Surprise Attack On Pearl Harbor example essay topic

December 7, 1941 was a day that will "live in infamy", a day when 2,400 men needlessly lost their lives while serving America. Millions of dollars of American military equipment was destroyed. It was a day of horror, disbelief, discontent, and shame. The people of the United States never imagined anything like this could happen to them. They were a neutral country, only providing supplies for the Allies. This activity made the Axis powers mad.

At the time of the start of World War II the United States was a leading world country, not only did it have one of, if not the most, feared militaries on earth, its technology was also rapidly growing. Japan reacted by planning and seeing through a massive attack on America in an effort to disable the American military and try to permanently keep them out of the war. Pearl Harbor is a day that will never be forgotten. Japan started the planning of this attack a year earlier in 1940. The Japanese used pictures taken by spies to locate exactly where all of the ships were located and when the base was at its rest.

Japan was having many problems with its economy at the start of the Second World War. On the other hand, the United States was the leading economic country in the world. This made the Japanese jealous and frustrated. The Japanese believed that they were being pushed into a corner by Roosevelt and felt that they must act to protect the Empire. They believed if they took out Pearl Harbor the United States would not be able to come back from damage of the attack to fight. On the contrary America came together even more and grew stronger.

When Pearl Harbor was unable to refuel passing ships and planes, all transportation in the Pacific was slowed down. This is why it was such a world event when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It was one of America's strongest bases. Japan was trying to take over China and the only country able to stop this from happening was the United States. So Japan had to think of a way to prevent the U.S. from joining the war.

They figured by bombing Pearl Harbor they would be successful. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the United States was a neutral country, but was backing up the Allies. They were also supplying Japan with scrap iron, fuel and steel, all of which are important essentials of war. The U.S. stopped this, which in turn angered the Japanese. That was a main reason for Pearl Harbor. Admiral Yamamoto was the emperor of Japan at the time of World War Two.

He not only promoted the attack on Pearl Harbor, he produced the plan, which would be followed. He encouraged the terrible act of war. Secrecy and surprise were the two elements, which were most important to the success of this plan. After the attack Admiral Yamamoto realized that he had "Awakened A Sleeping Giant". He knew after the attack on Pearl Harbor that things were going to get rigorous. He did not realize how right he was.

He didn't understand the severe consequences of his actions. His first attack took place at 7: 55 am of December 7, 1941. The planes came to within 30 feet from the ground and instantly started to drop torpedoes and bombs. The torpedoes were specially designed just for this attack because of the shallow water. They hoped to destroy the Pacific Fleet. They focused on nine major aircraft carriers and destroyers, the Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Japanese also attacked the Hawaiian oil fields. They planned for two waves of attacks. The first attack wave consisted of three groups. The first group was only four planes, sent out for the nine battleships and aircraft carriers.

The second group had dive-bombers to specifically damage and blow up the oil fields. The third group was made up of six cannon planes. These aimed at the control centers or any objects that could be destroyed with small ammunition. A radiogram was sent from the U.S. Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet: "Air raid on Pearl Harbor.

This is no drill". Within two hours, the carnage had concluded, leaving 2,403 people dead in the smoldering ruins. Almost two hundred planes and nine battleships also laid crippled in the harbor. As horrific as the crime scene was, many people still wonder if it was actually a complete surprise.

Evidence supports the fact that President Roosevelt had been warned several times about Japan's idea to attack the harbor. The U.S. Ambassador to Japan, wired Washington that he had learned information that Japan, in the event of trouble with the U.S., was planning a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. In Roosevelt's speech he stated, "No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people and their righteous might will win through to absolute victory". World War II was a time for immense social growth in America.

The country had to experience the horrors of total war and developed into the dominant world power. Currently, some of the ships still lay visible along the Hawaiian coast. Oil still leaks from the U.S. battleship Arizona today. Pearl Harbor has come to be a national memorial.