Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor

World War II was full of massive battles that led every country involved to almost total destruction. Few moments stand out in American history more than Pearl Harbor. It was, and still is today, one of the most well-known events of World War II, and continues to ignite a strong nationalistic pride for the U.S.’s strong defensive comeback after Pearl Harbor. Though Pearl Harbor is renowned as a military feat, it can be argued that Japan’s victory actually was a counterproductive, strategic disgrace. Carefully examining the preparation and execution of the attack on Pearl Harbor reveals the many flaws within Japan’s military operation. It becomes obvious that the Japanese did not attack as whole-heartedly, effectively, or effortlessly as they
For instance, Noroku Yamamoto believed that the United States would only continue to grow and become a powerful force to be reckoned with as time went on. He hoped that by ambushing The U.S. before they became too advanced, Japan could gain an early advantage in the Pacific. (SOURCE 1) Yamamoto is quoted saying that “If war comes, our only chance is to destroy the fleet at Pearl Harbor.” (PRIMARY SOURCE QUOTE SOURCE 3) These anxious thoughts began to transform into a desperation to attack the U.S. as soon as possible, thus turning Pearl Harbor into a disheveled and rushed attack. In fact, it was so rushed that Yamamoto did not realize that American decoding intelligence had already heavily compromised his operations. (SOURCE 2) Along with a compromised attack, Yamamoto also misjudged American character. He assumed that the attack on Pearl Harbor would cause the U.S. to give in to Japanese demands. However, the attack only further united America in the effort to defeat Japan. (SOURCE 1) These pieces of evidence go to show that the Japanese military jumped to many false conclusions that would be detrimental to a victory at Pearl Harbor. These assumptions and Japan’s desperation to strike quickly only contributed to a sloppy attack. Though the Japanese attacked as a way to blindside the U.S. in order
For example, due to the harbor’s relative shallowness of 45 feet, most would agree that an aerial torpedo attack would not be effective, not to mention impossible, since traditional torpedoes ran at a depth of about 100 feet. However, this did not stop the Japanese; in fact the Japanese completely overlooked it. (SOURCE 3) This shows that once again, military leaders ignored details because they believed that if the attack was a complete surprise, miniscule features like these would not matter. However, this was based on that unlikely contingency that the U.S. was not and would not become aware of the pending attack. Another example of overlooked specifics is that the raid took place on a Sunday. When planning a surprise attack that will “Awake a sleeping giant” (PRIMARY SOURCE FROM SOMEONE WHO SAID THIS) and hopefully turn the tide of the war, planning it on a day when the base is at its least active is not sensible. If the goal was to be as destructive as possible, then targets must be present. Along with many key American military figures absent at Pearl Harbor, all four of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were not present on the fateful day of the attack either, escaping destruction. (SOURCE 4) Once more, these pieces of evidence go to show that the attack on Pearl Harbor was rushed and therefore not well-structured or prepared.