Why did Japan bomb Pearl harbor?

Question

help?

Answer 1

Japan was angry that we had an oil embargo against them for their part in the war. They have no oil of their own, and relied on the USA to sell it. When we refused, they got upset and bombed us.

Then we got mad and nuked them.
(I know I'm leaving out 5 years of horrible war, but this is a short-answer site).

p.s. Japan did not want to draw us into the war. They wanted us to sell them oil and cower in fear. The LAST thing they wanted was for us to attack.

Answer 2

Japan wanted to build up an Empire and control most of the Pacific. When the U.S. put the naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, it was like putting a knife at the throat of the Japanese. The naval base at Pearl Harbor had to go. Also, the U.S. had an embargo against Japan. This also was also another reason why Japanese needed to get rid of the fleet at Pearl. It was much closer than the West Coast. If the Japanese could send the fleet back to the mainland, then they could have a free hand to do what they wanted. It can be said that the Japanese wanted war with the U.S. or that Roosevelt wanted to go to war, but that is still up for debate.

Answer 3

At dawn on Sunday, December 7, 1941, naval aviation forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the United States Pacific Fleet center at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and other military targets. The goal of this attack was to sufficiently cripple the US Fleet so that Japan could then attack and capture the Phillipines and Indo-China and so secure access to the raw materials needed to maintain its position as a global military and economic power. This would enable Japan to further extend the empire to include Australia, New Zealand, and India (the ultimate boundaries planned for the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere"). The prevailing belief within the Japanese military and political establishment was that eventually, with the then expected German defeat of Great Britain and Soviet Russia, the United States' non-involvement in the European war, and Japan's control of the Pacific, that the world power structure would stabilize into three major spheres of influence:

Answer 4

The only threat to Japan's control of the western Pacific was the US fleet based at Pearl Harbor. It was a very good strategic move on their part, and mostly successful. If they had been able to follow up that success with another at Midway, the war in the Pacific would have ended entirely different. The loss of the bulk of their aircraft carriers and experienced pilots put the Japanese on the defensive the rest of the war, which is a tough way to fight. Look what happened to the Germans at Stalingrad. War is like sports; as long as you control the tempo, you control where and when to fight. Once you lose that, you have to play a reactive battle, and are always one step behind.

Answer 5

Japan was an ally with Germany, who was at war with Great Britain. The USA was helping Great Britain, by supplying materials and other resources for Britain's defense. Germany was slightly disturbed by USA's throwing a monkey wrench into the Third Reich's operation. Thus, Germany asked its ally, Japan, to teach the American's a lesson. Japan gladly obliged since it was also in Japan's interest to do so. Japanese history interpret's the attack on Pearl Harbor as an act of self-defense and a pre-emptive strike. Sound familiar?

Answer 6

To draw the United States into the War, and Pearl Harbor was close enough to Japan, whereas the West coast might have been too far for a suprise attack.

Answer 7

Pearl Harbor was where the most stratigic naval fleet was ported. Air-craft carriers and the best of all the destroyers. If Japan could cripple our navy then their mission to take over the Pacific was in the bag. Had Japan not retreated back, and had made attack on San-Fransisco as planned, they would have brought America to her knees. They attacked without any knowlege by the American military early on a Sunday morning. After the attack the Japanesse government sent a telegraph saying they were going to attack, but it was to late the attack had already occured. Japanesse government knew they had made a drastic mistake, and refferd to it as "We have awakened a sleeping giant." Seven months later America dropped the first atom bomb. I hope this helps but you need to study this on your own, it's one of the most important parts of American history, but I'm sure you'll retain this knowledge.

Answer 8

To end our pseudo-involvement in the war before we actually got into it.

We werent selling them oil and we were attempting to go to war with their ally (Germany). They found a way to catch our ships in the harbor (via a torpedo modification), and thought that by striking a strong enough blow at our forces at Pearl Harbor (which was a majority of our fleet), that we would go back to neutrality. It was a good idea, but they were unable to deal the decisive blow they intended and the US rebounded.



Note: the surprise attack was an accident due to the time difference. We were supposed to be attacked right after war was declared according the Japanese gov't.

Answer 9

They wanted to have a PARTY! Why do you think 09/11/01 happened?

Answer 10

they wanted to make America mad, fight to the death, lose the war, then get occupied, let America rebuild its infrastructure, alas be the second largest economy in the world.