Posted on 12/07/2019 12:18:50 PM PST by SeekAndFind
When Japanese bombers appeared in the skies over Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941, the U.S. military was completely unprepared for the devastating surprise attack, which dramatically altered the course of World War II, especially in the Pacific theater. But there were several key reasons for the bombing that, in hindsight, make it seem almost inevitable.
Tensions Began During the Great Depression
Before the Pearl Harbor attack, tensions between Japan and the United States had been mounting for the better part of a decade.
The island nation of Japan, isolated from the rest of the world for much of its history, embarked on a period of aggressive expansion near the turn of the 20th century. Two successful wars, against China in 1894-95 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05, fueled these ambitions, as did Japan’s successful participation in World War I (1914-18) alongside the Allies.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Japan sought to solve its economic and demographic woes by forcing its way into China, starting in 1931 with an invasion of Manchuria. When a commission appointed by the League of Nations condemned the invasion, Japan withdrew from the international organization; it would occupy Manchuria until 1945.
In July 1937, a clash at Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge began another Sino-Japanese war. That December, after Japanese forces captured Nanjing (Nanking), the capital of the Chinese Nationalist Party, or Guomindang (Kuomintang), they proceeded to carry out six weeks of mass killings and rapes now infamous as the Nanjing Massacre.
The U.S. Was Trying to Stop Japan’s Global Expansion
In light of such atrocities, the United States began passing economic sanctions against Japan, including trade embargoes on aircraft exports, oil and scrap metal, among other key goods, and gave economic support to Guomindang forces. In September 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, the two fascist regimes then at war with the Allies.
Tokyo and Washington negotiated for months leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack, without success. While the United States hoped embargoes on oil and other key goods would lead Japan would halt its expansionism, the sanctions and other penalties actually convinced Japan to stand its ground, and stirred up the anger of its people against continued Western interference in Asian affairs.
To Japan, war with the United States had become to seem inevitable, in order to defend its status as a major world power. Because the odds were stacked against them, their only chance was the element of surprise.
Destroying the Base at Pearl Harbor Would Mean Japan Controlled the Pacific
In May 1940, the United States had made Pearl Harbor the main base for its Pacific Fleet. As Americans didn’t expect the Japanese to attack first in Hawaii, some 4,000 miles away from the Japanese mainland, the base at Pearl Harbor was left relatively undefended, making it an easy target.
Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku spent months planning an attack that aimed to destroy the Pacific Fleet and destroy morale in the U.S. Navy, so that it would not be able to fight back as Japanese forces began to advance on targets across the South Pacific.
Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor would drive the United States out of isolation and into World War II, a conflict that would end with Japan’s surrender after the devastating nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
At first, however, the Pearl Harbor attack looked like a success for Japan. Its bombers hit all eight U.S. battleships, sinking four and damaging four others, destroyed or damaged more than 300 aircraft and killed some 2,400 Americans at Pearl Harbor.
Japanese forces went on to capture a string of current and former Western colonial possessions by early 1942—including Burma (now Myanmar), British Malaya (Malaysia and Singapore), the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and the Philippines—giving them access to these islands’ plentiful natural resources, including oil and rubber.
But the Pearl Harbor attack had failed in its objective to completely destroy the Pacific Fleet. The Japanese bombers missed oil tanks, ammunition sites and repair facilities, and not a single U.S. aircraft carrier was present during the attack. In June 1942, this failure came to haunt the Japanese, as U.S. forces scored a major victory in the Battle of Midway, decisively turning the tide of war in the Pacific.
There is an amazing movie from 2011 called The Admiral. It is a Japanese movie and tells the story from the Japanese perspective. The main character is, of course, Admiral Yamamoto. He was very much opposed to war with America for years but was overruled several times. It’s definitely worth a watch if you can find it.
Senator Bluto told us the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
It was pretty pushy of us to send a few flyers to Burma. That's probably why the Japanese invaded China in the first place!!! /s
The militarists in Japan was planning the conquest of Asia well before the 1930s. The only question was whether the coming war was going to be with the USA or the USSR.
Eh... Japan did not exactly attack Pearl Harbor, which is just a place. japan attacked the US at The Naval bass at Pearl Harbor- geographic would be the reason.
The question is why did Japan attack the US. However revisionists do pretend.
The attack may very well have been allowed to happen by FDR to get us into the war, as he desperately wanted.
If the Japanese and German coded messages were being read as the code was cracked, and we left ourselves wide open, then FDR’s name should go down in infamy.
One historical account says that communications between Japanese military leaders showed they were planning to conquer the United States for at least 20 years before Pearl Harbor. Their lead strategist, however, was killed in one of the early battles. Also, their communications showed they were afraid Americans were far too well armed for a successful land invasion. God intervened in their plans, blessed be the LORD!
dramatically altered the course of World War II, especially in the Pacific theater.
DU!..There was no Pacific theater till Pearl Harbor..its what started the Pacific theater of the war
You wouldn’t say Germany invading Poland on Sept 1 1939 dramatically altered the course of World War II, especially in the European theater would you?
It wasn’t only Japanese global expansionism. The Japanese were committing the most hideous war crimes imaginable in China. Stuff that would almost make the Nasi’s say OMG.
Because they wanted pearls.
Fake news!
The Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor... ;-)
CDR. Fuchida, argued with Nagumo over a third strike against the Navy Yard and the tank farms. Nagumo refused, saying that the mission had been accomplished. He also believed that American submaries were in the area and may strike the carriers.
That is a good point. Japanese brutality drove much of the opposition to them. Believe it or not, the hero of Nanking was a Nazi. He saved thousands of Chinese lives.
When I was working aerospace in the early 80's I worked with one little Chinese lady that cared. One day this biker came into work wearing a rising sun headband. He was about 6 foot, 250 pounds, She was all of 4'9 and about 60-years old, but she ripped him a new one till he finally threw the headband in the trash.
In 1929 the British Columbia government proposed a highway to Alaska to encourage economic development and tourism. American President Herbert Hoover appointed a board with American and three Canadian members to evaluate the idea. Its 1931 report supported the idea for economic reasons, but both American and Canadian members recognized that a highway would benefit the American military in Alaska. In 1933, the joint commission proposed the U.S. government contribute $2 million of the capital cost, with the $12 million balance borne by the Canadian and BC governments.[5] The Great Depression and the Canadian government’s lack of support caused the project to not proceed.
When the United States approached Canada again in February 1936, the Canadian government refused to commit to spending money on a road connecting the United States. The Canadians also worried about the military implications, fearing that in a war between Japan and North America, the United States would use the road to prevent Canadian neutrality. During a June 1936 visit to Canada, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Prime Minister W. L. M. King that a highway to Alaska through Canada could be important in quickly reinforcing the American territory during a foreign crisis. Roosevelt became the first American to publicly discuss the military benefits of a highway in an August speech in Chautauqua, New York. He again mentioned the idea during King’s visit to Washington in March 1937, suggesting that a $30 million highway would be helpful as part of a larger defense against Japan that included, the Americans hoped, a larger Canadian military presence on the Pacific coast. Roosevelt remained a supporter of the highway, telling Cordell Hull in August 1937 that he wanted a road built as soon as possible.[6] By 1938, Duff Pattullo, the BC premier, favored a route through Prince George. The U.S. offered either a $15 million interest-free loan, or to cover half the construction costs.[5]
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
True. Biden said so.
Because of the heavy toll taken by the Flying Tigers...
Khalkhin Gol. The Soviets handed the Imperial Army it’s ass. The defeat shut down any further argument for a thrust toward Siberia in favor of an attack on the British, American, French and Dutch interests in South West Asia.
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