Why Japan Attacked Pearl Harbor
One of the most pivotal events in US history has been the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That day, December 7th, 1941 will long be remembered as a blemish on the American naval fleet. The surprise attack made an immediate impact on not just the US but also on the whole world, sending many into a complete state of shock. Not only were some of the most important ships in our nation’s defense lost as a result of the attack but at least 2400 men also perished on that day. It lead many to wonder why Japan would have taken such a bold and aggressive move that was so drastic it actually ushered the nation into a second world war.
Strategy
One of the main reasons for the attack was that of strategic warfare. From Japan’s perspective, it was a preventive strategy designed to discourage President Roosevelt from interfering with the internal affairs of Japan. Roosevelt had already imposed a ban on trade with Japan, which caused a major economic setback that negatively affected their military strength. The strategy to bomb Pearl Harbor was probably first and foremost an attempt to stop the US from further interference in their affairs. (1)
Prior to the attack, Japan had already tried several attempts to get the embargo lifted in the hopes that they could still take over their attempted control of Asia and still get what they wanted. Those attempts failed, General Tojo Hideki had set the date of November 29th as the last and final day in which Japan would still be open to agreement without the threat of war.
Their greatest concern, however, was that the US’s fleet, which was already strategically positioned at Pearl Harbor would disrupt that plan. Their attempt to take over the countries of Burma, Malaya, the East Indies, and the Philippines needed to get rid of the one element that could stand in their way. Their bombing of Pearl Harbor was therefore an attempt to insure dominance of the region by means of a surprise attack. (2)
In Hindsight
We often look back at history and point out all of the foolish mistakes of those before us. Today, we can look back at the attack on Pearl Harbor and quickly cry out how foolish it was but that is only in hindsight. At the time the Japanese could not see this move as foolish. In their view, the Imperial Japanese army seized upon the perfect time to swoop in and pick off those areas of the Pacific before the Germans could bring the war to an end altogether. They were convinced that their ships, planes, and their personnel was not only plentiful but more modern in design.
Add to that the fact that the US at the time had begun to be isolated and weakened from the rest of the world by means of the Great Depression made them a likely target. One must also consider the fact that up to that point, the US had remained neutral in regards to the events that were going on in Europe even when Britain was being showered by shells from September of ’39 to December of ’41. This gave them the impression that the US would only give a half-hearted response or be willing to negotiate once the attack had been made. (2)
It is clear now that Japanese intelligence was limited. They believed that there was no possible way for the US to retaliate in a way that would have been effective; at least not in the immediate future. There was also no way for them to know or predict that Germany’s campaign would eventually come to an end. At the time, Hitler appeared to be poised to take Moscow and end the ground conflicts that were going on in Eurasia. Once that happened, all that was left would be for Germany to take Britain and end the war for good. In retrospect, the Japanese thought that December of ’41 was the ideal time to strike for an easy take over.
Resources:
http://www.enkivillage.com/why-did-japan-attack-pearl-harbor.html
http://www.wnd.com/2014/09/real-reason-japanese-attacked-pearl-harbor/