Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor Essay
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 appeared to be quite unexpected to say the least. The American naval fleet on the base of Pearl Harbor suffered a catastrophic blow at the hands of the Japanese army. Ninety minutes after it had all started, the attack was over; more than 2000 Americans had lost their lives, there was over 1000 wounded, a loss of 200 aircraft and the Japanese had managed to sink eighteen ships including five battleships. Compared to the United States of America, the Japanese loss of 29 aircraft and 55 men seemed trivial. Pearl Harbor was left in a state of "dreadful turmoil." However, this attack wasn't as unanticipated as the American public was made to believe, the United States had been trying mercilessly for some time to find a means of entrance into the European war. A pre-war poll showed that 88 percent of Americans opposed the involvement of the United
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States of America in the European war, thus Franklin D. Roosevelt could not enter the United States in the war without losing his popularity and most likely the next election; though he had gone on the record as saying "I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars." This led Roosevelt into an active campaign aimed to backdoor the United States of America into the European war, all the while ensuring the support of the American public; Pearl Harbor was exactly what did it. It was this attack that gave the government of the United States of America what they wanted all along, an entrance into the European war without facing the wrath of the American public.
During the 1920s, the global economy was thriving, consumers were purchasing, merchants were profiting, the world had no care, everyone seemed to believe that the it could only get better, except that was not the case. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed leaving the world economy in disarray. Families throughout the world felt the impact of the Great Depression, prices were high, incomes were low, many were left jobless and had little more than the clothes on their backs. So when Adolf Hitler came forth and promised the german public that their country would rise in stature and power to how it was before the first World War, it is clear to see why the chose him to lead their country. Hitler did indeed follow through with his promises, his expansionism was what created jobs and slowly brought the public back to their previous level of living. However Nazi Germany was not the only country that was gaining wealth and power through expansionism; Japan was doing the same.
During the early 1900s the west had been to preoccupied with its own agenda's to pay much attention to Japan, leaving the country in isolation more or less to carry on how it pleased, and while the western powers were busied with the problems in the Western hemisphere, Japan's isolation grew ever more so.
The isolation led to Japanese expansion at the expense of Russia and China. The American government, thought not readily active in the war, were supplying the allied forces with more and more materials as the British continue to face heavy losses. Unable by now to keep the United States in disinterest with the European conflict, the Axis were now forced to threatened America in hopes that it would become to preoccupied with its own affairs to aid Britain. The United States at this point is a fairly strong ally of the British without being directly involved in the war; the Roosevelt administration wanted in, but they did not know how that would be possible without risking their public persona and losing the opportunity to be re-elected in the following
elections.
These thoughts led to a memo known as the McCollum memo. The memo was entitled Estimate of the Situation in the Pacific and Recommendations for Action by the United States,' thus clearly showing that the government of the United States intended to do something that related to the crisis occurring worldwide. The United States had tried mercilessly to get an entrance into the war by means of Germany and Italy, but both countries seemed to understand that if the United States were to enter the war it could be a major setback for the Axe and lead the their defeat therefore they tried to avoid conflict with the United States by means of preventing them from entering the war. The United States then decided to direct their efforts towards Japan. Since the Japanese had created a military alliance with Germans and Italians, by declaring war against Japan, the United States would find themselves in war against the Germans and Italians automatically, thus catapulting them straight into the middle of the European conflict.
Japan's assets in America were frozen, the Panama Canal was closed to her, not allowing her to ships good through there, vital exports to Japan such as oil were halting and soon enough the United States of America joined Britain in an all-out embargo.
The diplomatic efforts between the two countries did not venture far, the United States refused to give up much ground and the Japanese felt the same. Thus leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, an area pin-pointed by the Japanese as a strategic move. The United States got exactly what they wanted, "If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better," a reason to enter the World War without losing public support.
States of America in the European war, thus Franklin D. Roosevelt could not enter the United States in the war without losing his popularity and most likely the next election; though he had gone on the record as saying "I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars." This led Roosevelt into an active campaign aimed to backdoor the United States of America into the European war, all the while ensuring the support of the American public; Pearl Harbor was exactly what did it. It was this attack that gave the government of the United States of America what they wanted all along, an entrance into the European war without facing the wrath of the American public.
During the 1920s, the global economy was thriving, consumers were purchasing, merchants were profiting, the world had no care, everyone seemed to believe that the it could only get better, except that was not the case. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed leaving the world economy in disarray. Families throughout the world felt the impact of the Great Depression, prices were high, incomes were low, many were left jobless and had little more than the clothes on their backs. So when Adolf Hitler came forth and promised the german public that their country would rise in stature and power to how it was before the first World War, it is clear to see why the chose him to lead their country. Hitler did indeed follow through with his promises, his expansionism was what created jobs and slowly brought the public back to their previous level of living. However Nazi Germany was not the only country that was gaining wealth and power through expansionism; Japan was doing the same.
During the early 1900s the west had been to preoccupied with its own agenda's to pay much attention to Japan, leaving the country in isolation more or less to carry on how it pleased, and while the western powers were busied with the problems in the Western hemisphere, Japan's isolation grew ever more so.
The isolation led to Japanese expansion at the expense of Russia and China. The American government, thought not readily active in the war, were supplying the allied forces with more and more materials as the British continue to face heavy losses. Unable by now to keep the United States in disinterest with the European conflict, the Axis were now forced to threatened America in hopes that it would become to preoccupied with its own affairs to aid Britain. The United States at this point is a fairly strong ally of the British without being directly involved in the war; the Roosevelt administration wanted in, but they did not know how that would be possible without risking their public persona and losing the opportunity to be re-elected in the following
elections.
These thoughts led to a memo known as the McCollum memo. The memo was entitled Estimate of the Situation in the Pacific and Recommendations for Action by the United States,' thus clearly showing that the government of the United States intended to do something that related to the crisis occurring worldwide. The United States had tried mercilessly to get an entrance into the war by means of Germany and Italy, but both countries seemed to understand that if the United States were to enter the war it could be a major setback for the Axe and lead the their defeat therefore they tried to avoid conflict with the United States by means of preventing them from entering the war. The United States then decided to direct their efforts towards Japan. Since the Japanese had created a military alliance with Germans and Italians, by declaring war against Japan, the United States would find themselves in war against the Germans and Italians automatically, thus catapulting them straight into the middle of the European conflict.
Japan's assets in America were frozen, the Panama Canal was closed to her, not allowing her to ships good through there, vital exports to Japan such as oil were halting and soon enough the United States of America joined Britain in an all-out embargo.
The diplomatic efforts between the two countries did not venture far, the United States refused to give up much ground and the Japanese felt the same. Thus leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor, an area pin-pointed by the Japanese as a strategic move. The United States got exactly what they wanted, "If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better," a reason to enter the World War without losing public support.