The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Have you ever clicked on your TV to find yourself staring blankly for hours upon hours without a single recompense of the media you’ve mindlessly consumed; questioning what you’re doing with your life? Occasionally beating yourself up when you realize you’ve just become victim to the trap known as mainstream media. Finding yourself asking how all that time went down the drain.

( Source B: Relations with the U.S.) When Japan declared war on China in 1937, America responded with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. Pearl harbour was an irresistable target as the naval facilities were not defended and the entire Pacific fleet was moored around the

It wasn’t a sudden decision of the Japanese army to bomb Pearl Harbor, it was a long series of events which led to Pearl Harbor bombing. In fact, in the years antecedent to 1941 there was a lot of tension between the two countries. There were several events which scattered the attack on Pearl Harbor which was then used by the American government as an alibi to declare war to Japan. Over the course of the 1930s, Japan's increasingly expansionist policies brought it into renewed conflict with its neighbors, Russia and China (1).

The Japanese concluded that our military would be too big and strong in a couple of years, so Japan decided to strike first and bombed Pearl Harbor. The Prime Minister and War Minister of Japan said “when I think about the strengthening of American defenses in the Southwest Pacific, the expansion of the American fleet,...I see no end to the difficulties...I fear that we would become a third-class nation after two or three years if we just sat tight.” Japan bombed Pearl Harbor because they believed if they waited too long, the U.S would be unstoppable.

On December 7, 1941 Japanese planes and submarines delivered a surprise attack on the United States naval and air bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, with the support of Congress, President Roosevelt declared war on the country of Japan. This event marked the beginning of America’s involvement in World War II. Because of the Japanese nation’s small size, many people question why they decided to attack Pearl Harbor when so much could’ve gone wrong. The attacks major aims was to hold up the United States fleet long enough to keep them from interfering with Japan’s conquests. This included the Japanese strategies to expand their empire worldwide, the quest for desired resources, and plans to make sure military procedures were safe to move forward.

Introduction. I chose this battle because I had been hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but I did not know much about it. This paper talks about the countries that fought in this battle, where the battle was fought, what the geography was like during the battle, what the weather was like, what happened during this battle, how many casualties occurred, other things I learned about the battle, who won the battle, and how the battle was important to WWII.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his war speech and asserted December 7, 1941 as, “a date which will live in infamy.” The United States’ naval bases stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were struck by Japanese planes intentionally and promptly. The news of this attack on the Pearl Harbor shocked the world. It was devastating to the nation that were still in the throes of depression. Witnesses of this event painted a portrait of a nation stunned, but determined to rise again. The United States’ government had not disclosed a Pearl Harbor story to the public--that the U.S. had failed to act on advance information about a planned Japanese attack. Japan 's move against the United States was audacious enough to be considered no more than a slight possibility, although the potential for an attack had been widely discussed.

On December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. They demolished the entire United States Pacific Fleet. At the time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the thirty-second president of the United States. He was in his third term when the devastating attack began. The attacked took place at the U.S. Naval Base in Oahu, Hawaii. The air attack started at 7:48 in the morning, Hawaiian time. There were about 3,500 casualties from the bombing, and more than 2,300 of them were deaths. The attack beached or sank 12 American battleships, and nine others were severely damaged. A total of 160 aircraft were demolished and 150 were damaged (“The Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor”). Japan was planned to wipe out the Philippines, the East Indies, Malaya, and Burma. Their only concern was with the U.S. Pacific Fleet, they were afraid the U.S. would ruin their plans (“The Attack on Pearl Harbor”). In the address, Roosevelt asked Congress to have the United States enter World War II. The vote was unanimous, except for a Montana pacifist whose vote differed from the rest of the House (“A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”). All over the country, radio stations were interrupting broadcasts to deliver the news about the bombing. After the attack, most people knew that America was going to enter World War II long before the president gave his speech. Entering the war affected the country greatly, like taking America out of the Great Depression. Men were drafted to fight so there were many more

Japan and the United States had different kinds of relations that could have lead Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor.The United States military and Japan’s relationship seemed to get worse after Japan sank the USS Panay even though Japan apologized for sinking the ship. Japan became aware of the 19th and 20th century that there was threats from the different nations influence became very loyal. During 1939 - 1945 the United States, for the second time, applied domestic penalties to Japan and sends to Europe military supplies because Germany, Italy, and Japan made the Anti Comintern Pact. Japan wanted to take control over some land in northeastern China, this lead to domestic penalties that were charged against Japan from the United States and Europe. Even though the United States saw Japan as a minor threat because Japan had a few military compared to the United States navy. Japan decided to

It all started the morning of December 7, 1941 when Japanese leaders decided to bomb the United States. Families were then broke apart and things became much more complex in the lives of Americans. Pearl Harbor was not “just a bombing,” but in reality it is so much more. This bombing had a great impact on the whole world for World War II. The bombing of Pearl Harbor had many situations before the bombing, during the bombing, and after the bombing.

Japan and the United States had different kinds of relations that could have lead Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor.The United States military and Japan’s relationship seemed to get worse after Japan sank the USS Panay even though Japan apologized for sinking the ship. Japan became aware in the 19th and 20th century that there was threats from different nations influence became very loyal. During 1939 - 1945 the United States, for the second time, applied domestic penalties to Japan and sends to Europe military supplies because Germany, Italy, and Japan made the Anti Comintern Pact. Japan wanted to take control over some land in northeastern China, this lead to domestic penalties that were charged against Japan from the United States and Europe. Even though the United States saw Japan as a minor threat because Japan had a little military compared to the United States navy. Japan decided

After the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which made every person of japanese heritage on the east coast uproot and move to ten different internment camps. No matter what their loyalty or citizenship they were forced to get up and go to camps established in either California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. After all said and done this ended up at over one hundred and twenty thousand japanese americans. Sadly most Americans don 't know why they were moved from their homes, how they were removed, and how they were treated within these camps.

On December 7, 1941 -- the day that will always be commemorated as “the date which will live in infamy” by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- the Japanese unexpectedly attacked the United States’ naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This crippling attack caused many American casualties, and American citizens quickly became filled with fury and abhorrence; the detestation that swallowed the hearts of the American citizens was shown through President Roosevelt’s expeditious appeal to Congress to declare war against Japan. The attack on Pearl Harbor was an unforgettable day in history and directly affected the United States involvement in World War Two and the patriotism of the United States’ citizens.

In July 1940, the U.S. placed an embargo on Japan, hoping they would restrain Japan 's military aggression in China. Japan, a proud nation, would not hear of being dictated to by the United States and began to prepare for the attack on Pearl Harbor in early 1941. Meanwhile, there was some warning of the attack on America, but it went without being duly acknowledged. The day before the attack occurred, a code-breaker intercepted a message from the Japanese concerning the movement of ships at Pearl Harbor. The operator relayed the message to the superior officers who said they would get back to the radioman on Monday, December 8, 1941 (Socolow 43). Also, on the morning of the attack, a radar operator saw a large group of airplanes on the radar screen, and when he reported this, the senior officer said it was probably just some US Bombers and not to worry about them (HistoryNet.Com). The Japanese planes flew under the radar by flying through a pass in the mountains called Kolekole Pass. This maneuver added to the surprise of the attack. The frantic attack began on Sunday at 7:55 in the morning. A little before ten the entire attack was over (Pearl Harbor, Attack On). The men of Pearl Harbor fought with valor.

For many people, the defining “turning point” of the United States in the 21st century so far has been September 11th, 2001. The phrase “Post 9/11 World” has been synonymous with growing fears of terrorism at home and abroad and changes in our popular culture and way of life. 9/11 however is not unique in the way it has transformed American society. The attack on Pearl Harbor, “a date which will live in infamy,” also brought the United States into a war focused on eliminating a new adversary. Both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor gave increased power and scope to our federal government, changed American attitudes towards different racial/minority groups, and redefined America as a whole in their respective time periods.