Most people know that the Pearl Harbor attacks were an attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in World War II, but not many people know what caused the attack.
The prelude to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930s when differences over China drove Japan and the US apart. The Japanese conquered Manchuria (part of China) in 1931. In 1937 Japan began a long campaign in conquering China. In 1940 the Japanese government allied themselves with Nazi germany in the Axis Alliance and in 1941 Japan occupied all of Indochina. The U.S., having political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed with the Japanese moves in East Asia. In response the U.S. increased aid to China, started a program of strengthening its military in the Pacific, and cut off shipments of oil and other raw materials to Japan. Japan, being poor in natural resources, viewed the U.S. cutting off its shipments of oil as a threat to the nation. The Japanese government resolved to capture the resource-rich territories of South-East Asia, even though that move would result in war with the U.S. The real problem of the plan, however, was the danger posed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, devised a plan to immobilize the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack. And the rest is history...
In short terms, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor so that they could focus on their real goal of getting natural resources from Southeast Asia without the threat that Pearl Harbor posed to them.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm
Feel free to comment on any additional information you have about this topic!
The prelude to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930s when differences over China drove Japan and the US apart. The Japanese conquered Manchuria (part of China) in 1931. In 1937 Japan began a long campaign in conquering China. In 1940 the Japanese government allied themselves with Nazi germany in the Axis Alliance and in 1941 Japan occupied all of Indochina. The U.S., having political and economic interests in East Asia, was alarmed with the Japanese moves in East Asia. In response the U.S. increased aid to China, started a program of strengthening its military in the Pacific, and cut off shipments of oil and other raw materials to Japan. Japan, being poor in natural resources, viewed the U.S. cutting off its shipments of oil as a threat to the nation. The Japanese government resolved to capture the resource-rich territories of South-East Asia, even though that move would result in war with the U.S. The real problem of the plan, however, was the danger posed by the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet, devised a plan to immobilize the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack. And the rest is history...
In short terms, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor so that they could focus on their real goal of getting natural resources from Southeast Asia without the threat that Pearl Harbor posed to them.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm
Feel free to comment on any additional information you have about this topic!
Thanks for posting this! I agree that it is important to acknowledge Pearl Harbor on its anniversary. I did a bit research and decided to look up some cool facts that aren't known about Pearl Harbor. Here are some that I found interesting:
ReplyDelete-The USS Arizona took in a full load of fuel the day before the attack and to leaks about 9 quarts of oil a day. It is like it is "bleeding."
-During the government shutdown in 2013, the memorial was not kept so many servicemen came in a mowed the lawn and swept the leaves away.
-Arizona's military band had just attended a competition several nights prior to the attack and were all killed in the attack.
http://www.history.com/news/5-facts-about-pearl-harbor-and-the-uss-arizona
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/pearl-harbor-facts_n_4395362.html
This is a really great post, Johnny! Pearl Harbor was a major event in history, and it's important to remember it and honor those who lost their lives. I was curious about FDR's reaction to Pearl Harbor, since we're learning about him now. Roosevelt received the new by telephone, and his wife Eleanor described his demeanor as "deadly calm," even though she knew he feared U.S. entry into the war. Before Roosevelt's speech in which he famous predicted that December 7, 1941 would be a "date that would live in infamy," Eleanor addressed the nation via radio. She told listeners that the U.S. had been forced into the war, but that she believed the "free and unconquerable people of the U.S.A." could overcome any obstacles in their way.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-reacts-to-news-of-pearl-harbor-bombing
Thanks for the great post Johnny! One thing that is important to keep in mind is the importance of the Philippines in the situation. The Philippines were not only a island chain with a enormous amount of natural resources but also is situated in a very strategic position in the South East Asia. The Philippines, as we learned, was taken from the Spanish during the quick Spanish-American War in 1898, and was an American asset. This American asset stood in between Japan and the also natural resource abundant island chain of the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese believed that if they took out the American Navy, and more importantly the carriers of the American Navy, they could quickly take out the Philippines and the sparsely and ill equipped garrisons British and French that guarded their colonies in the area. Once this had been achieved they believed they could reach an armistice with these nations and leave them none the wiser. They understood the industrial potential of America, and thus understood the necessity that the war had to be very quick. But the American carriers were not in Pearl Harbor and this fortunate fact may have saved the Japanese fulfilling their plans.
ReplyDeleteSource: World War 2 is my jam.
I agree with you and all others, Johnny, so thank you for posting! I like this post a lot because it refreshes our memories on World War II, and provides some background for us to connect our current studies to. The Great Depression was a worldwide epidemic, distorting international trade and exchange rates. It also exacerbated the effect of the Treaty of Versailles' punitive economic measures, namely to Germany. Because of this, Germany was even more economically crippled and held more anger and furor against the Treaty and the nations who had inflicted it upon them. Thus, the beginning of Germany's aggressive movements in Europe and the beginning of the war. Additionally, the Japanese motive for attacking Pearl Harbor stemmed from their desire for conquest. As the global flow of money slowed down by way of the Great Depression, it became even more pivotal that Japan obtain a steady source for necessary resources.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/essays/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945