“...December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy…” (President Franklin D. Roosevelt). December 7th, 1941, was a day that all Americans, and everyone else around the world, will forever remember as the day the Japanese attacked a Hawaiian seaside port known as Pearl Harbor. “Within hours (after the attack) America was deeply embroiled in World War II, both in the Pacific against Japan, and in Europe against Japan’s ally, Nazi Germany” (Background). As World War II went on it managed to get them (the United States) out of the greatest economic struggles they have ever known. However the day it all started still has not been forgotten. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor for at least three reasons. These three reasons are the Americans
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Some evidence of this is “...What they insist upon is Japan’s acceptance of the principle of the withdrawal of troops (from China)... As I understand it, withdrawal of our troops is retreat.” (Document E). Some more evidence is ”When I think about the strengthening of American defenses in the Southwest Pacific, the expansion of the American fleet,... I see no end to difficulties.” (Document E). Hideki Tojo late goes on to express his fears that America doing whatever it wants is leading to Japan become a third-class nation. This is exactly why Japan attacked. They were afraid. They didn’t want to become nothing, unimportant, or unvalued. Japan had a taste of power and they didn’t want to let it go. So, they showed us that. Also, as mentioned previously above Japan was in an alliance with both Germany and Italy (two very powerful countries in this time period). In order to keep their alliance, they would likely have had to defend the other two countries in the pact just as they would have to do the same for them. So, with America quite obviously getting prepared for war against Germany they decided to strike first while they had the element of surprise on their
Some evidence of this is “...What they insist upon is Japan’s acceptance of the principle of the withdrawal of troops (from China)... As I understand it, withdrawal of our troops is retreat.” (Document E). Some more evidence is ”When I think about the strengthening of American defenses in the Southwest Pacific, the expansion of the American fleet,... I see no end to difficulties.” (Document E). Hideki Tojo late goes on to express his fears that America doing whatever it wants is leading to Japan become a third-class nation. This is exactly why Japan attacked. They were afraid. They didn’t want to become nothing, unimportant, or unvalued. Japan had a taste of power and they didn’t want to let it go. So, they showed us that. Also, as mentioned previously above Japan was in an alliance with both Germany and Italy (two very powerful countries in this time period). In order to keep their alliance, they would likely have had to defend the other two countries in the pact just as they would have to do the same for them. So, with America quite obviously getting prepared for war against Germany they decided to strike first while they had the element of surprise on their