today is a blog discussion day because we are about a day ahead of the other classes
our discussion today is over Pearl Harbor.
Pearl Habor was attack on Decamber 7, 1941 by the Japanese. they not only attacked us so we couldn't attack them, but they wanted us to trade with them becase they greatly needed war natural supplies because of the war that they were in with FrenchIndoChina. We said that we would traid with them if they leave indochina, and they refused to withdraw from china which they didn't.
In July, 1941, Japan invaded French Indochina. in response, the US stops trading with Japan. Due to embargo, Japan felt it had three options;
1. abandon ambitions in South East Asia
2. compromise with the US
3.attack Dutch and British possessions in the pacific and US bases in the Pacific.
Yamamoto felt that if Japan had any chance of winning a war against the US it must destroy the US pacefic fleet in surprise attack. A surprise atack would give Japan at least six months to dominate SE Asia unopposed.
Japan thought that the Us then would allow Japan to do as it pleased in Asia Tojo wanted war but Emperor Hirohito wanted on last peace attempt. Japan offered this. 1. open door policy everywhere and Jpan would withdraw from indochina.
Japanese attack force consisted of
1. six aircraft carriers
2. 360 airplanes
3. two battleships, three cruisers, eight destroyers. admiral Nagumo commanded the force.
To succeed, Japan had to travel 3500 miles without being detected. that meant avsolute radio silence and travelling through a vast, lonely expanse of the Pacific Ocean, this attack had to be a complete surprise. " Backdoor to War" Conspiracy.
Japan felt taht the key to success in the pacefic was air and sea power; especially launching airplanes from aircraft carriers and suvmarines attacking enemy ships. Japan had ten aircraft carriers to out three in the pacific ( based in Pearl harbor).
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