The Attack On Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941 Japan stealthily attacked the U.S. Naval base located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii resulting in many casualties. This IMC plan will outline the objectives, strategies and tactics in order to promote awareness of the attacks as well as develop positive community involvement.

The battleships, primary targets in the attack, remained anchored along an area referred to as “Battleship Row”. Within minutes after the assault began the USS Arizona sunk to the bottom of the bay taking 1,177 lives with her

On December 7th, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, causing it to become one of the most infamous days in American history. Although numerous Americans grieve the event each year, many people do not know what caused the tragedy to occur.

The Japanese had plans to make their way across the South Pacific, and they knew that, in order to do so, the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor must be demolished.

Over the years, there are many questions relating to the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. The main question is was the attack of Pearl Harbor provoked or was it an act of miscalculations? Some say President Franklin Roosevelt provoked the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor, others say that government officials did not interpret the Japanese warnings incorrectly.

Not only was the attack on Pearl Harbor a mistake on Japan’s part, but had it not happened, the axis powers would have won world war II. The Japanese attack, without the full backing of its nation’s power lead to a less than devastating effect on the American Naval forces. The declaration of war on Japan, lead to Germany declaring war on America, directly lead to America giving full support to the European war and further declining the Nazi power leading to its ultimate defeat.

Many events have changed the history of our nation and other nations. In 1941, Japan attacked American soil in Pearl Harbor. Many lives were lost that morning. However many questions were left behind. Whose fault was it, could the attack have been prevented. In few, articles, it’s said the President Roosevelt knew about the attack. On the other hand, what could have caused the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor? Many questions remain, but all we know these events endlessly changed America and Japan.

When people saw those Japanese fighter planes appear over the Pearl Harbor sky, not one of them thought that it was going change the course of American history forever. The Japanese didn’t just attack out of hatred; it was out of their eagerness for power and supplies. This lead to the start of one of the most tragic World War the United States has seen. That is why December 7, 1941 is known as a date that will live in

Pearl Harbor was a very horrific attack on the United States. The attack was brought on by the United States not wanting to get involved in war. But Japan wouldn 't stop until they got more land and a way to produce their own resources. Japan being able to produce their own resources would make them stronger by not having to rely on other countries resources. The United States began to feel threatened by Japanese military actions toward China in hope of expanding their empire, because the United States had a piece of land that they owned. The United States then had no choice but to take action so that it would weaken their military. This action eventually lead to the main reasoning for the attack on Pearl Harbor. As the United States prepared to go to war with Japan, women were able to get jobs and American resources had to be conserved and reused. The U.S. would then go to war with Japan. So they bombed Nagasaki and Hiroshima killing almost double. The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima would then make other countries know just how powerful the U.S military is and what they could do if japan continued to try and expand.

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate how the attack on Pearl Harbor wasn’t a surprise to Roosevelt and the United States. The main body of evidence will investigate what events lead up to the attack, diplomatic relations between Japan and the U.S., and the resulting factors of the attack. Evidence will include eyewitness accounts and newly released top secret documents. Documents will be analyzed in regards to their value, origin, purpose, and limitation in order to properly evaluate the evidence. Documents include a book containing top secret documents, letters, and theories written by Robert Stinnett as well as evidence from the U.S. Army Board. An analysis of these documents and a summary of evidence

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” These words were spoken the day after the bombing of Pearl

"Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Exactly as Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed in his speech to Congress, December 7th would indeed live in infamy. Pearl Harbor was the most pivotal foreign affairs incident for the United States since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Not only was it significant domestically, it had resounding consequences across the globe. It has lived on as one of the single most tragic events on United States soil.

In 1937, Japan invaded North China and in response, the United States imposed hefty trade sanctions and eventually an embargo with the intent to restrain Japan’s aggression in China (Feis, 1971). Then in January 1941, Admiral Yamamoto began communicating with other Japanese officials about planning an attack against the United States Pacific Fleet housed at Pearl Harbor. That same month, Joseph C. Grew, the United States Ambassador to Japan, sent word via wire to Washington stating that he learned Japan was planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. All senior officials in Washington disregard the information due to disbelief, and figured a Japanese offensive in the Philippines was more likely. In February 1941, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel assumes command of the United States Pacific Fleet and Lieutenant General Walter C. Short assumes command of the United States Army element in charge of the island’s defense. Both officials are weary of an attack and begin planning for a defensive but a request to Washington for additional men, weapons, and equipment goes unanswered (NPR,

December 7, 1941, an attack on Pearl Harbor that was conducted by the Japanese Empire. It was a surprise, and brutal attack on the United States naval base. This day would be remembered as “a date which will live in infamy” (Barbara C. Bigelow, Roosevelt, Franklin D). This devastating attack caused many American casualties, and many Americans with mixed emotions. For example many had anger towards Japan for the attack, wanted to fight back, others had fear because the thought of war. The attack on Pearl Harbor was an attack that the United States should have been ready for! The reason the United States was not prepared for the attack was because of admiral Husband Kimmel, Lieutenant General Walter Short, and partially the United States Military.

In early November 1941, the Imperial Japanese Government had already committed itself to attacking the United States, Great Britain, and even the Netherlands if no solution to the issue of the Pacific arrived by December. By the time of this decision, preparations of military officials had already commenced. In the September Imperial Conference, it was decided that these preparations be hurriedly rushed to completion by no later than the end of October. Thus, shipping was mobilized for Japanese army and navy use, and strong invasion forces formed in Japan Proper. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, in January 1941, originally came up with the plan of a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in the event of war. Plans immediately started forming, and by June of 1941, the major spines of the project were formed. Admiral Yamamoto pressed navy leaders to convince the Navy General Staff into accepting his plan, and it was officially put into place on October 20th.