2007-04-07 07:45:10 · 9 answers · asked by Robin 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Japan was very imperialistic at the time. They were trying to get a foothold in the Pacific islands. One of the things that was in their way was U.S. military presence in the Pacific. They were hoping the United States would back down from the region after a sudden attack, or that they would deliver a mild response, rather symbolic response, and then back down with some sort of face-saving treaty.
They were wrong.
2007-04-07 07:49:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pearl Harbor was attacked in order to scare the United States. This was our major installation in the Pacific, and the Japanese Empire wanted no interference with their goals of conquest. By attacking Pearl Harbor, they would:
1) scare America by showing the Japanese's awesome might,
2) degrade American forces so that the United States would be unable to intefere with Japanese actions.
2007-04-07 07:52:23 · answer #2 · answered by John T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most of the answers above are correct...but one vital reason was left out...the Japs needed to gain Naval superiority in the Pacific, and the only way to do this was to knock out our Naval Fleet anchored in Pearl AND to destroy our three carrier ships (thought to be anchored in Pearl during the time of the attack). Our carriers really posed a HUGE threat to their plans for conquest...if they could neutralize our carrier threat...(they thought)...we could not make an effective attempt to stop them as they marched across the Solomons, Phillipines, China, etc. The war could have lasted a much longer time.....
Fortunately....the Carriers were not there during the attack of 7 Dec 1941...and, well, the rest was History....
2007-04-07 08:59:22 · answer #3 · answered by Charlie Bravo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Japan was being cut off by the United States of Oil and other imports they needed to continue their expansion. They thought they would end up fighting the United States sooner or later and hoped to put the United States out of the fight before it started. it was a desperate gamble which did not work.
2007-04-07 08:48:55 · answer #4 · answered by chris B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
??? Pearl Harbor, Hawaii ??? The other answers are by and large correct.
Perhaps the same reason a number of us in the US Navy joked in the late 1980's / early 1990's about destroying Oakland, Long Beach, and Compton... to eliminate those who can't spell from the gene-pool and the welfare roles.
2007-04-07 08:40:53 · answer #5 · answered by mariner31 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You mean "pearl harbor" right?
Well...hm...
Japan was Germany's ally, and they figured that having the U.S fighting on two fronts in a war would bring us down, and lead to our retreatment in the war, therefore, hitler told Japan to attack the U.S, and plus Japan also wanted to get a jump on the Pacific Naval war by taking out half of our naval fleet.
2007-04-07 07:51:18 · answer #6 · answered by TheMuffinMan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Japan expanding
2007-04-07 07:50:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The U.S. was embargoing oil shipments to Japan. Japan was desperate.
2007-04-07 07:50:00 · answer #8 · answered by Catherine B 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because Japan thoguht they could push around the US but were wrong. we bombed the hell out of them !!!!!!!!!!!
2007-04-07 07:52:57 · answer #9 · answered by NONAME 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋