Why Pearl Harbor?

Question

We have just watched the famous movie about Pearl Harbor - my American wife and me ( a Swede). I would like to ask you the same questions as I asked my wife:

1. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

2. Why did America have that hudge naval base on Hawaii?

Answer 1

1. (Main reason) America was in league w/the east indies/"allies" and holding out on oil to Japan as Japan's policies became more aggressive. (And they were at war w/ China)

2. A show of force in the Pacific, position, and of course, well, it's homeland

Answer 2

1. A complex question that too many say is about the oil embargo or that the US forced Japan into attacking. This is a quick, easy, explanation to a complex question. The reasons are many and go back at least 40 years before 1941. In the 1890s and 1900s Japan was an expanding Colonial Empire modeling themselves after many European countries, epically Britain. Many Japanese viewed themselves as the Britain of Asia.

Japan began conquering territory in the Pacific and after WW1 realized that European countries were weak. Japan and the US had the greatest economy after WW1. A natural rivalry formed between the US and Japan. Both countries after WW1 realized that the other would be the next potential enemy.

When China asked for help against Japan only the US could come forth. Britain and France were still too weak, too far away, and already consumed with Germany and Hitler to do anything. The League of Nations had no power, nor did Japan even consider that organization a threat. The USA however, with its US naval power was a threat to any further expansion. When its leaders felt it could no longer negotiate with the USA and China it realized that war was the only possibility. They attacked the naval base there as a start to their war plan. Conquer some territory, fortify it then hold on hoping that the US would tire of war allowing Japan to hold onto some of its conquered territory.

This is a very simplified view of a complex issue, much like how WW1 started and the issues involved there the same can be said here.

2. Its a natural base, and FDR actually wanted to send a squad to the Philippines even closer to Japan to 'force' them to leave China.

Answer 3

The Japanese were expanding their interests in the Pacific, directly threatening US interests and trade. The US responded with trade sanctions provoking the Japanese to start the war. The Japanese Government was supposed to deliver the declaration of war just before the Pearl Harbor attack, but didn't.
Pearl Harbor was a target because most of the US Pacific Fleet was based there and the Japanese knew they had to
deliver a decisive blow to win the war in the shortest possible time, by destroying US ability to project power in the Pacific ie - by crippling the Fleet. However, as we now know, the blow was not hard enough and they underestimate US determination to fight.

Pearl Harbor is a great location for a Naval Base, deep water, good approaches, perfect as a US base to project power into the Pacific

Answer 4

Because its a very stategic point in the Pacific. Just look at the map. The USA is thousands of miles away from Asia so if anything happened there they could can be ready.

Pearl Harbor was the biggest US naval base in the Pacific.

Answer 5

Pearl Harbour is a natural deep water harbour. It is also a bottleneck making it easy for an enemy to trap ships there too.
The Japanes wanted Naval supremacy in the pacific while they invaded and built their Empire.
The Americans wanted a strong Naval presence in the Pacific to counter any Japanese move for expansion.
The Japanese got the idea of hitting the US fleet at anchor from the British who successfully sank the Italian Fleet at Taranto using shallow water Torpedoes fitted to Fairey Swordfish aircraft. Happy New Year (Tora Tora Tora means Tiger Tiger Tiger).

Answer 6

The Japanese where hoping that the bulk of the pacific fleet would be there(aircraft carriers) and Pearl has a very narrow harbor entrance. Sinking a large ship there would block it a none could get out. Fortunately, this didn't happen. That is why Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto said "I fear all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

Answer 7

Pearl harbour because Europe and USA emposed petroleum sanctions on Japan when they allied themselves with Germany. Japan decided to invade the Pacific nations such as Philippines, indonesia and the smaller islands like guam, micronesia, Marshall islands in search of oil. Japan decided that the only threat in this region was the naval base of hawaii, so they decided to take it out before they got the chance to counter the invasion. This actually worked as japan captured many island nations and held onto them until the end of WW2

Answer 8

1. Because it was the US Navy's main base in the Pacific, and they believed they could knock out the Americans Aircraft carrier fleet docked there, a surprise attack was far easier than hunting them down at sea, unfortunately for them (Japan) the US carriers were still out at sea when the attack took place.

2. Because to have a US Naval Base situated on a populated Island so far out into the Pacific they are able to extend the range of their fleet.

3.When William McKinley won the presidential election in November of 1896, the question of Hawaii’s annexation to the U.S. was again opened. The previous president, Grover Cleveland, was a friend of Queen Liliuokalani. He had remained opposed to annexation until the end of his term, but McKinley was open to persuasion by U.S. expansionists and by annexationists from Hawaii.
He agreed to meet with a committee of annexationists from Hawaii, Lorrin Thurston, Francis Hatch and William Kinney. After negotiations, in June of 1897, McKinley agreed to a treaty of annexation with these representatives of the Republic of Hawaii.[15] The president then submitted the treaty to the U.S. Senate for approval.

Despite some opposition in the islands, the Newlands Resolution was passed by the House June 15, 1898, by a vote of 209 to 91, and by the Senate on July 6, 1898, by a vote of 42 to 21, annexing Hawaii as a U.S. territory. Its legality continues to be questioned because it was a United States Government resolution, not a treaty of cession or conquest as is required by international law. Both houses of the American Congress carried the measure with two-thirds majorities.

In 1900, Hawaii was granted self-governance and retained Iolani Palace as the territorial capitol building. Though several attempts were made to achieve statehood, Hawaii remained a territory for sixty years. Plantation owners, such as the Big Five, found territorial status convenient, enabling them to continue importing cheap foreign labor; such immigration was prohibited in various states of the U.S.

The power of the plantation owners was finally broken by activist descendants of original immigrant laborers. Because they were born in a U.S. territory, they were legal U.S. citizens. Expecting to gain full voting rights, they actively campaigned for statehood for the Hawaiian Islands.

Answer 9

1. for more land, japan and Germany was following a policy of expansion and they saw America as the next target.

2. because of its strategic position in the middle of the Pacific.

Answer 10

To answer number 1
It was the closet US military installation to japan

To answer number 2

Because it was the closest to japan