Post by Jaster der Meister on Sept 13, 2008 14:23:17 GMT -7
Why did the Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor in 1941?
I have been doing some research from various sources on the web and I think I may have stumbled across an answer to this question of mine. For years I was taught to despise the Japanese for what they did to us in 1941, and for years I did have hostility towards them. I always wondered though, what was their motivation? I was never told. So I found out for myself.
I will present to you part of an article that I was reading and found very interesting.
"Japan had been involved in an aggressive war with mainland China since the mid 1930's. The brutality of that war was such that popular opinion in the USA became gradually more anti-Japanese and pro-Chinese.
Eventually these feelings translated into the USA leading an international movement to isolate Japan economically and thus force them to withdraw from China. Primarily the USA plan was to cut off credit to the Japanese which would prevent them from being able to purchase petroleum. Japan received petroleum (an absolutely vital economic and military commodity, then as it is now) from three sources: The USA, Dutch east indies (Indonesia) and Burma (British controlled in the 1940's). The USA inspired movement included all three sources.
Japan could/would not accept a withdrawal from the Chinese war and instead began planning a first strike against the USA navy. Eliminating or reducing the USA naval forces in the Pacific would make the Japanese navy paramount, and thus Japan would be able to defeat the economic consequences of the USA ultimatum. After eliminating the USA navy Japan planned to occupy the Dutch East Indies and Burma, thus gaining control of enough oil to run their military and economy.
The strike on Pearl Harbor did exactly as hoped by the Japanese. The USA fleet was crippled. The Dutch lacked forces to repel the Japanese. The British navy (as ordered by Churchill) sent forces to defend their areas but these were totally inadequate for the job and were decimated quickly. Japan occupied all the oil producing areas and settled down to a war of attrition against the USA, which they hoped would wear down the USA politically and enable them to keep their conquests.
Of course, the USA developed, under MacArthur and Nimitz, tactics which overcame the Japanese positions and eventually led to the collapse of Japanese power in East Asia."
Call me unpatriotic if you like, but to me this seems like, once again, America stuck it's nose into someone else's business and get burned because of their old habit, of trying to play "Global Police". Funny thing is, what motivations could the U.S. of had, for helping China at this point?
Don't take my word for it though. If you feel the need, do some research of your own.
I have been doing some research from various sources on the web and I think I may have stumbled across an answer to this question of mine. For years I was taught to despise the Japanese for what they did to us in 1941, and for years I did have hostility towards them. I always wondered though, what was their motivation? I was never told. So I found out for myself.
I will present to you part of an article that I was reading and found very interesting.
"Japan had been involved in an aggressive war with mainland China since the mid 1930's. The brutality of that war was such that popular opinion in the USA became gradually more anti-Japanese and pro-Chinese.
Eventually these feelings translated into the USA leading an international movement to isolate Japan economically and thus force them to withdraw from China. Primarily the USA plan was to cut off credit to the Japanese which would prevent them from being able to purchase petroleum. Japan received petroleum (an absolutely vital economic and military commodity, then as it is now) from three sources: The USA, Dutch east indies (Indonesia) and Burma (British controlled in the 1940's). The USA inspired movement included all three sources.
Japan could/would not accept a withdrawal from the Chinese war and instead began planning a first strike against the USA navy. Eliminating or reducing the USA naval forces in the Pacific would make the Japanese navy paramount, and thus Japan would be able to defeat the economic consequences of the USA ultimatum. After eliminating the USA navy Japan planned to occupy the Dutch East Indies and Burma, thus gaining control of enough oil to run their military and economy.
The strike on Pearl Harbor did exactly as hoped by the Japanese. The USA fleet was crippled. The Dutch lacked forces to repel the Japanese. The British navy (as ordered by Churchill) sent forces to defend their areas but these were totally inadequate for the job and were decimated quickly. Japan occupied all the oil producing areas and settled down to a war of attrition against the USA, which they hoped would wear down the USA politically and enable them to keep their conquests.
Of course, the USA developed, under MacArthur and Nimitz, tactics which overcame the Japanese positions and eventually led to the collapse of Japanese power in East Asia."
Call me unpatriotic if you like, but to me this seems like, once again, America stuck it's nose into someone else's business and get burned because of their old habit, of trying to play "Global Police". Funny thing is, what motivations could the U.S. of had, for helping China at this point?
Don't take my word for it though. If you feel the need, do some research of your own.