Pearl Harbor - Japan Made The Right Decision To Attack
July 27, 2009 | Written by Daniel Lagan | 6 Comments
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” So goes the opening of the speech delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt the day after the Japanese launched their invasion of Pearl Harbor. All Americans know of the great losses that the Americans suffered that day, yet how the US was eventually able to turn the tide, and end the war with the dropping of the atomic bombs and the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan.
Admiral Yamamoto, the highest ranking Japanese officer, though he planned the Pearl Harbor attack, was entirely against it. The famous quote, (whether actually his or not) accurately expresses Yamamoto’s displeasure with the Japanese decision. “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” History it seems has proven Yamamoto right in suggesting that Japan should have thought twice before it brought the United States into World War Two. Pearl Harbor didn’t just light a fire under the Americans, but it lit a fire under the Americans and threw massive canisters of gasoline on it.
The question begs to be asked however, with the information Japan had at the time, should they have attacked Pearl Harbor? Did they have a better alternative? In the end, was it foolhardy for the Japanese to begin a war with the Americans or did it give Japan the best chance to succeed? Did the Japanese gain an advantage by damaging the American Pacific Fleet during Pearl Harbor which could have led them to victory in World War Two if other variables had been different, or was it Pearl Harbor which doomed the Japanese from the beginning?
I personally think that even though it seems the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the Japanese into a conflict they would inevitably loose, the decision to attack was a good one. Obviously the greatest Japanese mistake was joining World War Two on Axis side, but if the Japanese were determined to fight the Americans for mastery of the pacific, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a good choice. The overall attack should have actually been much more damaging to the Americans, yet neither the American aircraft carriers or the massive oil reserves stored at Pearl Harbor for the refueling of ships were destroyed. In the end, I believe it was a lack of ability to improvise and advance their tactics, ships, and strategies which doomed the Japanese to defeat in World War Two, not the attack on Pearl Harbor which spelled their ultimate demise. Had the Japanese done more to upgrade their military during the war, they would have had a much better opportunity to overcome their constantly progressing American adversaries, and could have continued the wave of success which began with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
Well, if you ask my opinion, judging by the results of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I’d say it was maybe Japan’s biggest mistake ever, even if you can make sense out of it. At the time it might have been the right decision for them, but what can I say, hindsight is 20/20.
the Japanese thought of the Americans as cowards and thought that if they delivered one massive blow to them it would scare them out of confrontation when really America was not prepared to enter the war even when Japan attacked them.
Many of the western powers were relutant to confront Japan on anything as they were worried about them joining the war on the western front and the USA refused to join the war entirely cowardly forsaking its Allies for its own selfish gain and for once i dont blame the president it was the cowardly people of the USA who stopped them joining the war since FDR campaigned relentlessly for the USA to join the war
Sorry getting of topic America was so reluctant to join the war it would even have let its own pacific territories fall to the japanese before joining (yes i mean teritories the USA was and is an empire eg Guam, the Philippines, Hawwai, Alaska ect) if japan hadnt attacked America and instead continued down into Australia they would have probably been able to defeat any American opposition.
My reasoning in a nut shell is that Australia was the most (debatedly) important place for the Japanese to take before attacking the USA because without it the Americans would have to sail weeks to reach the pacific then have no where to land combined with Japanese raids the Americans with no other option would try to make land fall and be exterminated. The USA would then have to send another fleet. Also Australia offered the iron, coal and ship yards the Japanese needed to wage a real war against a large power. Manchuria was alright but compared to Australia it was nothing and Australia would have been easier to control as it had a small population.
In conclusion never attack America as many know
“hell hath no furry as a womens scorn” the second part to this is “nothing has as much furry a a pissed of American”
This comment will probably get worldhistory.org banned in China but i have to say this. China is becoming ridiculously paranoid as the world expo closens they have banned hundred of websites and pictures seemingly at random from the internet ranging from facebook to websites about the end of the cold war. After the riots in Urumqi (north western china) the government has been restricting web acess and foreign journalists. Let me point out some facts on what happened there were riots in the city of Urumqi which were then put down by the police (around 300 people were killed) within a day the government closed websites like facebook and twitter and cutting of web acess to that area of China. This is my theory after the riots in which the vigurs killed maybe 50 people the police came through and brutally murdered with the help of the Han chinese around 250 vigurs. the Chinese news that day reported nothing but propoganda on that province talking about how much china has helped them. As foreign journalists began to be able to get the truth China instantly closed down the right of the journalists to be there. Just a few weeks later the government suddenly annouces that the vigurs have attacked the han chinese again this time using vicous needle attacks with which they injected people with chemicals and such. This was completly fictional these attacks probably didnt even happen and if they did they were orcastrated by the Chinese government to make people dislike the vigurs and make them look like extremists.
This is probaly my last post on these blogs and i just wish to say goodbye until i move back to a free western country (i may like communism but i think more can be achieved through the truth)
Good bye militaryhistory.org its been a blast
@a person
I’m ok with china banning the site. they aren’t such a fan of history anyway. Hopefully we’ll hear from you again soon, but if not we will patiently await your return, even though we don’t always agree with what you write. Watch your back over there around those commies.
Btw, aside from you, we ge nothing but spam comments from china. Lots and lots of them because I believe the government must support spam.
I understand that the gentleman that published this comment asserts that he is a ‘communist’ . That notwithstanding, he then goes into his own personal analysis of events that he clearly has no personal knowledge of. Further he infers an ulterior motive on behalf of the Chinese government in not acting appropriately to punish the Han Chinese.
I submit that before you assert to the world certain ‘truths’ that have come to your mind, it may be wise to actually know what you’re talking about. I have a very hard time believing that this gentleman is now or ever was in China. If he was I think he would better understand the Chinese methodology in dealing with the Urum riots. I am in no way defending what the Chinese Government did or didn’t do. However, I can say that with my many times in China, this man has no clue what he’s talking about