attack[11].
President Roosevelt was so determined that if the Japanese were going to attack it would be near the Dutch Indian oil fields. To this, he set up bombers in the Philippines, between both the Japanese and the oil fields, as well as sending U.S fleet to the Pacific[8]. On December 2, 1941, Hawaii was sent a message from Washington D.C mentioning that Isoroku Yamamoto, a Japanese Marshal Admiral and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, was planning a Pacific attack, that this was a war warning with no date and no place specified[9].
Five days later, the American naval bases on Pearl Harbor were under attack by the Japanese. Their battleships were the first targeted. Aircraft carriers were saved, as they were sent away from the base earlier that morning. The attack had killed thousands, lives that were not able to bring back like they did with the rebuilding of the ships of the USS Utah and Arizona[10]. Many of their onshore facilities were still protected, allowing the U.S Navy to rebound quickly from the attack[11].
The public, hearing broadcasts of what had happened that day, saw forthcoming that war was near. As they concluded, President Roosevelt, on December 8, 1941, a day after the Pearl Harbor attack, said:
“‘The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.’…'No matter [how] long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.[12]”
Americans were willing to go to war after such day that left them determine to fight for their country against those that harmed thousands of soldiers. From the beginning the Japanese wanted to push the United States into agreement with lifting the economic sanctions against them. On the other hand, they pushed themselves into a Global conflict that the Japanese created as a result of using a foreign power[13].
“‘The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.’…'No matter [how] long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.[12]”
Americans were willing to go to war after such day that left them determine to fight for their country against those that harmed thousands of soldiers. From the beginning the Japanese wanted to push the United States into agreement with lifting the economic sanctions against them. On the other hand, they pushed themselves into a Global conflict that the Japanese created as a result of using a foreign power[13].
On December 8, 1941, the United States finally declared war on the Japanese, beginning their start in World War II. Three days after the declaration of the war, Japan’s Axis powers declared war on the U.S.[14]. It took two years after the initial conflict that started the war, that United States was finally entered to fight, after only being help to sending supply loans to the Allied forces[15]. All this as a result of the day will live in infamy. A surprise attack to the American Naval Bases on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii by the Japanese, on December 7, 1941.
Bibliography:
[1] "Pearl Harbor." History.com. 2009. Accessed April 3, 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor.
[2] "Pearl Harbor."
[3] "Pearl Harbor."
[4] "Pearl Harbor."
[5] "Pearl Harbor."
[6] "Pearl Harbor."
[7] "The Perilous Fight, Pearl Harbor." Accessed April 3, 2015. http://www.pbs.org/perilousfight/battlefield/pearl_harbor/.
[8] "The Perilous Fight, Pearl Harbor."
[9] "The Perilous Fight, Pearl Harbor."
[10] "Pearl Harbor."
[11] "Pearl Harbor."
[12] "Pearl Harbor."
[13] "Pearl Harbor."
[14] "Pearl Harbor."
[15] "The Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor." Accessed April 3, 2015. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_pearlhar_3.html.