Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
On December 7th, 1941, The United States Military forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were attacked by the Japanese Imperial Army. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was the start of the United States involvement in World War II. This paper will explain the events of Pearl Harbor and how it had come about. It explains why and when the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor.
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor was a total surprise to the United States Military Forces, and to the United States government. The Japanese had sent a special envoy, Saburu Kurusu, to Washington prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor to throw the United States off guard.(Prange, 80) Mr. Kurusu was supposedly sent to negotiate peace and try to remove the sanctions the United States had put on Japan. (Prange, 80) .
When Japan signed an agreement with Germany and Italy, the United States increased its forces in the Pacific to keep Japan in check. When Japan signed the pact with Germany and Italy it was given control of Greater East Asia.(Farago, 111) The United States then put sanctions on Japan by eliminating the shipments for scrap iron, oil, cotton, and metals. The United States also threatened to stop giving foreign credits to Japan for trade abroad.( Farago, 158).
On November 26th, 1941, the United States Secretary of State, Cordell Hill, announced that the United States would give full economic cooperation to Japan.("Into the Eyes of War: The Mind of Japan", 2) The United States asked in return that Japan withdraw from China, and stop collaborating with the Axis, (Germany and Italy). President Franklin D. Roosevelt appealed to the Japanese Emperor to work for peace. (Prange, 35).
At approximately 0700 hr., 7 December 1941 the Japanese Imperial Fleet attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack came without warning and caused much devastation. The Japanese attacked in two separate waves.
