Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Hist. 396
Prof. Yamaguchi
5/2/15
evil event in the eyes of Americans. However, the bombing contrary to some
beliefs did not just pop up without suffice reason and cause. What drove the
Japanese to follow through with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and how is this
picture different than what many Americans feel were the reasons behind the
actions taken place at Pearl Harbor? When did the bombing of Pearl Harbor
become unavoidable for Japanese government, and what were the military
Americans are taught from junior high school that the bombing of Pearl
Harbor was completely unjust, without giving any thought or notion to the
reasons in which the Japanese carried out these actions. These feelings have
which he stated, Yesterday, Dec. 7 1941- a date which will live in infamy-
naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The Americans obviously tried to
get fully behind the idea, which Japan was completely at fault with this whole
attack. Yes, both sides had been involved in a rivalry in the Pacific, but
Americans still tried to act as if this attack was one hundred percent out of
hand. Americans stated, The raid, which came with no warning and no
declaration of war, destroyed four battleships and damaged four more in two
Americans were killed. This is the only side of the story that is often taught in
America is always right. However, it is not right to only look at one side of
the story and claim to have an accurate account of what really went on.
The Japanese did not bomb Pearl Harbor without reason. The
political and economic developments which drew Japan and United States
into conflict (Slackman 3). What these developments boiled down to was
the fact, which Japan was looking to expand and the United States was not
happy about this notion. Japan presented many justifications in the thirties
protection, and the desire for a Japanese sphere of influence (Worth Jr. 10).
So, if Americans dig into these aspects that were brewing before the
bombing of Pearl Harbor; they can start to envision the Japanese side of
A lot of the tension brought on between the two countries had a good
bit to do with Commodore Matthew Perry. Perry first off fired up relations by
pressing Japan to end its isolation policy (Hotta Intro). In 1853, Perry
choice but to join the community of nations or face the consequences which
would issue from the guns of Perrys warships (Slackman 3). Japan found
society in the late nineteenth century. Japanese leaders saw their task as
had fallen under the domination of Europe (Slackman 3). Perry was truly
pushing the Japanese to the brink, and he really did not care at all. In 1922,
at the Washington Naval Conference the greatest insult in the eyes of many
capital ship tonnage to three tons for every five built by Great Britain and the
United States. To many Japanese the formula proved that the Western
(Slackman 4). Japan began to become restless and felt as if action must take
place.
Japan was pushed too far and started to realize, that they had to start
thinking for themselves. In July 1941 the Japanese government made the
United States (Slackman 5). Japanese government had finally come around
to realizing, that no matter what the outcome might be action must be taken.
Admiral Osami Nagano, chief of the Navy General Staff, expressed the
prevailing mood when he told the emperor, The government had decided
that if there were no war, the fate of the nation was sealed. Even if there is
war, the country may be ruined. Nevertheless a nation which does not fight
in this plight has lost its spirit and is already a doomed nation (Slackman
5). When accounts are brought out like this one, Americans can get a grasp
of the fact that Japan in many ways was just standing up for themselves and
This view of the actions that occurred is very different than what
Americans teach and claim. The first perspective that people must realize is
that neither view is probably completely wrong, but when only one view is
taken on such a powerful issue as this, than the right response and teaching
injustices brought about by the war in China and cast for positive action in
moral terms (Worth Jr. 19). American administration leaders even went as
far as to rally moral support during these times, as they viewed Japanese
policy as fundamentally immoral. Citizens must realize that America was out
for its own self-interest. Some of the ways in which this seen, is by the fact
that America wanted to maintain trade with Japan, and it also had a strong
of the most eye opening presentations of why Pearl Harbor actually went
down, that Americans have ever witnessed. This is a man who knows what it
unvarnished account of how the United States got into a bloody conflict that
Americas entry into war. Mr. Stinnett is very proud to be an American, but in
his book he refuses to glance over the actions taken by America which led to
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He states, As a veteran of the Pacific War, I felt
Americans for more than fifty years. But I understood the agonizing dilemma
would cost lives. How many, he could not have known (Stinnett Preface).
Stinnett goes on to talk about how he believed that his countrymen would
rally only to oppose an overt act of war on the United States. The decision
he made, in concert with his advisors, was to provoke Japan through a series
of actions into an overt act: the Pearl Harbor attack (Stinnett Preface). He is
claiming that President Roosevelt had a plan in place all along to bring about
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt pushed Japan to places, which they
should have not been pushed to. Stinnett states, Eight steps were
Roosevelt put them into effect. After the eighth provocation had been taken,
were given this order: The United States desires that Japan commit the first
overt act. According to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, the order came
limits that they could just not bear any longer. Japan was looking to expand
more and more restrictions on what the Japanese could do. Japan had to
make a critical decision to attack Pearl Harbor, an action that they almost
certainly knew would lead to war. This is a very different mindset of how the
occurrence of Pearl Harbor took place than many Americans are used to
Japan had to work very hard and strategically in order to prepare itself
for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As discussed earlier, Americans often look at
Pearl Harbor as just an insane and horrific attack with no acceptable cause,
but in reality the accounts given do not back these ideas up at all. As the
plans were coming to gather, the realization by Admiral Yamamoto was that
extremely dangerous and lives would ultimately be lost. The desperate need
for the resources of Southeast Asia entailed grave risks for this strategy. A
Japanese invasion of those distant and far-flung territories would tie up
nearly all of Japans military potential, leaving the invasion routes, supply
(Slackman 9). Japan was going into this attack, just like any country goes into
Yamamoto had to get to work and display great leadership for the
9). As seen, there were a lot of moving pieces to this plan, and if rushed
could turn into catastrophe. The original plan of Yamamoto was very bold.
He envisioned an opening blow directly against the U.S Pacific Fleet timed
to coincide with the start of the Japanese offensive against American, British,
and Dutch forces in Southeast Asia. By crippling the main component of U.S.
power in the Pacific at the outset of the war Japan could neutralize the threat
(Slackman 10).
was not excluded from this category. Yamamoto entertained the unrealistic
hope that the surprise blow would demoralize the United States and lead it to
accept a peace settlement which would leave Japan the preeminent power in
Yamamoto saw not only that such a bold move had a reasonable chance of
success, but the development of the aircraft carrier in the 1920s and 1930s
provided him with the ideal weapon: (Slackman 11). The aircraft carrier
proved to be beneficial for many countries who used this weapon, and
Yamamoto took notice. One example was the success of a British carrier raid
growing conviction that it was indeed possible to cripple the U.S fleet with a
Yamamoto now knew that war with the U.S. was growing very close.
Within a month of the Taranto attack he decided that should war with the
United States be unavoidable, Japan should open the war without warning
with a carrier attack on Pearl Harbor (Slackman 11). Yamamoto and Japan
conviction that the U.S. fleet must be neutralized by a sudden blow at the
outset of any war with the United States and proposed that this task be
assigned to his fleets air unit (Slackman 11). Time went on, and it is well
known that Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Lives were lost,
Japanese and Americans. America teaches Pearl Harbor for the most part
only looking at the notion that Japan was completely wrong. This is a
critically incorrect way of looking at this historical event. Japan did not just
wake up one day and say to themselves, Hey lets bomb Pearl Harbor. No,
just like any attack there are many underlying actions that present Japans
Americans must continue to dig into the facts of why the Japanese bombed
Pearl Harbor, and why it was essentially unavoidable for them to do so.
America had gotten to the point, where they saw Japan as a threat to their
success, and they wanted to force Japan to do exactly what they said when
they said to do it. This is why the bombing of Pearl Harbor was ultimately
unavoidable. No wander, Japan finally had to refuse these actions and stand
up for their own country. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is a very deep and
complicated matter, but it is an event that must be dug into in order to truly
Stinnett, Robert B. Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. Print.
Hotta, Eri. Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.