On December 7, 1941 -- the day that will always be commemorated as “the date which will live in infamy” by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On this day Japanese airplanes made a surprise attack on the US Naval base in Pearl Harbor. They destroyed many ships and killed many soldiers. It was this attack that forced the United States to enter World War II. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? Japan attacked Pearl Harbor for three main reasons which are The New Order, US Oil Embargo, and US Fleet Expansion. The first reason Japan attacked Pearl Harbor was because of the New Order. When Japan thinks of a new order to the world they think of themselves leading everyone, and when thinking of the old order they think of the old leaders: Great …show more content…
Japan moved into southern China causing FDR, ordering all of the Japanese assets to be frozen. But FDR did not want to cut off oil. FDR discussed with his cabinet on July 18, that he didn’t want to place an embargo because he felt that would cause tension and most likely mean for war. He felt that if the embargo was placed that it would cause Japan to take over the oil fields in the Netherland East Indies (Doc B). Before Japan seized the Netherland East Indies 80% of their oil came from the United States so they were extremely affected when we placed the embargo (Doc D). The Japanese leaders wanted to keep the flow of imported oil because they didn’t have any oil fields near them and due to being away from the mainland. But one month before the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States imposed an embargo on all the oil shipments to Japan. A month later Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. This evidence supports why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because Japan needed to expand to keep trade going and provide the supplies necessary to run the island nation. The American military stood in the way, and needed to be removed in order for Japan to continue growing. When the U.S. imposed an embargo on oil shipments to Japan, they had to take matters into their own hand to distract and damage the U.S. military. To keep sea trade going, they needed oil, and they had to invade the Netherlands and East Indies to do so, which …show more content…
A year before the US placed the embargo of aircraft and aircraft parts against Japan, the US Pacific Fleet was in California but a year after we placed the embargo against Japan President Roosevelt ordered the fleet to be moved to Pearl Harbor as a show of American power (Doc C). When Japan seized southern French Indo-China in July of 1941, Roosevelt responded by freezing Japanese assets in the United States and ending sales of oil to Japan. Japan chose to continue its diplomatic talks with the United States while at the same time secretly preparing for a coordinated assault throughout the Pacific. Japan’s leaders hoped that a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor would destroy American resolve and cripple the American navy for at least six months, giving Japan time to consolidate its new empire
(Doc C). Tojo was both Prime Minister and War Minister of Japan. He claimed that when he thought of the expansion of the American Fleet, “he could see no end to difficulty.” He feared that if Japan had just sat back and let America expand its fleet that they would become a third-class nation after two or three years (Doc E). This evidence supports why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because it is clear from Tojo’s statement that the American military posed a threat to Japan as well as creating other problems by expanding our Pacific
On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, at 7:55 AM the Japanese Empire led a surprise attack on the US Naval base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, that would leave millions of Americans in shock, and heartbroken. Before the attack, the United States kept a low profile on International affairs, and concentrated on the domestic affairs at hand. This tragic moment in American history forever remembered. It is a mournful day for the American people, although, for the Japanese Empire it was an honorable day, one they would call a
An event that shook the nation, will not bring it to its knees. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and afterward, the U.S. entered the war. What reason did the Japanese have to bomb Pearl Harbor? Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because they saw the U.S. as a threat because they cut off their reasons, threatened them by moving military forces, and they stand in the way of Japan’s new order.
To begin with, the underlying cause of Japan attacking Pearl Harbor has to deal with the United States stopping Japan’s efforts to create a new world order. In 1938, Japan announced their plan for a new
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on the Pretense of expanding their area of control. Document A the Japanese Ministry of Education on August 1, 1941, states “An old order … (European and American) … is now crumbling.” (Doc A). Meaning not only the Germans fighting the British, French and other European countries, including the US who supplies them, are losing the war. “The Benevolent Rule of the Emperor may be extended so as to embrace the whole world.” (Doc A). In this weaken world the Japanese are will take over and the kind and generous Emperor would then rule the world. A Map, Document B shows just how much the Japanese took in their plot for World domination. The Japanese took over Manchukuo, Taiwan, and the bottom half of Sakhalin by 1932, Tonking and stealing parts of
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor for different reasons. The reason for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Before the United States got involved in the war, it took action against countries, like Japan, who acted in ways that they did not agree with. America's first embargo came after Japan decided to start expanding their power to neighboring countries (Doc C). Later on, the United States put another embargo in place after Japan took French Indochina (Doc D). The United States did not agree with Japan's actions, but did not want to get involved in the war directly. This led them to put the embargos in place. This angered the Japanese, as they relied on America to supply them with certain resources, like steel and petroleum. This diminished their available amount of supplies that they could put towards the war
In fact, most of Japan’s problems were caused by the U.S. regardless of whether or not it was intentional. For example, when referring to the last two paragraphs, it talked about how the U.S. put an embargo on their oil with Japan, along with their aircraft parts which caused Japan to have limited resources. This, in turn, caused some tension which was added onto by more of the acts committed by the U.S. such as the Immigration Act of 1924, and the formation of the League of Nations. Besides the tension and the limited resources, there was also the fact that Japan wanted more land for their imperialistic interests. For instance, Manchuria, and China which Japan invaded with ease due to the U.S. being preoccupied with Adolf Hitler and the other axis powers. In the end, Japan clearly had a reason, if not multiple, for attacking Pearl
Another reason Japan decided to bomb Pearl Harbor was the fact that the U.S froze their bank accounts. The U.S did this to stop them from buying supplies to use for their aircrafts and to stop them from building up their military in general. Then, the tragedy that will forever remain in
wanted to interfere with Japans invasion plans we must understand the evidence That explains conditions set by the U.S. against japans access to resources. Around early 1940 japan began to imperialize and conquer china. To do so Japan made the decision to prevent foreign aid from reaching China so Japan felt the best way to do this was by placing troops in French Indochina. Because of the fast paced imperialistic government of Japan the U.S. sought it was best to freeze japans assets requiring them to purchase license to import/export goods which ultimately froze their oil supply causing Japan to respond negatively. Japans tactics were dependent on the supply of oil and in the absence of this resource their plan for invasions were beginning to fail. To combat this freeze of oil Japan decided to start a forward movement towards alternate oil fields located in Malaysia and the West Indies, but Japan knew time was running out and resources low meaning they had to act
Japan's idea of a new world order was the biggest reason why they attacked Pearl Harbor. In Doc. A Japan explains that they have a new idea which is the new world order. The new world order is that Japan rules the world and that everyone follows them. The old order was the U.S. And Europe are the rulers of the world. The U.S was getting in the way of Japan's plan and they felt threatened that they would not be able to take over the world so Japan, destroy Pearl Harbor and the U.S. could not stop them.
To begin with, japan attacked pearl harbor because of the situation of the oil embargo. One reason is because the US did not want to keep sending oil to Japan . For example, Document C declares, “ The United States imposes an embargo on oil shipments to Japan”( Document C 327). In addition from 1937 through 1941 most of Japanese imports came from the US. Statistics show in document D that by the late 1930’s about 80% of Japan's oil came from the United states. Japan did not like the fact that they no longer were able to obtain oil from the us. As a result they targeted the US and were angry at them. Therefore, they decided to attack on pearl harbor.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japan’s increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market; to this end, Japan had declared war on China in 1937. American officials responded to this aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan
suddenly attacked. Pearl Harbor was a devastating and tragic event for America. It also brought the U.S. into World War 2. Soldiers were drafted at a young age just to be killed in battle. History can't tell the exact reasons for Pearl Harbor’s occurrence. But, the U.S. mocking the Japanese race, restrictions made by the U.S., and the increased need for resources could possible have had a large part.
In an effort to attain control of the Pacific Ocean, Japan launched an unprecedented attack against the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Despite the isolationist attitude of America prior to joining World War II, an embargo against Japan in part prompted the terrible offence. Hideki Tōjō, a radical conservative, had recently been elected Prime Minister of Japan, under his leadership; a plan to expand the Empire of Japan was developed. The attack planned by the Japanese Admiral Isoruko Yamamoto who had been educated in America, and had served two tours of duty in the United States was strategically quite brilliant (Japan). Many factors afforded the opportunity for Japan’s success in the assault. The ignorant
According to source A, America was despondent about Japans warlike attitude toward china. So when Japan declared war on China, America refused to continue sending and suppling Japan with important resources such as oil, money and goods. Neither Tokyo or Washington would compromise, war was assured. Also the US had looked down on the Japanese and sympathised them, which hadn’t impressed the Japanese (source A). The attack on Pearl Harbour was planned by the Japanese because it was relatively close to home and the US wouldn’t expect Japan to attack so near to themselves (source F). According to source B, as the Japanese aggression with China elevated, their relations with the US deteriorated. According to source B, Japan also realised a full invasion of South-Asia, to source the minerals and oils it needed would cause colossal raptures with the US and most likely war. They needed a mechanism to buy enough time and space for them to target certain countries like the Philippines, Burma and Malaya (source B). Japan expected to be able to remove the US for a sufficient amount of time to be able to secure the resources, like oil for example, that it needed so