Behind the Attack

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The attack on Pearl Harbor was a completely unexpected attack that caught America by surprise, which was the entire plan. But when this dragged us into World War two, the Japanese who had attacked us in the first place hadn’t meant to do so. Yamamoto Isoroku, the captain of the Japanese navy, had entirely different plans. He had spent a few of his years in America, so he thought his plan would have an entirely different effect.
Before Yamamoto had accepted the position of commander of the Japanese navy, he had spent five years studying in America. Throughout that time, he taught himself how to fly. For the next two years, he studied the United States navy, gathering as much information as he could before heading back to Japan. He returned, embassy in Washington as the naval attaché. Upon his arrival, he was given control of the carrier Akagi. He was also granted the position of the Imperial Japanese’s leading advocate, or backer, of power. In the year 1934, a naval conference of world powers was being held in London, and Yamamoto attended it. In 1921, a limitation on the building of warships had been established, with the ratios of warships at a 5:5:3, with Britain and the United States at five, and the Japanese at three. At this conference, however, Yamamoto forcefully announced to the members that Japan would no longer agree with the limitations. Back in Japan, he had become a hero, but at the conference, he had become a scandalous figure. In 1946, Yamamato was given the new position of deputy navy minister. Once he was in control, he commanded that the development of the naval forces was to be centered exclusively on the carrier groups. Although the old battleship men fumed, they complied with his command. Yamamoto, at this ti...

... middle of paper ...

...xt plan Yamamoto had was centered around Midway. He was hoping to destroy the rest of the United States carriers. In addition to this, he was planning to capture midway to create an impenetrable eastern shield so that Japan’s territory could expand.

Works Cited

Burlingame, Burl. "Setting a Trap." Cobblestone, Dec. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

Hanes, Jeffrey E. “Yamamoto, Isoroku.” World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

Haufler, Hervie. “The Greatest Intelligence Achievement in Navy History.” World War II, July 2002. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

“Isoroku Yamamoto.” N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

McGrath, Roger D. “The Shoot Down of Admiral Yamamoto.” The New American, 22 April. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

“Yamamoto Isoroku.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

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