The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941. It was a surprise attack on the U.S. fleet moored in the harbor by the Japanese air force. Ever since, there has been speculation about the intentions of the Japanese in making this attack. The destruction of the fleet at Pearl Harbor could be no more than a temporary limitation on the ability of the United States to defend herself or to retaliate, as indeed proved to be the case. Prior to this attack, though, there was no reason to retaliate. The Japanese appeared to be casting a challenge in a way that was certain to bring about their destruction in a war they could not hope to win. The secrecy of the attack has been questioned in recent years as evidence has accumulated that the United Stats may have intercepted messages and monitored communications so that it was known that there would be an attack, though not necessarily precisely when and where. In any case, the issue remains as to what Japan wanted, why she attacked Pearl Harbor, and whether her intentions had any chance of success. An examination of the event and what led up to it will lead to a comparison of different views as to why Japan made this attack and declared war on the United States.
The attack on Pearl harbor should be seen first as a continuation of earlier Japanese policies. Japan had launched surprise attacks before, in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. At the time, the Western press saw these acts as well-executed strikes and as brilliant tactical maneuvers. American military authorities in the 1920s and 1930s carried out maneuvers based on simulated Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor that would prove to be surprisingly like the real one. In the decades prior to Pearl Harbor, relations between Japan and the United States had been strained. By the end of the 1930s, the primary issue between them concerned Japan's war with China, a war Japan needed ...