Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

September 1, 1939 Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, September 3, 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany, starting WWII. For two years America had been involving themselves with the allies, there had been 2 years of fighting but America was helping in their own way, with their short-of-war strategy. This strategy was basically America helping out their allies in every way except actual fighting, they did this because most Americans were isolationist and Roosevelt didn’t have enough power to fight against the Neutrality Laws, especially because at the time he was attempting to get re-elected in the 1940 election, and to do so he had to portray himself as pro-isolationism even though he knew America would eventually have to get involved in the fighting happening in WWII. 

December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japanese fighter planes attacked for roughly two hours, leaving damage but damage that could be repaired. The United States was on its heels in the Japanese sense and this attack was a huge surprise to the citizens. The Japanese wanted Pearl Harbor to destroy the aircraft carriers, the queens of the chessboard during WWII, but lucky enough for the United States the aircraft carriers were not at Pearl Harbor. The only thing the Japanese did destroy that could not be repaired for the Americans was the USS Arizona, a battle ship that was bombed at 8:10 A.M with an 1800 pound bomb. The ship exploded and immediately sank trapping roughly 1000 men inside. The Japanese wanted to destroy the the Pacific Fleet, but unfortunately for them they just poked the bear, not killed the bear. “After the Pearl Harbor attack, and for the first time after years of discussion and debate, the American people were united in their determination to go to war…On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war.” (history.com)

 One part of Pearl Harbor that did work for the Japanese though was the fact that it was only a small part in a huge Japanese military operation to take over the Dutch East Indies because of their loss of their oil supply, the United States. At the same time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor they attacked Burma, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese plan was to hit America and the European powers as hard as they possibly could (the islands listed above European holdings) and then form a line of defense. 

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor

Mr. Stewart