FDR:December 7, 1941, "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy" (Video)

You Tube ^ | December 7, 1941 | Staff

[lbryce]

FDR's Address to The Nation in the aftermath of the sneak attack by the Imperial Forces of Japan on our naval base at Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War 2

[Grampa Dave]

“Unlike the lingering, wallowing in ineffectual sadness over 9-11. Have we yet settled on the exact dimensions of the “reflecting pool” at Grond Zero? You know, dimensions that will show “proper respect” to those lost on that day?”

PC ism and liberals wanting to control everything/everywhere are ruining our country.

[lbryce]

Isolationist forces across the USA and in Congress felt very strongly about keeping the US out of the war and so our military, production of modern weaponry were kept at a minimum.

The Japanese saw the realm of Asia,the Pacific Ocean as their very own but seeing the US as only obstacle in which to attain hegemony, free reign. They woefully underestimated the grit and determination in which they were pursued to the very end. They believed the US was weak, had no gumption to fight, and that once they would destroy US naval capabilities the US would sue for peace.

In the aftermath of major battles in which Japan's navy was decimated, the realization they had lost the gamble to defeat the US but they in fact did at one point in the very early stages of the war have the opportunity to defeat us. so while it does appear suicidal there was a strategy in place that had rationale to their way of thinking.

[jamaksin]

Where is that "sound" in my reply?

From Hull's "moral embargo" to the closing of the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping, all Japanese assets being frozen in the US, a world-wide embargo on oil shipment to Japan, etc., are all facts which the Japanese took as encirclement. To them, that is provocations.

The rest is history as they say.

[TalonDJ]

Their stated goal was a negotiated peace after militarily consolidating their pacific gains

Yes... and the 'military consolidation' meant they wanted to capture most of the pacific, china, south east Asia, and ever bit of the pacific east of Hawaii.

[TalonDJ]

Of course they thought that was provocation. They also thought their atrocities in China were fine. Who cares?

[EyeGuy]

“Where is that “sound” in my reply?”

####

Fine.

Remove the “sounds like” and make it a clear declarative sentence.

“Provocations” however, are the result of previous actions.

[jamaksin]

Perhaps - but also there are several other considerations.

For example, when the moderate Japanese PM offered to meet FDR, the US refusal led directly to the downfall of that "moderate" government with Tojo becoming the head of the "militaristics" government. It remains a question as to why FDR/Hull did not further pursue this path.

As another question - when the Chinese wanted to sue for peace with the Japanese, who promised aid (money and arms) to continue fighting? [Rationale here is to "tie down" Japanese troops. From what, however?]

Many other considerations.

[Baladas]

Hated his domestic policies, but I loved how FDR orated:

A day . . .which will live . . . in INNNNNNN-FAMMY

awesome possum.

[skeeter]

As another question - when the Chinese wanted to sue for peace with the Japanese, who promised aid (money and arms) to continue fighting? [Rationale here is to "tie down" Japanese troops. From what, however?]

Which Chinese sued for peace - the Kuomintang or the communists?

[jamaksin]

” ... and ever bit of the pacific east of Hawaii.” - have a citation for that?

[jamaksin]

Those amongst themselves (several times), but Chiang Kai-shek was talked out of it with Japanese.

Imagine ... Japanese as a threat to the USSR in the East while fighting the Germans in the West.

[skeeter]

It remains a question as to why FDR/Hull did not further pursue this path.

Becasue PM Konoye's proposal, sent in advance, stipulated that Japan's army remain in both China and SE Asia.

From FDR's prespective this was no basis for the meeting.

[freedommom]

My dad was on the U.S.S. Arizona when it was bombed on that fateful day. (one of about 80 actual survivors)
He joined with 19 other men (friends) from a small town
in Alabama ,they all perished.

He seldom spoke to anyone about this event.
A history professor convinced him to do a oral history.
He was talking of emotions after the attack . He told how a
country boy drove a tractor to clear the airport after the attack.The interviewer kept pushing as to who was in charge.
He told the interviewer that a person did whatever they were big enough to do. He refused to talk to the person who wrote the story that was turned into a movie about the attack.
That was some generation .
He was there at the start (Dec7,1941) and was also there for Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[dfwgator]

the realization they had lost the gamble to defeat the US but they in fact did at one point in the very early stages of the war have the opportunity to defeat us.

If our aircraft carriers were in Pearl on December 7th, they might very well had won.

[skeeter]

Imagine ... Japanese as a threat to the USSR in the East while fighting the Germans in the West.

This was the army's ultimate goal up until the time of Khalin Gol, when they were roundly humiliated.

Which is too bad, because influence then shifted to the navy which, needing oil, advocated the 'strike south' strategy that concluded with the December blitz & the PH attack.

[jamaksin]

There is a question as to just how flexible the troop dispositions were as were the timeframe(s) for withdraw.

One part of the puzzle was US involvement in "ending" the war with China.

Japan's leverage was their ability to cut-off the Burma Road, here the Brits being occupied elsewhere were too weak to stop that.

[jamaksin]

There is a question as to just how flexible the troop dispositions were as were the timeframe(s) for withdraw.

One part of the puzzle was US involvement in "ending" the war with China.

Japan's leverage was their ability to cut-off the Burma Road, here the Brits being occupied elsewhere were too weak to stop that.

[jamaksin]

And the fuel farms, machine shops, and oilers were all targets ...

[EyeGuy]

“...but they in fact did at one point in the very early stages of the war have the opportunity to defeat us.”

#####

Temporarily. Perhaps.

But they could have done nothing to shut down the industrial might of a rearming US running at full bore and with a determined resolve.

Did they really think we would sue for peace after Pearl, regardless of the outcome?

[jamaksin]

The Japanese knew in 1940, from the German surface-raider's capture of British COS (Chief of Staff) documents from the mail of a "Blue Funnel" steamer, that the British military would not defend the Far East; they were simply spread too thin.

For the Japanese, the US Asiatic Fleet and the Dutch warships posed little threat. Only one target remained.