Why did Japan feel they needed to attack Pearl Harbor?

Question

I need the reasons why they felt they had to attack. Please provide bibliographical details so I can look them up for my assignment. Thank you.

Answer 1

The Japanese knew the Americans would soon enter the war. The military influence in the Japanese government convinced the Emperor that if they struck first at Pearl Harbor, destroying most, if not all, of the American Pacific fleet, the Japanese would have the war won before our industry could recoil from the attack and construct enough ships for the US to make a naval difference in the war. There were other Japanese who feared that in "waking the sleeping giant," Japan was making a big mistake.

Answer 2

Very simple. Oil.

The specific proximate cause was oil. That might sound trite or something but it's not. The US was the world's major oil producer at the time, and was engaged in a nearly complete oil embargo of the Empire of Japan , and the continued aggressive actions of the Imperial forces in Manchuria Eastern China, and elsewhere in southeast Asia/ "greater Japan" (referred to by the Imperial forces as East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere).

The desire for raw materials particularly oil, rubber and metal for industrial use, were the primary motivators of Japanese aims.

However it was also seen (to a much less extent) as a degree of retribution for the forcible opening of Japanese markets by US traders and the US military - prompting what was referred to as the Meiji Reformation (basically the rapid industrialization period from the mid 1800's to the 1920's) where Japan went from a completely isolated, nearly self-contained civilization, to a modern world power in a little more than 50 years.

Answer 3

In 1940, the United States Navy Pacific Fleet was relocated to Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor is halfway between the Far East and the United States. “President Roosevelt in 1941 stopped Americans from selling oil, steel, and other war supplies to Japan; this angered the Japanese who needed the supplies to invade other countries” (Crewe 12). It seemed to them the United States was threatening their country. In the month of October 1941, Hideki Tojo, the Prime Minster of Japan and commander in chief of the Japanese combined military, decided to get back at the United States. They claimed Pearl Harbor was a dagger pointed at their throat. “Tojo’s first step toward war was the approval of a daring plan by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to cripple the United States Pacific Fleet by attacking Pearl Harbor with planes launched from aircraft carriers” (Crewe 12)

Answer 4

You Guys are all WRONG did any of you pay attention in social studies class. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because it wanted to conquer all the island in the Pacific.

Answer 5

As repeatedly stated - oil.
They knew our entire fleet was going to be at Pearl that day. They wanted to wipe it out in one fell swoop before we had a chance to REALLY enforce the embargo.
OOPS! Our carriers weren't there! BIG mistake on their part. They did awaken a sleeping giant without which the Pacific would have become Japan's personal playground.
I think we've all given you enough that you can at LEAST find some references for that which we've been taught or actually learned on our own time. Novel thought, Hmm?

Answer 6

We put an oil embargo on them for not leaving Manchuria. Thus we cut off their supply of oil and with it their ability to wage war. They needed the oil fields in SE Asia and thus needed to have control of the pacific to keep oil flowing. The US fleet was their major threat and Hawaii was where they were stationed so they attacked Pearl Harbor.

Answer 7

They felt that war between the US and Japan was inevitable. The US had stopped supplying oil to Japanese Empire, as well as issued economic sanctioins...this is also partially why Japan invaded China and Manchuria. The goal was to cripple the US naval fleet in the Pacific so that they would be forced to negotiate. Also Japan and Germany were allied at the time...and during all this the US was unofficially supporting Britain, whom was fighting Germany.

Answer 8

It was the only card they had to play...so to speak. After the US oil embargo, the Japanese 'nationalistic and militaristic' war machine was stopped in its tracks. They gambled that the US fleet would be knocked out and US public opinion (which was isolationist at the time) would keep them out of a general conflict with their empire. On both cases, there were dead wrong.

Answer 9

Look up Imperialism. Japan thought of the US as imperialists. Pearl Harbour was the most accessible point of attack.

Answer 10

Maybe they thought we were developing the same kinds of weapons they already had. After all, thats why we attacked Iraq.