pearl harbor Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The attack on Pear Harbor has influenced history in a way that has made America stronger. It helped America unite as a country, allowing them to overcome greater obstacles. One example is the recent tragedy of September 11. I believe that Pearl Harbor helped unite America as a nation so when the bombing on September 11 happened, it helped the U.S. handle this tragedy. In my report, I would like to tell you of the events leading up to the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1937, Japan invaded China and began waging a war on them. Since Japan was militaristic, the official head of the Japanese government did not have real power. Instead, the reins of power were held by military officials. Military leaders convinced Japanese people that they were under divine protection and could not be defeated. On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Treaty with Germany and Italy, which joined them to the Axis Powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Japanese invasion of China disturbed America, for the U.S. and China had always been close allies. Many Americans were alarmed by the increasingly hostile nature of Japan’s leaders and by her powerful military thus when Chinese leader asked the U.S. for assistance, President Roosevelt declared a moral embargo. He also started strengthening American defenses in the Pacific. The center of activity was the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Japan saw the embargo on China as a threat. Japan asked to be left alone, but America refused, insisting that they withdraw from China. Soon the embargo began to hurt Japan’s economy. So they decided to push America out of the Pacific. Japanese military leaders warned that a long war with the U.S. would result in a Japanese defeat. Japan believed that a knockout blow must be dealt to the American’s at the very beginning. They decided to launch a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor knowing that by destroying America’s Pacific fleet, the U.S. would not be able to fight back, and they would have to surrender. In the months before the attack on United States bases in the Pacific, the young Japanese men trained rigorously for service in their country’s air forces. Several factors prevented the American command from ant... ... at all. Soon after the surprise attack, on September 8, President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war. They agreed with an overwhelming vote for war, and Roosevelt soon addressed America: â€Å"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan.† Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S., and the U.S. declared war on Italy and Germany. Japan thought that their attack on Pearl Harbor would destroy America, but they soon found that they had failed to anticipate three important things: (1) Most of the U.S. aircraft carriers were at sea during the attack, thus escaping the damage. (2) The attack failed to destroy the repair facilities and fuel reserves at Pearl Harbor naval base. (3) The surprise attack united the American people as nothing has before, and the entire nation banded together to face their fears with one goal—to defeat the Axis Powers. The Japanese had not crushed America at all; instead, they had—in the words of a Japanese admiral—â€Å"awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve.†