Relations between Japan and the United States became increasingly tense between 1939 and 1941, and Japanese forces in China reached a stalemate. On December 7, 1941, aircraft from six Japanese aircraft carriers took off from deck and launched a surprise attack on the Pacific Fleet in the Pearl Harbor area of Hawaii, USA. This marked Japan's official declaration of war on the United States. On December 8, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially delivered his famous declaration of war on Japan, the Pacific War broke out, and World War 2 entered its climax.
Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
In early 1939, the Japanese fascists began to waver about exactly what strategy to adopt, because they had to overcome the problems in The Chinese region and solve the economic problems associated with it, some wanted to attack the Soviet Union to the north, but others advocated advancing south to Europe, plundering the rich oil, tin, rubber and other rich natural resources in the colonies of Southeast Asia. In 1937, Japan and the Soviet Union fought the Battle of Nomonkan on the Mongolian border, which was a fierce defeat for Japan, which slapped Japan in the face of its northward advance of the Soviet Union. A contract was signed with the Soviet Union in 1937. The resources plundered by Japan in northeast China simply could not satisfy Japan's enormous desire for war. Japan's offensive plan in China entered a stalemate under the stubborn resistance of the Chinese.
In 1940, the United States officially announced a ban on the export of oil and mineral resources with Japan. At that time, many countries in Southeast Asia were colonies of European countries, such as the Netherlands and France, who were busy resisting the German fascist offensive on the European battlefield, and had no time to control the colonies in the east, while the United States was the opposite, the United States passed legislation to sell arms to the outside world, and at the same time controlled almost the entire Pacific region including Southeast Asia, which was done by Japan. The contradictions intensified even more intensely, and at this time, the main war faction, Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, instigated senior officials of various Japanese ministries to coordinate and fight against the US military.
Tensions between Japan and the United States accelerated the anxiety at the top of the Japanese hierarchy, and in order to continue the war of aggression, in July 1941, the Japanese government decided to enter the southern Indochina Peninsula and Southeast Asia as the first step further southward, even if this move would lead to war, but at the same time Japan would continue to consult with the United States. American codebreakers intercepted the report of the meeting, and the American leaders decided to gradually put economic pressure on Japan and cut off all of Japan's oil supply, which was the belligerent Japanese once again convinced that the United States had shown anti-war intentions, and at the same time they began to find their strategic supply depots in trouble. The Japanese top brass understood that only by sneaking into Pearl Harbor and declaring war on the United States could they annex the entire Southeast Asian region, but it was so easy to defeat the United States, but in the face of the situation, the Japanese top brass was better off desperate, so they secretly organized an army to sneak attack Pearl Harbor. then. Japan's main threat came from the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which, while not very strong, was indestructible. The great American president Roosevelt and his administration already knew that Japan's planned war was also expected, but Roosevelt did not take appropriate measures. Some people say that Roosevelt declared war on the United States in order to implement a bitter plan, because Roosevelt understood the truth that if Germany conquered all of Europe on the European battlefield, and if Japan conquered the whole of Asia in the East Asian Far East, then Japan and Germany would inevitably attack the United States from both sides of the Pacific and the Atlantic at the same time, and the United States would perish.
At about 7:45 a.m. on December 7, 1941, two japanese planes suddenly attacked naval anchorages and many airfield areas on Wahu Island, and continued to attack for two hours, killing 2,403 Americans in this raid. Of the 8 warships parked in the harbor, 6 were sunk, in addition to many ships, 188 aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese lost only 29 aircraft and a large submarine. The next day Roosevelt declared war on Japan.
The impact of Pearl Harbor on Japan
It has to be denied that after the outbreak of Pearl Harbor, in half a year, the US Navy, especially the Pacific Fleet, was in a passive state, and Japan conquered the entire Southeast Asian region in less than a few years, thus plundering a large area of resources. However, in the next few years, the Japanese fleet was hit very badly by the Us Pacific Fleet, Japan did not understand how strong the comprehensive national strength of the United States was, and its production capacity was one of the best in the world at that time, and the warships accumulated by Japan from the Meiji Restoration to World War 2 were sunk by the United States in only two years, and the Pacific Fleet lost by the United States after pearl harbor was completely repaired in less than a year, and after the general mobilization of the war, The United States evolved into a war machine, which hastened the demise of Japanese fascism and the end of World War 2. It can only be said that Japan's behavior is self-inflicted, and the harm it has caused to China is irreparable, and we must not forget the national shame and revitalize China!