The state of Hawaii is the 50th of the United States of America and maybe one of the most
popular places in the world. On O’ahu, the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands, many wellknown
tourist attractions like Hanauma Bay or Waikiki Beach, can be found. Furthermore
there is a place on O’ahu which owns a great piece of the American and also the world’s
history. Pearl Harbor is a harbor located at the south coast of O’ahu and is generally regarded
as an extraordinary event in American history, remembered as the first time since the War of
1812 America has been attacked on its home soil by another country. The attack on Pearl
Harbor was an unexpected and surprising attack of Japan to the United State naval base at
Pearl Harbor. It took place on the morning of Sunday, December the 7th in 1941. The result of
the war was a decisive victory for Japan and a war declaration of war of the USA on the
Empire of Japan. Thus the USA entered World War II on the side of the Allies. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Pearl Harbor
2. The road to war
3. Diplomatic tensions and the modus vivendi
4. The final warning and the attack
5. Assessment of responsibility
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines the historical context, diplomatic failures, and strategic events leading up to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, ultimately evaluating the shared culpability of both the United States and the Empire of Japan in the escalation toward war.
- The deteriorating diplomatic relations between the USA and Japan
- Economic sanctions and oil embargos as catalysts for conflict
- Failures in military intelligence communication and internal coordination
- The controversial debate regarding the "modus vivendi" policy
- The ethical and strategic responsibility of both nations for the outbreak of hostilities
Excerpt from the Book
The final warning and the attack
The final war message arrived at the President on the evening of December the 6th. Unfortunately, he could not get in touch with Admiral Stark, who was enjoying a play in the National Theatre. However, the most inexplicable mistake was that nobody - neither the President, nor the high officers- has sent a warning Honolulu. The United States Pacific Fleet commander requests that the fleet should be moved from Pearl Harbor to the West Coast, citing unprepared ness – but President Roosevelt refuses.
After receiving the message, the President did never convene a meeting of Army and Navy officers or talked to Admiral Stark. He took the message so equanimous and cool that the question arises whether he wittingly wanted to provoke the attack.
In the night of December the 7th, Admiral Stark got the final and exact information about the upcoming war. But he made no effort to inform Admiral Kimmel, who was the commander of the Hawaiian navy. Instead of sending the important message to Hawaii, Stark tried to reach the Chief of Staff of the Army, General George Marshall. But at night, General Marshall was already sleeping and nobody wanted to wake him up. After heaving breakfast on the next day, he went for a ride on his horse. When he returned to his office at noontime, he got the information that the Japanese army was going to attack Pearl Harbor around 1 pm on the same day. He immediately sent the message to Honolulu via RCA.
That was, in fact, the biggest failure that he could have done, because the military information arrived too late. If he had sent it by the Navy radio or the FBI radio or would have stamped it priority, it would have arrived in time.
At one o’ clock the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. President Roosevelt declares war by stating that December 7, 1941 is “A day that will live in infamy."
Summary of Chapters
Pearl Harbor: Provides an overview of the geographical and historical significance of the site and the surprise attack that brought the USA into the Second World War.
The road to war: Details the escalating tensions since 1937, focusing on the Sino-Japanese War, the Tripartite Pact, and subsequent US economic sanctions.
Diplomatic tensions and the modus vivendi: Discusses the failed negotiations, Japan’s demands for resource access, and the contentious proposal for a provisional agreement.
The final warning and the attack: Analyzes the critical communication failures within the US military hierarchy that prevented timely warnings from reaching Pearl Harbor.
Assessment of responsibility: Offers a critical reflection on the shared accountability of both nations for the conflict, challenging the notion of a one-sided blame.
Keywords
Pearl Harbor, United States, Japan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, World War II, Pacific Ocean, Oil Embargo, Diplomacy, Admiral Stark, General Marshall, Military Intelligence, War declaration, Axis Powers, Sino-Japanese War, Modus Vivendi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this paper?
The paper explores the historical events, diplomatic disputes, and military communication breakdowns that preceded the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The core themes include international relations between the USA and Japan, the impact of economic sanctions, military strategic planning, and the responsibility for war.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The aim is to analyze the causes of the attack and argue that both nations share responsibility for the failure to prevent the conflict.
Which methodology is applied?
The work utilizes a historical-analytical approach, reviewing diplomatic records, correspondence, and contemporary expert literature to reconstruct the events.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section covers the timeline from 1937 to the attack, detailing the economic embargos, failed peace summits, and the internal logistical failures of US high command.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt, diplomatic failure, military intelligence, and the shared responsibility of the US and Japan.
Why does the author argue that the US government shares blame for the tragedy?
The author highlights that US high officials failed to communicate critical intelligence, citing instances where leaders were unreachable or negligent, which effectively left the Pacific Fleet vulnerable.
What was the significance of the "modus vivendi" in the negotiations?
It was a proposed provisional agreement intended to de-escalate tensions, though it ultimately failed because neither side could reach a compromise acceptable to the other.
- Citar trabajo
- Diana Renner (Autor), 2007, Pearl Harbour. An Overview, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/269174
