December 7, 1941 is known as “a day the will live in infamy” due to the surprise attack on the United States by Japan. The leading events to Pearl Harbor, the attack, and the after effects of the bombings are all actions that pushed America into the Second World war and have shaped the country to what it is today.
The precursors to Pearl Harbor showed that America’s involvement with the war was inevitable. Japan and China went back and forth having trade, land, and power disagreements. While America felt for the struggles China was going through, the U.S. did not have the desire to get involved in the conflict. America stayed neutral until 1939 when the U.S. began to terminate trade treaties with Japan. America put oil, steel, and iron
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On December 7th, the Japanese sent a message to the United States notifying them that they were breaking all ties and negotiations. Due to the length of the message, it was sent over multiple telegraphs and Japan had had hopes that it would be delivered at 7:30 in the morning (Pacific Time), just twenty-five minutes before the bombing would begin. However, communication issues got in the way of the message being delivered at that time. Decoders lagged and technology not being up to present day standards caused the message to arrive over an hour after the bombing of Pearl Harbor began and by then nothing could be done.
Shortly before 7:55 a.m., Japanese fighter planes flew in closer and closer to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. As they reached the naval base, the Japanese began their attack. They launched thousands of rounds to the ground below destroying everything in its path. Thousands of people were lost and millions of dollars of equipment was destroyed. Bombs fell from the sky, sinking the U.S.S Arizona and the men trapped inside of it. Torpedoes caused damage to other ships including U.S.S Oklahoma, U.S.S Utah, U.S.S West Virginia, and more. On land, there were close to three hundred planes destroyed. Out of all of these loses, the 3,500 men who died or were injured struck America the hardest.
Despite all of the losses, some of the military equipment came out unscathed. None of the aircraft carriers were in the harbor to get damaged and buildings holding oil,
The United State’s direct involvement in World War II officially began as soon as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Prior to that event, America had been providing arms and equipment to England but stopped short of any direct military confrontation with the Axis. The War in the Pacific was considered Asia’s War and the European War was considered a local conflict. US-Japanese relations had become strained in 1941, though America felt secure that her naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was powerful enough to discourage any aggression from Japan. On July 24, 1941, Japan occupied French Indo-China (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos). Two days after that, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets in the United States. American trade
December 7, 1941, was on of the worst attacks ever on the United States. Out of that day, 2,403 soldiers were killed in action, 1,178 were wounded in action. Through the misjudgments of numerous U.S. armed forces personnel, the Japanese were able to carry out this terrible attack, which crippled the United States’ Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The U.S is mainly a neutral country but if something happens they are not afraid to fight back. After the Japanese bombings on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7,1941 the U.S began to take part in the war. WW11 was the deadliest war in the history of the world and it was also the most significant. 12 countries participated in WW11 including America. Because of the amount of casualties and history the war has it is easy to say that is was the most important war the U.S has ever been involved in. America’s involvement is also one of the reason the war was ended because we had so much power. Things could have been much different in this world if America did not partake in the war.
December 7, 1941 was one of America’s darkest days. This was the day of the famous pearl harbor bombing. This attack came from the Japanese attacking the American Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack had been in the planning for many years to attack and weaken the United States Naval force. Japan wanted to do this to gain more superiority in the Atlantic and to grow their ties with European nations. In this paper I will talk about the people, the planning, the attack, and the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor bombing.
They came, unwarned. On the 7th of December 1941, the Japanese executed a full-fledged attack on Pearl Harbor. They mercilessly created havoc, with attacks that caused the sinking of eighteen American ships, as well as 170 aircrafts. The casualties were dreadful, with 1,177 of those lost lives had been of the crewmen. The very next day, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and thus the United States’ involvement of World War II. Americans of every state were absolutely enraged and bent on their will for vengeance against the Asian country. Within the shadows of galvanized America, Robert Oppenheimer had set his infamous Manhattan Project into action. This project was so disclosed that only a limited number of men truly knew of its purpose. The clandestine project held prior securities to the point in which famous scientists had to use codenames in order to visit Los Alamos, even wives were kept in the dark, and only key scientists could bring their wives along with them. (Source D) This project had been the discreet creation of the Atomic Bombs. Time and time again, this topic had never really dissipated, its controversial who, what and whys prompting generations to debate its palpable purpose. Was the aim really focused for the “good of all?” Was it for America’s self-preservation and wish to promptly put an end to all of the suffering? Many Americans to this day still believe and argue for the usefulness of the atomic bombings, that the droppings were justified.
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval plus the air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The bombing of Pearl Harbor was the start of America’s entrance into the Second World War. Just before 08:00 on the Sunday morning, hundreds of fighter planes descended onto the naval base incapacitating almost 20 naval vessels along with over 300 airplanes. The attack on Pearl Harbor also killed over 2,400 Americans
December 7, 1941, was one of the worst attacks on the United States in U.S. history. Of that day 2,403 soldiers were killed in action, 1,178 were wounded in action. Numerous U.S. armed forces personnel were misjudged, which allowed the Japanese to carry out this terrible attack. Not only did the Japanese hit the U.S. where they knew it would hurt the most, but it crippled the United States’ entire Pacific Fleet.
On December 7th, 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. On this horrific day over 2,400 Americans were killed by the bombs that the Japanese had dropped. A month preliminary to the attack, Japan sent a plenipotentiary to Washington to arrange the nation’s expansions in Asia. Although if the United States didn’t accept this aggression, Japan was ready to launch a surprise attack. President Roosevelt launched bombs to the Philippines between the Japanese and Dutch oil fields, before they had sent the plenipotentiary. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was over seven hours long, they were 353 Japanese fighter planes, torpedo planes launched bomb. They were a bombing blitz that destroyed 188 U.S. aircraft, had sunken 4 U.S. Navy battleships, and killed more than 2400 Americans with an additional 1,100 injured.
December 7th, 1941, was the day 2,403 Americans lost their lives and 1,200 wounded during the Japanese air raid, on Pearl Harbor. On this day, the US Navy lost almost the entire Pacific Fleet in the harbor. After the attack, all the ships were either sunk or severally damaged minus the aircraft carriers. The aircraft carriers luckily were still at sea. The total number of military personnel killed was 2,335, including 2,008 navy personnel, 109 marines, and 218 army. Added to this were 68 civilians, making the total 2403 people dead. 1,177 men alone were from the USS Arizona.
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 the ultimate disaster in the history of the United States occurred. “Pearl Harbor is a lagoon island on the island of Hawaii” . The deep-water Naval Base for the United States Pacific Fleet was docked and filled with United States servicemen.
The first attack against the U.S. done by the Japanese was the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor just before 8 a.m., it was devastating. The Japanese fighter planes destroyed around 20 naval ships and eight of them were some of the United State’s biggest battleships. The Japanese didn’t just destroy vessels, they also managed to destroy around 300 airplanes. The amount of American soldier’s lives lost was heart-rending, there were over 2,000 Soldiers and Sailors lost from the American fleet. There were also more than 1,000 wounded or critically injured on that horrifying day. The day of the Pearl Harbor attacks became known as “a date which will live in infamy”, and this day was only the beginning. This was only the midpoint of Japan’s attacks, the second half was the Bataan Death March.
The U.S. decision to enter World War II was not one which was hastily made. World War I had been simmering for some time, over two years in fact, prior to the U.S. entrance into this bloody affair. Endless debate had occurred at all levels of our government, and even among the general population, to the appropriate role of the U.S. in this war. As one factor after another combined to make U.S. involvement more of a probability, one factor in particular would prove to be the final straw which would topple the decision making process from one of restraint to one of action. This factor was, of course, the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was attacked on the morning of December 7, 1941 and would prove to be Japan’s greatest mistake, a mistake for which the consequences would extend throughout the war and well into Japan’s post-war future. More immediately, however, it would serve to drop the restraint which the U.S. had maintained as the war had raged on in Europe for over two years. The U.S. would have entered WWII even if the Japanese did not attack Pearl Harbor. The axis powers, Germany and Italy, were gaining to much power in Europe and then Japan decided that they were going to join with the axis powers, this was not settling well with the U.S.
America’s decision to abandon their neutral position in World War II was justifiable. America took almost every peaceful measure it could to avoid joining the war. However, after Japan bombed the American naval Base, Pearl Harbor, America could not remain neutral in the war. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor left a total of 2400 American civilians and servicemen dead. If America had not retaliated to this attack and had chosen to remain neutral, America would have been seen as weak. America would have possibly faced similar attacks. After America declared war against Germany, it joined the allied team which consisted of the Soviet Union and Britain. Although America did not know this on December 8, the date of declaration of war against japan,
Shortly before 8am on Sunday 7 December 1941 , the first of two waves of Japanese aircraft launched a devastating attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet, moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The raid, which came with no warning and no declaration of war, destroyed four battleships, leaving an additional 4 damaged in merely two hours. The attack destroyed 188 US aircraft, killed more than 2,400 Americans, and injured another 1,200 . Although remembered as “the day that will live in infamy”, the exact reason behind the attack on Pearl Harbor still remains unknown. Some believe that the Japanese were galvanized by Germany to attack the United States because of the assumption that the United States would be unable to concentrate all of its resources toward the fight with Japan. Germany desired assistance in the fight during World War II and, because of that, nearly guaranteed the United States’ defeat if Japan attacked. On the other side, it is believed that the Japanese prompted the Pacific war with the attack on Pearl Harbor in order to eliminate their primary competitor for resources in the Pacific and fulfill its destiny of creating a “greater East Asian co-prosperity sphere” .