How did the Americans view the Pearl Harbour attacks?

Question

What effects did it have on the US?
What was their reaction?
What was their opinion?

Answer 1

At first fear, fear of more attacks not only on Hawaii but the West coast. The days following,t he fear turned to vengeance and retribution.... the sleeping giant had awaken. Now there were no isolationists, Democrats or Republicans, only Americans.

Answer 2

I can not answer for the Americans because I am British but observing from the other side of 'the pond' it looked as though they suddenly felt vulnerable.

The war was suddenly on their doorstep and they realised that if they did not react they would be into something they could not extricate themselves from.

They reacted by joining the rest of us in the war which we were losing. From then on the tide started to turn.

The effect that the raid on Pearl Harbour had on the Americans was that they were made to realise that America was not so far away from what was happening in Europe that they could not sit on the sidelines any longer.

In my personal opinion I have the feeling that if it had not been for Pearl Harbour and its consequences Adolf Hitler and his army would have won the war.

Answer 3

Immediately after the Imperial Japanese Navy attack upon Pearl Harbor, the American government declared war on Japan. It also began rounding up all the Japanese living in USA including those who had been born their of Japanese parents. The Japs were incarcerated for the duration in prison camps in USA.

"This is a day which will live in infamy". Yes Mr Pesident.

At first many Americans thought that they would have a war with Japan. However, Adolf Hitler made the idiot mistake of declaring war on the USA on the day after the Pearl Harbor attack. How stupid is that? The admiral in charge of the Japanese attack, [I think Yamomoto] told his senior officers, "we have taken a sleeping tiger by the tail". Right first time admiral.

The reaction of most Americans was aggressive towards the Japanese, starting with their own 'Japs', who as explained above were 'rounded up' and put in camps.

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, American opinion was divided with a sizeable majority against going to war. Following the attack attitudes changed. It is possible even then that many Americans felt reluctant about going to war but simply got on with the task in hand. There was no doubt as mindset change in American opinion very soon after Pearl Harbor.

Before Pearl Harbor, the US Navy had been escorting merchant ships in convoy across the Atlantic as far east as Iceland, at which point convoy protection was given by the Royal Navy. This assistance started in c1940. Also by 1940 the Americans were involved in helping to break the Nazi Enigma code at Bletchley Park here in UK. In effect, the USA was already partly in WW2 before actually declaring war on anyone. By early 1942 US GIs were marching down the gangplanks from their troops-ships in Liverpool and stepping onto pictures of the face of Hitler.

Answer 4

Watch Pearl Harbour for the American reaction....wait, that's just Hollywood! They don't let facts get in the way of a good story! Take Braveheart for another example!! lol

Answer 5

The effect was to bring USA into WWII when, despite Churchill's best efforts, they were very unwilling to be directly engaged in the fighting.
Their reaction was one of incomprehension that anyone could do this to their country.
Their opinion was that this was an unjustified attack and that because of it, they had better act to make sure it didn't happen again.

Answer 6

i think of so. quite a few human beings are "mad" on the jap for attacking Pearl Harbor and carry that prejudice with them into at present's society. My son (age 30) nevertheless "hates" the jap. In a conflict (any conflict) human beings die and it isn't the fault of the folk protecting their u . s . a .. they're in basic terms doing what they're informed to do. We in us of a of america have not oftentimes been attacked on our own groud in contemporary circumstances (aside from 9/11) yet yet we've fought in numerous wars. And we've lost quite a few squaddies. Has it carried out any solid? i can not think of if we had no longer fought the place we'd be at present. No, i'm no longer professional=conflict by any potential. in basic terms have self assurance in protecting freedom to the suited of our ability.

Answer 7

it put the us on the war path immediately

the reaction was outrage as american sailors died sleeping in their bunks on a Sunday morning not knowing they where at war. There was no declaration of war until after the attacks - by the Japanese - the telegram came to washington an hour after the attacks

Answer 8

Just like 9/11, it provoked America to enter war. Unlike the present situation, there was a clearly defined enemy. They knew the enemy and were successful.
This time round they have chosen to go to war with the nebulous term, "terrorism". The enemy is not clearly defined and one must be very concerned about the outcome.

Answer 9

Most Americans took the attacks personally.
They were neither pleased, nor happy about it.

I could be wrong here, but...
They either went to war with Japan because of it.
Or maybe it was why they dropped a bomb on Hiroshima.
I can not recall, but it was definitely a hostile reaction.

Answer 10

well they viewed it with their eyes but it shocked them into the fact that they were not the invincible force they felt they were being so far away fromthe war front their reaction was one of retaliation and dominance to save face and their opinion i feel was one of utter disbelief that this could happen to them and guess what its the same reaction they got again from the attrocities of the world trade centre massacre.....