The Root Causes of Pearl Harbor Serve as Important Lessons for America Today

DB Daily Update ^ | David Blackmon

[EyesOfTX]

The origins of the Pearl Harbor attack can be traced back to 1853 when the United States essentially forced a feudal Japan to open trade via Commodore Matthew Perry’s squadron of armed ships. Japan, at that time was very much like much of Europe was centuries before with warlords using the obsolete sword as the primary weapon of war duking it out among their various tribes with little central control. This forced Japan out of some 250 years of self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world and they opened one port for international trade. Other nations, including Russia soon followed trading with Japan.

Japan’s leadership saw how far they were behind in weaponry and understood they were vulnerable to becoming a dominated colony. Unlike China and the Philippines and even America’s Native Americans they decided it was far better off to unite and be able to defend their homeland rather than be subjugated under another nation’s rule.

Of the seven major powers in World War II, only England was a mature nation with centuries of consistent governance. It took until the middle 1800s for America (1865 and many years after to recover from the Civil War), Japan (1868), and Italy and Germany to become unified nations. The ruling dynasties of Russia and China had collapsed by 1917 and the 1920s, respectively. Japan, once unified, took great pains to ‘catch up’ with western technology and essentially armed itself to the teeth to make it very costly for any power to colonize them. That coupled with their islands having virtually no exploitable resources ensured their independence on the world stage.

Throughout this period England had the most powerful navy and it only made sense that Japan would emulate it and in fact formed an alliance and a trading partnership with England. Originally warships and other weapons were imported, studied and copied and once their industrial base became developed, they built their own. England and other European Powers were happy to have another customer for its military accoutrements and with the purchaser on the other side of Asia they did not feel threatened. This was also the time when wooden sailing ships were being replaced by steel and coal power and other modern technologies from which Japan benefitted greatly.

Within twenty-seven years Japan embarked on being a colonial power and fought their first war with China where they gained Formosa (Taiwan) at little cost. Ten years later (1904-5), seeing the building of the Russian Trans-Siberian Railroad as a threat, they launched a sneak attack on Russia and opened their second conflict without a formal declaration of war against a neighbor. They were unbelievably successful and defeated what was considered a first-class western power and navy; the world took notice.

Troubles with America began brewing at about this time and would fester for the next four decades until that fateful “Day of Infamy”. The highlights are:

Late 1800s, America acquired the Philippines which was viewed as a threat

Theodore Roosevelt intervened in the Russo-Japanese War and was and forced the Treaty of Portsmouth on Japan which halted the war, but was seen as another unwelcome intervention. The peace deal greatly benefitted Japan at the time because they were still very weak economically and even winning was bankrupting them. As an ally of England Japan defeated Germany in 1918 and gained many German colonies in the central Pacific at little cost by being on the right side. In 1921-2, the United States forced a naval arms limitation treaty on the Japanese which ultimately saved Japan from going broke and America from embarking on an expensive arms race. Japan and America were the only two countries not severely impacted by World War I and the other naval powers had no ability to engage in such a race. Japan wanted naval parity but was forced to accept second rate naval status; they greatly resented being limited to building 60% of what the United States and Great Brittan could. America, through its diplomacy, forced a fracturing of the Anglo-Japan trade and arms alliance further exacerbating the deteriorating relations. However, England still sent military equipment and a training – most notably in naval aviation – commission to Japan. America’s purpose was to prevent Japan and England ganging up on the US Navy from the Atlantic and Pacific in a continued alliance – we still were not all that friendly with England post World War I. America passed very restrictive immigration laws in the 1920s severely limiting Japanese immigration, and later during the Depression enacted trade tariffs which destroyed Japanese exports to the United States. While Japan was embracing capitalism and modern ways, their centuries old traditions were always in the forefront especially regarding the tradition of the emperor and racial purity. When the worldwide Depression hit, Japan was among the hardest hit. The militant wing of the military gradually took over and much of the nominal civilian control of their government was run by assignation throughout the thirties. The cause of much of this upheaval was the near total autonomy granted to the army and navy and the perceived failing of western capitalism as an economic system. In short, during the 1930s Tokyo could not control the Army and the Army could not control its mid-level officers when they were stationed next to Mongolia, China and the USSR.

These hotheads provoked border clashes with all three nations. In 1930, another naval arms treaty was forced upon Japan which was even more unpopular with its hawks in the navy. In 1931 army officers precipitated the Manchuria ‘incident’. The result was a large territorial gain with some resources but international condemnation. Ultimately this led to Japan walking out on the worthless League of Nations when they were condemned by the body in 1934. At around this time Japan also quit the naval treaty restrictions as of 1936. Japan was rapidly becoming a rogue nation and was seen as a regional bully. With the depression deepening, the hotheads in the military never being sanctioned by their superiors and gaining ever more power, Japan saw its destiny as being the leader of the Orient, they had their own version of lebensraum (living space), which was dubbed “The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” with the ultimate goal of driving out the European colonial powers.

In 1937 another boarder ‘incident’ was provoked, this time with China which was embroiled in its own civil war and was always seen as being weak since the collapse of its running dynasty decades earlier. This conflict resulted in an eight-year quagmire with no victory, great losses, and a near premature war with the United States. Only a massive diplomatic apology for sinking a US Navy gunboat, the Panay, averted open conflict.

Soon thereafter, there was another boarder clash – this time with the USSR – and the Japanese Army got its nose bloodied and quickly sued for peace and later signed a long-term non-aggression pact with Stalin. This ‘incident’, as Japan liked to call their undeclared wars was a disaster for her because it forced the permanent deployment of over half its army to defend against a feared USSR attack and paralyzed their military doctrine which effectively reduced their ability to fight America in the Pacific.

Japan soon thereafter allied with Germany and Italy, by formally joining the Axis. Further incursions into China caused the United States to begin trade embargoes on vital resources. When Japan’s Army bullied its way into French Indochina (Vietnam) in July of 1941 to gain a key staging point, Roosevelt got the world to cut off all oil supply to Japan. This was intolerable and Japan was going to have to either accede to America’s demands which included leaving ALL of China in order to get the oil and other resource trade resumed or fight. Even without the embargo Japan was going to default on foreign trade by 1942. The only way to stave off economic disaster was territorial expansion and take the resources it needed to achieve hegemony and self-sufficiency. Being in a similar circumstance as Germany in 1938, they followed Hitler’s route to war and national destruction.

Japan’s initial targets were England’s Malaysia, Singapore and Burma and the Netherlands’ (Dutch) East Indies in order for it to survive as an independent nation and not a colony under the Allies’ thumb. As events transpired, France had fallen which allowed for the bloodless grab of their Indochina colony which gave them a vital operation base for future expansion. The Netherlands likewise fell to Hitler and their oil producing islands were ripe for conquest. England was known to be extremely weak in Asia and was fighting for its very existence, so her prized colonies were also vulnerable. Furthermore, in late 1941 the USSR was on the brink of collapse and not a threat at that time. All these ambitions could have been successfully realized at this time except for one major problem.

That problem was the United States and its Philippine possession which laid astride the main line of advance to the southern resource areas that Japan needed. Earlier in 1941 the US Navy was permanently stationed at Pearl Harbor from the US west coast which represented a major threat that could not be ignored. Japan’s plans of conquest would likely succeed only if America remained neutral. However, since America was already seen for decades as a probable future belligerent, it had to be incorporated into the grand scheme. And finally, one other event occurred which forced the Pearl Harbor attack decision: After the fall of France, America embarked upon a massive naval building program that would be realized in 1943-44.

In 1941 Japan’s Navy was equal to or held numerical superiority over the US Pacific Fleet, however it would be dwarfed by the US Navy in three years AND be out of oil. The window of opportunity and time to strike was at the end of 1941 when American strength and the other allies were at their nadir. The strategic situation was never going to be better and the economic and military dynamic was only going to deteriorate. By mid-1941, Japan had found itself truly between a rock and a hard place, but it was a rock and a hard place largely of its own making.

The three thousand plus mile sneak attack on Pearl Harbor was extremely contrary to Japan’s Naval doctrine which was basically defensive in nature and designed to be fought within a thousand or so miles of their home Islands. The main reason Pearl Harbor was attacked was to disable the US Pacific Fleet (like they did with Russia in 1904) to gain a six month breathing space whereby Japan could conquer the southern islands, get their resources flowing and capture the Philippines without interference form the (on paper) powerful US Pacific Fleet. In that regard she succeeded brilliantly with their tactical raid which should have been strategic attack. In the end it was a strategic blunder because it galvanized a lethargic America like nothing else could have and spelled Japan’s doom.

In closing, America also bears some of the blame in its clumsy handling of Japan in the forty years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, and because it began rebuilding its military and navy far too late to thwart Japan’s imperialist ambitions. Had the mobilization and new construction begun when Japan quit the limitation treaties, invaded China, attacked the USSR, when Germany attacked Poland, or when Japan joined the Axis, it would most likely have persuaded its leaders that a war with the United States was a no-win proposition under any circumstances. Reagan’s doctrine of “Peace Through Strength” was a true then as it was in the 1980s and is true today. A powerful unassailable United States would probably have kept Japan at bay and it likely would have forced them to play nice on the international stage.

A perceived weak United States always emboldens mischief from nations controlled by tyrants.

[BroJoeK]

"You're making the assertion US wartime production would have been what it was even without US involvement in the War."

No, I'm only saying that by 1940, as the graph shows, US employment was already the highest in history to date, the Great Depression was behind us and FDR did not need more "stimulus" from yet more increased war-time production.
By 1940 the US was doing just fine economically.

So the "real reasons" for the US going to war go back to what was said at the time -- FDR wanted to help out our British, French, Dutch, Norwegian & other allies, and he especially wanted to defeat "unconditionally" the Nazi Germans.

[ealgeone]

IF, as you assert, FDR wanted to defeat the Germans he could have asked for a Declaration of War in 1939 when the British and French declared war on Germany....IF he wanted to defeat the Germans.

btw...what is the source for your employment figures?

[BroJoeK]

eagleone: "IF, as you assert, FDR wanted to defeat the Germans he could have asked for a Declaration of War in 1939 when the British and French declared war on Germany....IF he wanted to defeat the Germans."

By 1939 nearly all Americans felt burned and deceived by the First World War and wanted no part of another.
Polls taken in September 1939 and early 1940 showed upwards of 90% of Americans opposed declaring war against Germany.
As late as the summer of 1941 around 80% of Americans still opposed going to war.
So FDR did not ask Congress for a declaration of war then, only for what most all Americans did agree to -- supplying weapons to our allies.

eagleone: "btw...what is the source for your employment figures?"

From here.
The unemployment numbers are not as rosy, but by 1940 & 1941, they are moving steeply in the right direction:

[ealgeone]

Your graph disproves your assertion the economy was rebounding and would have done so without the war. We would not have spent the money on lend lease as we did full scale war.

[BroJoeK]

No, the graphs show that employment was already higher than pre-Depression and unemployment was rapidly moving down, before December 7, 1941.

Unemployment continued to fall in 1942, all based on military spending approved BEFORE December 7, 1941.
So I’m not saying the US economy would have done as well without war as with, only that it was already on pretty good shape by end of 1941 and would have stayed good even absent Pearl Harbor.

[ealgeone]

You continue to make my point....FDR needed and wanted the war to get the economy going as the ND had failed.

[BroJoeK]

No, but you continue to ignore the obvious: the US economy by 1940 was in good shape and rapidly improving without a US declaration of war.
So FDR did not "need" war for economic reasons, but he did absolutely want to help our European allies and defeat the Nazi Germans.

The Japanese were a secondary issue, but, as it turned out, helpful in achieving FDR's primary objective: the utter destruction of Nazi Germany.

[ealgeone]

By 1940 the US was doing just fine economically.

14% unemployment is doing just fine??

You and Obama and the libs view a well performing economy way different than the rest of us.

Without the War the economy was not doing "fine" as you say.

[CodeToad]

“I have never known why FDR wanted us in a war.”

AS with all the wars the democrats have gotten us into: To hide their failed economic and domestic policies. The Great Depression was FDR’s fault. It should never have happened, and after 10 years it was still ongoing at the start of WWII.

[ealgeone]

""In closing, America also bears some of the blame in its clumsy handling of Japan in the forty years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, and because it began rebuilding its military and navy far too late to thwart Japan's imperialist ambitions."

To a degree there is some truth in this. FDR cut the oil to Japan, along with other material embargos, threatening their economy. He had also shut the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. The impact of the scrap iron, oil and copper embargos were very impactful in driving Japan's future actions.

He knew war was coming with Japan...and as I've stated previously, believe he wanted the US in the war.

Richardson asked the President if the United States was going to war. Roosevelt's view was: At least as early as October 8, 1940, ...affairs had reached such a state that the United States would become involved in a war with Japan. ... 'that if the Japanese attacked Thailand, or the Kra Peninsula, or the Dutch East Indies we would not enter the war, that if they even attacked the Philippines he doubted whether we would enter the war, but that they (the Japanese) could not always avoid making mistakes and that as the war continued and that area of operations expanded sooner or later they would make a mistake and we would enter the war.' ... .[6][7]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Events_leading_to_the_attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

The breaking of their diplomatic code should have been the key we were looking for.

I think a lot of historians are bending over backwards to protect FDR's legacy.

[Vehmgericht]

FDR did not like Germans. They had arrested three times in his youth. Germany was a threat. It was a threat to the Soviet Union. “In closing, America also bears some of the blame...” What is “America”? Is it the American people who were overwhelmingly opposed to the war, or was it the leadership who were worried about the future of the Soviet Union. The war was precipitated by an ultimatum to Japan delivered to Secretary Morgenthau by Harry Dexter White, a Soviet agent. The ultimatum originated in Moscow. The Japanese diplomatic code was broken. It all went according to plan, delivering half of Europe to the Soviets.

[Captain Peter Blood]

READ Nigel Hamilton’s three volume series on FDR as Commander In Chief. All of these stuff with Japan and Germany are covered, well researched books. There a something on MacArthur that stinks to high heaven while he was on Corregidor.

[dfwgator]

If FDR was so anxious to go to war, why didn’t he declare war in October of 1941, when the Germans sunk the Reuben James?

[Captain Peter Blood]

Admiral Thomas Hart, commander of the Asiatic Fleet was ready and did not lose any ships when Japan attacked. Hart got too vocal in his criticism of FDR and was relieved of his command. Great sea Admiral.

[ealgeone]

He was a typical politician....afraid to do the right thing.

He told Stalin he would have to stand for a third term for the US to win the war. I think the US would have done just fine if he'd only served two terms.

[dfwgator]

I always laugh when thinking if we had FR back in 1939/40.

Everybody would have been calling each other, one of the following:

Hitler Lover
Stalin Lover

or worst of all, FDR Lover. ;)

[ealgeone]

LOL...true!

[Captain Peter Blood]

What bunk.

[ealgeone]

BUT....we might not have had FDR if we’d had FR back then!

[timestax]

Somebody did something.= The Squat.