The attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 was the result of the long lasting rivalry between Japan and the United States. Over the previous decades, relations had worsened significantly as Japan set out on a course of aggressive expansion in Manchuria, China and Indo-China. As all this was going on

The dangerous oil supply position did not give the Japanese diplomats much time. After a period of political fighting, on September 6, the leadership decided that preparations must be made to go to war by early November. Genuine attempts were made by the Japanese to negotiate a settlement, but the US demanded for total withdrawal from China and Indo-China, these terms were unacceptable to the Japanese. After a delay due to a change of Cabinet, on November 30, the Japanese Emperor gave his assent to the plans for war. The Americans, who had broken the Japanese diplomatic code, were fully aware of these events, but they did not know where and when Japan would strike. Six days later, Japanese naval and land forces began assaults on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a success, but in the process they woke up all the Americans to the fact that their lives were now threatened and needed to strike back. As Admiral Yamamoto, of the Japanese Combined Fleet, accurately predicted, “We have awakened a sleeping giant, and have instilled in him a terrible resolve.”

On 8 December, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the Congress to ask for a declaration of war against Japan. Referring to December 7th, 1941, as a "day that shall live in infamy", he gave the Pearl Harbor attack its most famous and enduring title. Within a few days, Germany and Italy had also now declared war on the United States. Even before the President's speech, Americans were flooding recruiting offices to try to join the Armed Forces. For those already in the Service, the formality of war was now present, though for most, the grim reality of the experience was still well in the future.

During the attack 2,403 service personnel and 68 civilians were killed. The innocent civilians outside the attack were at first attributed to indiscriminate attacks by Japanese flyers. In reality, however, they mainly resulted from American shells bursting on impact with the ground, an unfortunate, and probably unavoidable result of the great amount of anti-aircraft fire provoked by the Japanese attack. In addition, 1,187 people were wounded. Also, Fifty-five Japanese pilots died, along with nine submariners. Eighteen ships were sunk or damaged, and 174 aircrafts were destroyed. The Japanese lost a total of 29 aircrafts, nine from the first wave and twenty from the second. The Americans were so determined to recover from the actions of this day that only three ships

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