Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a calculated gamble with catastrophic consequences.
Japan's Problem: Resources
Japan lacked oil, rubber, and metals needed for its military. By 1941, it depended on imports — especially from the United States.
The Road to War
1931: Japan invaded Manchuria (China).
1937: Full-scale war with China began.
1940: Japan occupied French Indochina (Vietnam).
- Embargo on oil exports to Japan
- Freeze on Japanese assets
- Demand to withdraw from China
Japan faced a choice: accept American demands or seize resources by force.
The Gamble
- America would eventually fight anyway
- A devastating first strike could destroy the Pacific Fleet
- Japan could conquer Southeast Asia while America recovered
- Eventually, America would accept a negotiated peace
They were wrong about the last part.
The Attack
- 353 Japanese aircraft in two waves
- 2,403 Americans killed
- 8 battleships damaged (4 sunk)
- 188 aircraft destroyed
But the aircraft carriers were at sea and survived. So did fuel storage and repair facilities.
The Aftermath
"A date which will live in infamy" — President Roosevelt
The attack unified American public opinion. Congress declared war the next day. Japan's gamble failed catastrophically; by 1945, Japan was in ruins.
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