Drew Gray

Hist. 396
Prof. Yamaguchi
5/2/15

Why the Bombing of Pearl Harbor was

Unavoidable
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a critical event for Japanese and

American people. The bombing is often looked at as a catastrophe and a very

evil event in the eyes of Americans. However, the bombing contrary to some

beliefs did not just pop up without suffice reason and cause. What drove the

Japanese to follow through with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and how is this

picture different than what many Americans feel were the reasons behind the

actions taken place at Pearl Harbor? When did the bombing of Pearl Harbor

become unavoidable for Japanese government, and what were the military

plans of action going into this great bombing?

Americans are taught from junior high school that the bombing of Pearl

Harbor was completely unjust, without giving any thought or notion to the

reasons in which the Japanese carried out these actions. These feelings have

stemmed directly from the immediate address from Franklin D. Roosevelt in

which he stated, Yesterday, Dec. 7 1941- a date which will live in infamy-

the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by

naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The Americans obviously tried to

get fully behind the idea, which Japan was completely at fault with this whole
attack. Yes, both sides had been involved in a rivalry in the Pacific, but

Americans still tried to act as if this attack was one hundred percent out of

hand. Americans stated, The raid, which came with no warning and no

declaration of war, destroyed four battleships and damaged four more in two

hours. 188 US aircraft were also destroyed and an estimated 2400

Americans were killed. This is the only side of the story that is often taught in

America, as it is convenient and more pleasing to teach something in which

America is always right. However, it is not right to only look at one side of

the story and claim to have an accurate account of what really went on.

The Japanese did not bomb Pearl Harbor without reason. The

government of Japan was pushed to limits, in which they could no longer

tolerate any longer. Although Pearl Harbor attack surprised Americans, it

arose from a clearly discernible context. The raid climaxed years of

political and economic developments which drew Japan and United States

into conflict (Slackman 3). What these developments boiled down to was

the fact, which Japan was looking to expand and the United States was not

happy about this notion. Japan presented many justifications in the thirties

regarding their expansion. Some of these justification included: The

protections of interests acquired fighting Russia in 1904-1905; the need to

have access to raw materials which would otherwise be looted by Western

capitalists; the need to protect investments; access to markets, and their

protection, and the desire for a Japanese sphere of influence (Worth Jr. 10).

So, if Americans dig into these aspects that were brewing before the
bombing of Pearl Harbor; they can start to envision the Japanese side of

things regarding the conflict.

A lot of the tension brought on between the two countries had a good

bit to do with Commodore Matthew Perry. Perry first off fired up relations by

pressing Japan to end its isolation policy (Hotta Intro). In 1853, Perry

opened Japan to the west. The feudal Tokugawa government had no

choice but to join the community of nations or face the consequences which

would issue from the guns of Perrys warships (Slackman 3). Japan found

itself in the midst of the imperialist era as it struggled to establish a modern

society in the late nineteenth century. Japanese leaders saw their task as

establishing a strong industrialized state or suffering the fate of China, which

had fallen under the domination of Europe (Slackman 3). Perry was truly

pushing the Japanese to the brink, and he really did not care at all. In 1922,

at the Washington Naval Conference the greatest insult in the eyes of many

Japanese occurred. The 5-5-3 agreement reached there limited Japans

capital ship tonnage to three tons for every five built by Great Britain and the

United States. To many Japanese the formula proved that the Western

nations would never willingly concede equal status to their country

(Slackman 4). Japan began to become restless and felt as if action must take

place.

Japan was pushed too far and started to realize, that they had to start

thinking for themselves. In July 1941 the Japanese government made the

momentous decision to secure guaranteed access to the natural resources of

Southeast Asia, even though that course might well mean war with the

United States (Slackman 5). Japanese government had finally come around

to realizing, that no matter what the outcome might be action must be taken.

Admiral Osami Nagano, chief of the Navy General Staff, expressed the

prevailing mood when he told the emperor, The government had decided

that if there were no war, the fate of the nation was sealed. Even if there is

war, the country may be ruined. Nevertheless a nation which does not fight

in this plight has lost its spirit and is already a doomed nation (Slackman

5). When accounts are brought out like this one, Americans can get a grasp

of the fact that Japan in many ways was just standing up for themselves and

the protection of their economy.

This view of the actions that occurred is very different than what

Americans teach and claim. The first perspective that people must realize is

that neither view is probably completely wrong, but when only one view is

taken on such a powerful issue as this, than the right response and teaching

of Pearl Harbor is impossible. American ethical leaders were aroused by the

injustices brought about by the war in China and cast for positive action in

moral terms (Worth Jr. 19). American administration leaders even went as

far as to rally moral support during these times, as they viewed Japanese

policy as fundamentally immoral. Citizens must realize that America was out

for its own self-interest. Some of the ways in which this seen, is by the fact

that America wanted to maintain trade with Japan, and it also had a strong

self-interest in preserving unrestricted commerce with China (Worth Jr. 19).

America wanted to have the tightest grip possible, when it came to holding

onto trade and commerce.

An account given by Robert B. Stinnett in Day of Deceit may be one

of the most eye opening presentations of why Pearl Harbor actually went

down, that Americans have ever witnessed. This is a man who knows what it

is like to be a proud American and to be honored to be a part of the United

States. He states in the opening of his book that his account, is an

unvarnished account of how the United States got into a bloody conflict that

threatened the free world. It is not an attempt to question the wisdom of

Americas entry into war. Mr. Stinnett is very proud to be an American, but in

his book he refuses to glance over the actions taken by America which led to

the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He states, As a veteran of the Pacific War, I felt

a sense of outrage as I uncovered secrets that had been hidden from

Americans for more than fifty years. But I understood the agonizing dilemma

faced by President Roosevelt. He was forced to find circuitous means to

persuade an isolationist America to join in a fight for freedom. He knew this

would cost lives. How many, he could not have known (Stinnett Preface).

Stinnett goes on to talk about how he believed that his countrymen would

rally only to oppose an overt act of war on the United States. The decision

he made, in concert with his advisors, was to provoke Japan through a series

of actions into an overt act: the Pearl Harbor attack (Stinnett Preface). He is

claiming that President Roosevelt had a plan in place all along to bring about

the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt pushed Japan to places, which they
should have not been pushed to. Stinnett states, Eight steps were

suggested to provoke a Japanese attack. Shortly after reviewing these,

Roosevelt put them into effect. After the eighth provocation had been taken,

Japan responded. On November 27 and 28, 1941, US military commanders

were given this order: The United States desires that Japan commit the first

overt act. According to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, the order came

directly from President Roosevelt (Stinnett Preface).

So, it is obvious that America played a huge role in pushing Japan to

limits that they could just not bear any longer. Japan was looking to expand

in many way, especially economically as a country, but America kept putting

more and more restrictions on what the Japanese could do. Japan had to

make a critical decision to attack Pearl Harbor, an action that they almost

certainly knew would lead to war. This is a very different mindset of how the

occurrence of Pearl Harbor took place than many Americans are used to

hearing in their class rooms and social circles.

Japan had to work very hard and strategically in order to prepare itself

for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As discussed earlier, Americans often look at

Pearl Harbor as just an insane and horrific attack with no acceptable cause,

but in reality the accounts given do not back these ideas up at all. As the

plans were coming to gather, the realization by Admiral Yamamoto was that

this would have to be a highly sophisticated plan, because it would be

extremely dangerous and lives would ultimately be lost. The desperate need

for the resources of Southeast Asia entailed grave risks for this strategy. A
Japanese invasion of those distant and far-flung territories would tie up

nearly all of Japans military potential, leaving the invasion routes, supply

lines, and even the homeland itself vulnerable to American attack

(Slackman 9). Japan was going into this attack, just like any country goes into

an attack without the assurance of what was to come.

Yamamoto had to get to work and display great leadership for the

country of Japan. Yamamotos challenge was to devise a plan which would

allow Japan to occupy the Western possessions in Southeast Asia while

simultaneously ensuring the security of Japans strategic flank (Slackman

9). As seen, there were a lot of moving pieces to this plan, and if rushed

could turn into catastrophe. The original plan of Yamamoto was very bold.

He envisioned an opening blow directly against the U.S Pacific Fleet timed

to coincide with the start of the Japanese offensive against American, British,

and Dutch forces in Southeast Asia. By crippling the main component of U.S.

power in the Pacific at the outset of the war Japan could neutralize the threat

of a transpacific naval offensive while it seized the vital natural resources

(Slackman 10).

Everyone tries to be as hopeful as possible in times of war. Yamamoto

was not excluded from this category. Yamamoto entertained the unrealistic

hope that the surprise blow would demoralize the United States and lead it to

accept a peace settlement which would leave Japan the preeminent power in

the Pacific (Slackman 10).

 As war between the United States started to appear increasingly likely,

Yamamoto saw not only that such a bold move had a reasonable chance of

success, but the development of the aircraft carrier in the 1920s and 1930s

provided him with the ideal weapon: (Slackman 11). The aircraft carrier

proved to be beneficial for many countries who used this weapon, and

Yamamoto took notice. One example was the success of a British carrier raid

against an Italian fleet in Taranto. This raid helped to confirm Yamamotos

growing conviction that it was indeed possible to cripple the U.S fleet with a

surprise carrier attack on Pearl Harbor (Slackman 11).

Yamamoto now knew that war with the U.S. was growing very close.

Within a month of the Taranto attack he decided that should war with the

United States be unavoidable, Japan should open the war without warning

with a carrier attack on Pearl Harbor (Slackman 11). Yamamoto and Japan

were ready. He first committed himself in written form on January 7, 1941,

in a letter to Admiral Koshiro Oikawa, the navy minister. He outlined his

conviction that the U.S. fleet must be neutralized by a sudden blow at the

outset of any war with the United States and proposed that this task be

assigned to his fleets air unit (Slackman 11). Time went on, and it is well

known that Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Lives were lost,

a military base destroyed, and a war had now started.

The accounts leading up to Pearl Harbor are told very differently by

Japanese and Americans. America teaches Pearl Harbor for the most part

only looking at the notion that Japan was completely wrong. This is a
critically incorrect way of looking at this historical event. Japan did not just

wake up one day and say to themselves, Hey lets bomb Pearl Harbor. No,

just like any attack there are many underlying actions that present Japans

reasoning for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

As Americans, this historical event must be looked at from both sides.

Americans must continue to dig into the facts of why the Japanese bombed

Pearl Harbor, and why it was essentially unavoidable for them to do so.

America had gotten to the point, where they saw Japan as a threat to their

success, and they wanted to force Japan to do exactly what they said when

they said to do it. This is why the bombing of Pearl Harbor was ultimately

unavoidable. No wander, Japan finally had to refuse these actions and stand

up for their own country. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is a very deep and

complicated matter, but it is an event that must be dug into in order to truly

learn everything surrounding December 7, 1941.

 Works Cited

Worth, Jr., Roland H. N.p.: McFarland &, n.d. Print.

Stinnett, Robert B. Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor. N.p.: n.p.,

n.d. Print.

Slackman, Michael. Target--Pearl Harbor. Honolulu: U of Hawaii, 1990. Print.

Hotta, Eri. Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.