Japan committed what some would consider suicide, when their aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor was the most important day of World War II. This was the first strike towards the US. making them enter the war. Even though the US. had been involved a little before this. The attack prompted full entrance of the US. into the war. Japan wanted to not depend on white imperialist nations, like Britain, France, Netherlands and the USA. But, they needed materials from other countries.
They got Tin from Malasha and Iron from Philippines. Japan also got oil, bauxite, coal, cobalt, copra graphite, iron, lead, nickel, phosphates and potash from the Indies. Plus rice from Indo-china and Burma. Japan needed all of those things to be self reliant. But most of all, if they where to expand they would need them even more. In the 1920’s fascism began to enter Germany. As well as a need for revenge after the way World War I ended. So on September 1 1939 German armies marched into Poland, Poland and Germany had bout the same number of men.
However Poland was greatly out gunned. War broke out in September of 1939 in Europe. Around that time Japan declared its Poland’s last surrender was the fortress at Kock, on October 6th September 3 1939 British and French declared War on Germany. The French Strategy was defensive, there main defense was the Maginot Line. Germany Began to drive into France on June 5th 1939, the drive picked up on June 9th. The Maginot line failed, it was out flanked. By the summer of 1940 Hitler dominated Europe from the North Cape to the Pyrenees. After the summer of 1940, Hitler’s only remaining active enemy was Britain.
Italy declared war on Frence and Britain on June 10 1939. The USA then abandoned there strict neutrality in the war, and in March 1941 the USA passed the Lend-Lease Act. The Lend-Lease Act was a 7 billion dollar aid to any countries the president might designate. Then came the Two-ocean Naval Expansion Act. A 4,000,000,000 Dollar bill.
The Two-ocean Naval Expansion Act meant 7 new battle ships, 18 carriers, 29 cruisers, 115 destroyers and 42 submarines to add to the 130 war ships already under construction. Plus there was 358 major units in commission Japan knew that if war was inevitable then it was desirable that it was to be induced and not delayed. The USA started prohibition the exportation of steel, scrap iron, and aviation gasoline to Japan.
In September of 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized ships on convoy duty to attack Late in the summer of 1941 the USA was in a state of undeclared war with Germany. They had given large amounts of money to the British and knew that if they wanted any of the money back the British must win or the Germany must lose. So the USA had an obligation to be part of the war and Germanys and Japan knew that the USA was not on there side.
But without any real threat the USA could not get the amount of support needed to have a full scale war against the Axis Because the USA was to deep into the depression and the people of the USA wanted to stay isolated from all the fighting and felt little or no reason to enter a war that for the most part had nothing to do with them, or there country. The USA’s and Brian’s strategy was to center on Germany and Italy leaving Japan, if need be to be dealt with later. Germany and Italy declared was on the USA on December 11th.
They also feared that if Hitler got the bomb first he would use it. So there was a race to design and make the nuclear bomb, but Hitler killed him self before the Germans could create it. November 29 was the last day in which Japan would accept a settlement with out war for the land and the products they needed to prepare for war, there dead line was not met. As the War progressed the USA’s chances and numbers increased in there war efforts.
A few minutes before 8 am on Sunday December 7 1941 Japanese struck Pearl Harbor. The attack was carrier based airplanes, and lasted less then two hours. After is was over the Japanese sank four battle ships and The attack on Pearl Harbor brought the USA into the war officially on December 8, the following day. The attack was planned about two years ahead on time. The man responsible was Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto.
The concentration on Germany by both Britain and the USA, helped in the Germany decline which lead to Hitters suicide and the fall of Germany. Hitters Body was never found, the Russians think they have 3 skull parts that may have been from his head. But have not been tested to Japan later surrendered on September 14 1945, after the USA dropped two nuclear bombs, two of its most major cites. The first was dropped and after no surrender the second was delivered on its secondary target after cloud cover prevented the primary target from being seen from the plane.
Japan knew that we had it and we told them that we would use it, but they as well as us did not know how powerful it would be. Not even the USA, the people that dropped the bomb had any idea how destructive it To some the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese was “suicide”, because it caused the USA the enter the war 100% of the way instead of just helping with money and supplies. But the Japanese knew that the longer they waited the worst there chances of winning the war got. So that in a senses made the USA enter the war in hopes that we were not as powerful as they but, they where mistaken.
They might have known that and attacked any way hence the term “suicide” which means “the destruction or ruin of one’s own interests” and that is exactly what Japan did by bombing Pearl Harbor. They forced the single most powerful Country into a war against The War was started because of a conflict between Germany and Anglo-French and ended up being the most devastating war in human history. It was over when the USA entered the war. Pearl Harbor was the most important day of World War II. The involved the entire human and economic resources of all the countries involved.
Work Cited
- Secondary sources Hoyt, . Edwin P. Closing the Circle. Van Nostand Reinhonld Company Inc. New York. 1982.
- Theater. Rusbridger, James. Betrayal At Pearl Harbor. Touchstone, New York. 1992.
- Willmott, H. P. Pearl Harbor. Gallery Books, New York. 1981.
