The Devastation of Pearl Harbor
The attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor that took place on the December 7th of 1941 was a shocking event for the American public, and had served as the catalyst for the country’s entry into the Second World War. The attack on Pearl Harbor is considered the most shocking event that left a mark on United States’ culture and public awareness before the September 11 attacks. One reason for this is the surprise nature of the attacks and the massive number of casualties. Because of this, most historians and critics, along with the public considered Pearl Harbor as a grave tragedy. This paper goes beyond highlighting how the Pearl Harbor attack is a tragedy; rather, it wants to offer an effective understanding of the circumstances surrounding the attack and the immediate and long-term effects of the attack.
Events leading up to the Attack Prior to engaging in the Second World War, Japan was already facing a myriad of problems. It started to depend increasingly on the supply of raw materials, especially that of oil from external sources instead of domestic production. Even though they were faced with these difficulties however, even if they were lacking these resources and experiencing difficulties, Japan was also at that time, building a successful empire of stable industrial foundation, associated with good army and naval strength. The military became powerful part of the government, and this set the stage for trouble.
In the early 1930s, the Japanese Army engaged in many and yet small conflicts with the Chinese in Manchuria. The Japanese had won several of these battles, and Manchuria was captured and turned into a part of the Japanese Empire. The conflicts that took place in the area near Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge in 1937 were one of popular conflicts that took place; however, whether these conflicts were planned or not remains a mystery up to now. These conflicts eventually became a full-scale war now known as the second Sino-Japanese War, one of the
Events leading up to the Attack Prior to engaging in the Second World War, Japan was already facing a myriad of problems. It started to depend increasingly on the supply of raw materials, especially that of oil from external sources instead of domestic production. Even though they were faced with these difficulties however, even if they were lacking these resources and experiencing difficulties, Japan was also at that time, building a successful empire of stable industrial foundation, associated with good army and naval strength. The military became powerful part of the government, and this set the stage for trouble.
In the early 1930s, the Japanese Army engaged in many and yet small conflicts with the Chinese in Manchuria. The Japanese had won several of these battles, and Manchuria was captured and turned into a part of the Japanese Empire. The conflicts that took place in the area near Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge in 1937 were one of popular conflicts that took place; however, whether these conflicts were planned or not remains a mystery up to now. These conflicts eventually became a full-scale war now known as the second Sino-Japanese War, one of the
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