Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Imperial Japanese Navy · Public domain · source
Conflict	Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Part of	Pacific War
Caption	USS Arizona (BB-39) memorial at Pearl Harbor
Date	December 7, 1941
Place	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States
Result	United States declares war on Empire of Japan

Contents

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was a pivotal event in World War II, drawing the United States into the conflict. The attack was planned by Isoroku Yamamoto, Osami Nagano, and Hirohito, and was intended to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese expansion in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. The attack involved Japanese aircraft carriers such as Akagi (aircraft carrier), Kaga (aircraft carrier), and Soryu (aircraft carrier).

Background

The Empire of Japan had been expanding its territory in East Asia since the Invasion of Manchuria in 1931, and had signed the Tripartite Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in 1940. The United States, United Kingdom, and Netherlands had imposed economic sanctions on Japan in response to its aggressive actions, including the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Invasion of Indochina. Japan needed access to resources such as oil and rubber, which were abundant in Southeast Asia, and the United States Pacific Fleet was seen as a significant obstacle to Japanese expansion. The Japanese government, led by Hideki Tojo and Fumimaro Konoe, decided to launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to weaken the United States and prevent it from interfering with Japanese plans. The Japanese military was influenced by the ideas of Carl von Clausewitz and Alfred Thayer Mahan, and had studied the Battle of Taranto and the Battle of Tsushima.

The attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:55 am on December 7, 1941, when Japanese aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy's Carrier Strike Force launched a surprise attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. The attack involved Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers, and Aichi D3A dive bombers, and targeted the United States Pacific Fleet's battleships and aircraft carriers. The USS Arizona (BB-39), USS Oklahoma (BB-37), and USS California (BB-44) were among the ships sunk or damaged during the attack, and over 2,400 Americans were killed. The attack also involved Japanese midget submarines and special attack units, and was supported by Japanese cruisers and destroyers. The United States Army Air Forces and United States Marine Corps responded to the attack, but were unable to prevent significant damage to the United States Pacific Fleet. The attack was influenced by the ideas of Billy Mitchell and Giulio Douhet, and was studied by Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

The attack on Pearl Harbor led to a formal declaration of war by the United States against the Empire of Japan on December 8, 1941. The United States also declared war on Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on December 11, 1941, following Germany's and Italy's declarations of war against the United States. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to a significant increase in United States military production and mobilization, and the United States began to play a major role in World War II. The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942 was a significant response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was led by James H. Doolittle and supported by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy. The attack on Pearl Harbor also led to the Internment of Japanese Americans and the Battle of Midway, and was studied by Dwight D. Eisenhower and Georgy Zhukov.

The attack on Pearl Harbor had significant consequences for the Empire of Japan and the United States. The attack led to a long and bloody war in the Pacific Theater, including the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Battle of Iwo Jima, and the Battle of Okinawa. The war resulted in the deaths of millions of people, including civilians and prisoners of war, and the destruction of many cities and towns. The attack on Pearl Harbor also led to the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, which contributed to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor was influenced by the ideas of Hermann Göring and Benito Mussolini, and was studied by Charles de Gaulle and Mao Zedong. The United States and Japan have since become close allies, and the attack on Pearl Harbor is remembered as a significant event in the history of both countries.

The attack on Pearl Harbor has been the subject of significant historical debate and controversy. Some historians, such as Robert Stinnett and John Toland, have argued that the United States government had advance knowledge of the attack and allowed it to happen in order to draw the United States into World War II. Others, such as Gordon Prange and Donald Goldstein, have argued that the attack was a surprise and that the United States government was caught off guard. The debate has involved historians such as Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin, and has been influenced by the ideas of Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. The attack on Pearl Harbor remains a significant and controversial event in the history of World War II, and continues to be studied by historians and scholars today, including Niall Ferguson and Ian Kershaw. Category:World War II