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The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor

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The bombing of Pearl Harbor has remained a significant event in United States history. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched an attack on the US naval base in Oahu, Hawaii. It specifically targeted military objectives and the US Pacific Fleet. The results following the two hour and fifteen minute raid destroyed 177 planes, sunk or damages eighteen ships, and left nearly 4,000 Americans dead. This attack on US soil spiked extreme patriotism throughout the nation and directly lead Americans into World War II. Since then, Pearl Harbor has been portrayed as a surprise attack on an unsuspecting country. However, American hands are not completely clean in this matter. Although it may have been a surprise to those in Hawaii, this was not the case in Washington. Information regarding the knowledge of an attack on Pearl Harbor was in fact intentionally withheld from American commanders. Through President Roosevelt’s desire to join the war, and the lack of communication between Washington and Hawaii, Pearl Harbor came to be one of the most tragic events in United States history.
President Roosevelt attempted to move the United States into World War II prior to Pearl Harbor. According to Robert Theobald’s article, Final Secret of Pearl Harbor, once France was overpowered in 1940, FDR believed the US should fight with their remaining ally, Great Britain, before they too were taken by the growing Nazi forces, leaving Americans alone in the war. Despite his efforts, FDR was

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