Perl Harbor :: essays papers

Perl HarborIn 1941, one of the largest American host defeats occurred. Anentire naval fleet was destroyed, hundreds were killed, all earlier09.00 on a Sunday. The US did not have any knowledge of this attack,partially because of ignorance, partially because of the militarystrategies of their Japanese opponents. The Japanese attack on the USnaval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a classic case ofIt will not happen to me Although the US suspected Japaneseactions, they did not take a defensive stance as they believed anattack would never touch their soil. Through an examination of militaryhistory, tactics and eye aver descriptions, it will be proven thatthe US had no knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.In the years before 1941, the struggle saw little American militaryaction. After the collapse of France, American PresidentRoosevelt promised his county that no American troops would besent to Europe to sanction in the battle against Hitler and hispowerf ul army. These promises caused Roosevelt to becriticized by his closest advisors for his indecisiveness aboutdeclaring contend . The Presidents defense to these accusationswas he did not want to out ill-use public opinion. As well, hebelieved American intervention would cause a mortal blow tothe Allies cause. In reality, the advisors, as well asRoosevelt, knew that Britain could not win the war withoutAmerican armed intervention. Two oceans to the East, Japan wasdeep into a war or her own. Japanese forces were concentratedon the Chinese front to conquer and obtain. As a result of herunpopular declaration of war on China, Japans fuel hand over fromthe US was eliminated. Consequently, the Japanese turned toIndonesia to continue the supply of fuel for her war efforts.Fuel talks broke down as the Dutch, who were in control of theIndonesian fuel supply and, under heavy influence from the US,would not supply Japan with fuel. Desperately needing fuel tocontinue the war, Japa n first thought of attacking Indonesia,but feared US intervention. After some thought, Japaneseleaders persistent that an attack directly on the US would be moreappropriate to bring the US to the fuel supplies negotiatingtable . The first acknowledgment that Japan was a war threatcame on November 27, 1941 when Washington ordered a WarWarning. The US feared a Japanese attack, not on America,but on the Philippines. American military leaders took littleor no precautions upon the issue of warning.