Understanding Pearl Harbor History
On the morning of 7 December 1941, 177 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States Naval base on Oahu, Hawaii, at Pearl Harbor. What happened? And why did Pearl Harbor lead to WW2 for the U.S.? To understand what happened, you need to know some background history, starting in the 1930s.
Background of the Attack
In the early 20th century, Japan was hard at work modernizing its economy and military, with the goal of building an empire. Because the Japanese mainland did not have the necessary resources, Japan began its endeavour of empire building by invading the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931, and over the next few years, pushed further into northern China. War broke out between the two nations in July of 1937, which became a stalemate by 1939. While the events across the Pacific concerned the United States, the policy the U.S. had established unofficially after the First World War was one of non-interventionism and isolationism. In the mid-1930s, the U.S. Congress began solidifying this policy, passing a number of neutrality bills.
Meanwhile, the entire world was becoming more unstable, as war broke out in Europe and Japanese aggression continued in China, shifting public opinion in the United States towards interventionism. The U.S. began supplying arms, first to Britain and France, then to China and the Soviet Union. Japan began an alliance with Nazi Germany and Italy, and this, coupled with Japan’s mounting aggression, led to the United States imposing an embargo on iron, steel, and copper. By 1941, as the Japanese occupied French Indochina with the goal of launching invasions further south, the U.S. froze all of Japan’s assets in the United States, which prevented Japan from buying oil. Japan attempted negotiations, but when those failed because the U.S. wanted Japan to withdraw from China, among other conditions. Japan then decided to attack Pearl Harbor, believing this will cripple the U.S. fleet and buy Japan time to consolidate their gains and continue their expansion without interference.
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The plan came into fruition on December 7, 1941, when the attack began just before 8 in the morning, taking the Americans completely by surprise. The attack wave of 183 aircraft was separated into three groups. First, two groups of dive bombers and fighters targeted the parked aircraft and hangars of the airbase. Next, bombers and torpedo bombers hit the ships in the harbour, using a new type of torpedo developed specifically for the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. In the first five minutes of the first attack, four battleships were hit. An hour later, a second wave of bombers attacked, and by the time two hours had passed, 21 U.S. warships had been damaged or sunk and 188 aircraft were destroyed. Worse, over 2,400 Americans were killed, including service members and civilians, and over 1,100 were wounded. However, most of the ships were later repaired and returned to battle. While Japan believed they could cripple the United States, they underestimated America’s fighting spirit.
Impact on the United States
To say that the shock and outrage felt by the American people in the aftermath of the attack were significant is an understatement. For the first time, the nation was united in the intent to go to war. United States leaders wasted no time in taking action. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress on December 8, just one day after the attack. That same day, Congress approved the President’s declaration of war on Japan. This led to a declaration of war against the United States by Japanese allies Germany and Italy, and Congress in turn declared war on the European powers. Among the American people, patriotism surged, and thousands upon thousands of men and women hurried to enlist in the military, eager to support the USA and all the nation stood for, with a strong sense of right and wrong.
Turning Point in World War II
Ultimately the attack on Pearl Harbor was a massive strategic miscalculation on the part of Japan. It pushed the United States out of isolationism and into fierce determination to achieve complete victory. The Allies launched a relentless amphibious assault, resulting in the destruction of the Japanese armed forces, occupation of the home islands, and the U.S. occupation of Okinawa and Ryukyu until 1972. The bombing of Pearl Harbor also led to Japan’s loss of Korea. What’s more, the attack and the subsequent entry of the United States into the war galvanized the Allied powers and unified their resolve to defeat the Axis forces.
Legacy of Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor left a lasting legacy that played a significant role in shaping U.S. foreign policy and military strategy for decades to come. Annually, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed, in order to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the attack. Remembering World War II, its heroes, and significant facts is important, which is why for over 30 years, Eden Camp Modern History Museum has worked to bring history out of dull exhibits in stuffy museums and into real life. At Eden Camp, our realistic tableaux, with moving figures and sounds and smells that are authentically historical, will transport you back in time, where you can experience life in Britain from 1939-1945. Once a prisoner of war camp, Eden Camp was built on an agricultural plot outside of Malton in early 1942, as a temporary camp to accommodate prisoners of war captured by the Allied forces, first Italian, then German. These POWs lived in the huts at Eden Camp, primarily working locally in agricultural, until 1948, when they were released, three years after the war’s end. Today, these huts have be re-equipped to tell the story of the “People’s War”, with each hut covering a different aspect of the war. Our collection is ever growing, and our Heritage Exhibition Hall can be used for special events, occasions, and exhibitions. With immersive displays, we cover both social and military history, and our archive has become a resource of national historical importance. Come visit, on your own, with your family, or with a group- there is something here for everyone. Car and coach parking is free on site, our exhibits are wheelchair accessible, we have picnic areas and play areas, and we’re even dog friendly! For visitor enquiries, group bookings, and school visits, telephone (01653) 915214, or purchase tickets online.
