December 7, 1941, a day that will forever live in infamy. The United States and Great Britain were worried about the expansion of Japan’s small empire. Japan invaded Southeast Asia in order to gain natural resources but this just heightened the concerns of what would be the Allied powers (Fitzgerald 14-16). The U.S. had been growing the island of Oahu into a strong naval base since it became a U.S. territory. The U.S. clear dislike in the expansion of Japan caused the Japanese to see Pearl Harbor as a threat. The Japanese decided to take out the threat by launching a surprise attack on a Sunday (“Pearl Harbor”). Several things caused Japan to make a surprise attack on the United States naval base of Pearl Harbor. The U.S. combated this with increased aid to China but the Japanese wouldn’t stop in Manchuria. Japan wanted natural resources as they had very little on their small Pacific island so they saw Southeast Asia as a place to get them (Fitzgerald 14-16). This was the same method that the Europeans used in order to get their colonies such as what the British had done to India. After four years of fighting with the Chinese, Japan controlled many coastal cities of China. This aggressive behavior caused the U.S. to impose an embargo on steel and scrap metal (Buchanan). The Japanese continued their aggression when they attempted to block more U.S. supplies from reaching China through the French controlled Indochina. Japan moved into Indochina in September of 1940 after the U.S. failed to equip the occupying French with modernized weapons. Japan then advanced with multiple infantry brigades and few tanks in order to surround the French which only number 25,000. The occupying French surrendered and a few days later a ceasefire was... ... middle of paper ... ...trick. “Why Did Japan Attack Us?” The American Cause. 11 Dec 2001. http://www.theamericancause.org/patwhydidJapan.htm. 17 April 2014 Filtzgerald, Stephanie. Pearl Harbor: Day of Infamy. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2006, Print. “Pearl Harbor.” Encyclopedia Americana. Gralier Online, 2014. Web. 16 April 2014. Shapiro, William E. Pearl Harbor. New York F. Watts, 1984. Print Liardet, Jean. “L’Indochine franchaise pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.” L’Indochine franchaise pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Web. 18 May 2014. http://www.net4war.com/e-revue/dossiers/2gm/indochine-sgm/indochine-sgm-01.htm Perloff, James. “Pearl Harbor: Hawaii Was Surprised; FDR Was Not.” Pearl Harbor: Hawaii Was Surprised; FDR Was Not. 7 December 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/history/item/4740-pearl-harbor-hawaii-was-surprised-fdr-was-not
In 1937, Japan started a war against China, in search of more resources to expand its empire. In 1941, during World War II, Japan attacked America. This is when the Allies (Australia, Britain etc.) then declared war on Japan. Before long the Japanese started extending their territory closer and closer to Australia and started taking surrendering troops into concentration camps where they were starved, diseased and beaten.
Japan figured if it wanted to survive, it would have to expand to get more materials. o neal 410-413. Japan started trying to take over Asia. They landed on the east coast of China in Manchuria and stationed troops there in order to try to take over northeastern China. ("Japan Launches A Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941").
The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbor’s territory and take over its import market, mostly pointed at China. To put an end on that the United States put economic sanctions and trade embargoes. We believed that if we cut off their resources and their source of federal income than they would have no choice but to pull back and surrender. But the
The United States became a major threat to Japan. Many people believe the Japanese were successful in their attack. But, the result of the attack did not enable Japan to expand into the Pacific. It did not result in the acquisition of more natural resources.
December 7, 1941 was a day of great tragedy. At 07:48 in the morning the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. This attacked caused the destruction of seventeen ships and one hundred and eighty eight aircraft as well as killing two thousand four hundred and three Americans. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt took to the microphone to address congress and the American people. This speech by President Roosevelt was effective in convincing congress to declare war on Japan by using ethos, pathos, and also logos.
...ear of 1941. (53.19% for the former and 51.06% for the latter.) The percentage of people quizzed that didn’t know Pearl Harbor had been attacked from the air and sea was 48.94%. A low score of 31.91% people polled didn’t know that some Americans had known that a Japanese attack against the United States was going to take place. Also, 6.38% more people knew one of the ships damaged, compared to what day the attack to place. Only 46.81% of people polled know that Pearl Harbor is found on the island of Oahu.
“It was very apparent to everyone who had carefully followed the course of events that we would sooner or later have to meet the threat to civilization which these aggressor nations were presenting to the world…and that we would ultimately be left to face the onslaught alone…” are words from then Secretary of War Henry Stimson. America knew she was headed for war, her people though, not directly feeling the effects of the conflicts going on half a world away would not support the loss of American lives for a foreign war. The government knew about the planned attacks on Pearl Harbor, kept the information from the military leaders that needed it the most, and used the tragedy to rally the nation toward war.
General Hideki Tojo was the Premiere of Japan. He and other Japanese leaders did not like the fact that Americans were sending war supplies to China and other countries in Asia. A surprise attack was ordered by Japan on December 7, 1941. The target was the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 360 planes bombed the naval base killing about 3,000 people and destroying many warships, aircraft carriers, and submarines. This was a catalyst that brought the United States into World War II.
...ilroad and mining companies had depended on cheap Chinese labor for the majority of their profits and were still unwilling to pay higher wages to white American workers. These businesses increasingly depended on Japanese immigrants to replace the prohibited Chinese workers. As the Japanese came, the Americans told the same story that they had with the Chinese. They were once again arguing that the Japanese were taking their jobs and not absorbing the American culture. The United States took action yet again, by creating an informal treaty with Japan, restricting Japanese immigration to the U.S.
The start of trouble between Japan and the United States was the open door policy. In 1899 the U.S. created the Open Door Policy, which stated that all countries had equal privileges when trading with China. China expressed their displeasure with this policy with the Boxer rebellion, when the boxers of China came together and tried to force foreigners out of China. However, foreign forces overtook them and they were stuck with being open for trade and business. In 1900 Secretary of State John Hay decided to send out a second document, in a response to the Boxer Rebellion, stating that countries should respect China and it integrity, although no replies were requested all of the major powers except Japan agreed to these terms. In 1904-1905 Japan won the Russo-Japanese war; they won because Russia had limited forces available in that area of east Asia, however this battle still proved that Japan could defeat a primary power. In 1910 the power hungry Japan took over Korea by completely annihilating there entire population. During WWI 1914-1918 Japan fought with the great powers against Germany, in the end they received islands near Ch...
The war in Asia had its roots in the early 1930s. Japan had expansionist aims in Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific, especially in Indochina2. In July of 1940 the United States placed an embargo on materials exported to Japan, including oil in the hope of restraining Japanese expansionism. Nevertheless, tensions remained high in Asia, and only increased in 1939 when Germany ignited World War II with an invasion of Poland. America’s determination to remain isolated changed abruptly following Japan’s “surprise attack” on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. Military strategists and politicians poured the majority of American war effort into the European theater, and before the United States could fully mobilize most of South-East Asia had fallen to Japan, including the Philippines. Slowly, the United States recaptured the many small islands invaded by Japan, including Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. These “Japanese forces waged a stubborn, often suicidal battles were ferocious; although the Americans won each, resistance.” They demolished the Japanese fleet and establis...
Pearl Harbor once was a beautiful, serene naval base located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. This harbor protected the mainland. Most of the navy’s ships, commanders, and supplies were stationed at Pearl Harbor, making it a huge target to foreign countries. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamatoto claimed Pearl Harbor was an irresistible target. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack meant to cripple the United States Navy. While all of America remained in mourning over the devastation at Pearl Harbor, Washington D.C. was planning a war. The United States was forced into war, but war was not what the general public wanted. The Japanese general, Yamatoto, held the blame for starting World War II.
Japan had to open ports to foreign commerce when they lost the fight against Europe and America in Tokyo Bay (Bentley 508). After losing, Japan began industrializing and soon enhanced their military by investing in tools from western empires, who had very strong and powerful militaries. Once Japan had built a strong military they began to fight for Korea. They fought China and “demolished the Chinese fleet in a battle lasting a mere five hours,” and they later gained Korea and treaty rights in China (Bentley 550). China’s military was very weak. After losing Hong Kong and many trading ports to western empires following the Opium War, China was in trouble. Chinese people began rebelling against the Qing Dynasty. After the most popular rebellion, The Taiping Rebellion, China began the Self-Strengthening Movement. “While holding to Confucian values, movement leaders built shipyards, constructed railroads, established weapons industries, opened steel foundries with blast furnaces, and founded academies to develop scientific expertise” (Bentley 543). After doing all of these things, China still did not have a strong enough military. They continued to deal with problems from the western
Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941 at approximately 7:55 am by the Japanese. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed President Roosevelt spoke the words, “ a date which will live in infamy” he was discussing the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed. Around the world during this time, people were taking in the impacts of WWll. Japan also allied with Italy and Germany, all three countries were greedy for expansion, but Japan wanted oil as well, and the American Naval fleet was in the way. Japan attacked Pearl harbor because they felt that the Americans were standing in the way of their treasures and world expansion.
The Manchurian incident was a turning point in Japanese history in which it abandoned its somewhat general policy of cooperation and peace and instead chose to pursue their personal interests in Asia (S,191). The Japanese interest in China was evident even before its invasion in 1931. In both the Sino Japanese war from 1894 to 1905 as well as the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 to 1905 Japan secured specific locations in Manchuria and other areas in China (U,351). Overall, the consensus for the extensive needs of the empire ultimately drove its policy making until the end of World War 2. To take control of what they believed to be the most mineral rich section of China in which they controlled expansive holdings in such as the South Manchurian Railroad, officers part of the Kwantung Army that were stationed there hatched a plan that would become to be known as the Manchurian Crisis. On September 18th 1931, Japanese soldiers located at the South Manchurian Railroad set off an explosive that they blamed on China (launching both nations into hostile relations for years to come.?? (P,115)) The Japanese invaded Japanese Invaded Chinese controlled Manchuria in 1931 because they wanted to accommodate the rising of the Japanese population, obtain more natural resources, and to stimulate their nearly collapsed economy.