Franklin Roosevelt: The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor

Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States, called the onslaught of Pearl Harbor "a date which will live in infamy," as he declared war on the Japanese Empire. To this date, it has remained one the most infamous days in our history. The location of Pearl Harbor was a massive tactical advantage for the United States in World War II. It is a harbor on the Hawaiian, Island, of Oakland, just a short distance from the capital city of Honolulu. In WWII, Pearl Harbor was a place where American planes and ships could fuel up to make the journey across the Pacific in a day and age when planes could not make such long flights. In wartime, having a way to get enough fuel to fly across oceans to enemy territory was crucial. If the Japanese could

successfully attack Pearl Harbor, it would be a smart, strategic move for the Axis Powers to gain momentum in the war, in the Pacific theater. Japanese Emperor Herbert decided to make the call to attack. The Japanese bombardment of Pearl Harbor had a vital effect in the course of World War II because it was the largest naval disaster in United States history, it caused the U.S. to join the war, and it led to the eventual atomic bombings of two Japanese cities, deciding the end of WWII in the Pacific.
First of all, one impact of the attack on Pearl Harbor was that it was the worst Naval disaster in the history of the United States.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred during the morning of December 7, 1941. The Japanese attacked the Americans, killing over 3,500 soldiers, citizens, and sailors. This attack was nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Sneak Attack" and was headed by Vice Admiral Charles Neil. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, just 6 miles west of Honolulu, starting at 8 o'clock in the morning. The Americans were doomed from the start. According to the Dictionary of American History: Volume V, "The disposition of troops, airplanes, and anti aircraft guns made effective defense nearly impossible" (239). This was evident as all U.S. planes on the base were either disabled or destroyed. Although Japan obliterated the United State's aircraft, according to Fact Cite, the attack was "only partially successful from a tactical viewpoint." The Japanese only used planes to attack and were unable to destroy power plants, repair facilities, and oil storage. The Japanese may not have been able to destroy key resources, but they were able to destroy stationary planes and ships. There was so much pandemonium that only about 12 U.S. planes got in the air to fight. The Japanese expected a great loss of aircraft, but of 360 planes, they only lost 29 planes and 64 lives. In all of the madness, the Field Barracks, another U.S. base in Hawaii, was also attacked. The attack on Pearl

Harbor was over by 1:00 in the afternoon that day. Over 170 U.S. planes were destroyed and 18 ships were either sunk or damaged. Eight battleships were destroyed. Among the lost ships there were the USS Arizona, the USS Oklahoma, and the USS Utah. Although the damage was great, it could have been worse because fuel storage was untouched and the fleet's three aircraft carriers at sea avoided damage. The United States Navy showed its tenacity and was able to repair nearly all of the damaged ships back to fighting condition. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a significant event in the course of history because it was the worst Naval disaster in United States history.
Moreover, another impact that the Pearl Harbor attack had on World War II was that it caused the United States to join the war. President Roosevelt called December 7, the time of the attack, "A date which will live in infamy." He wanted the public to support the war effort, saying that the United States need to avenge Pearl Harbor. They definitely did back the war effort. The next day, December 8, the United States declared war on the Japanese Empire, thus entering WWII. Congress voted in a landslide for war, only having one pacifist vote. In the Senate, the vote was unanimous for war. Three days later, Germany declared war on the United States, giving Roosevelt the chance to employ a "Germany first" strategy in the war. The public's battle cry was "Remember Pearl Harbor,'' similar to "Remember the Maine" in the Spanish-American War. The United States joined the Allies, consisting of England, China, The Soviet Union, and many other countries, They fought the Axis Powers, who were made up of Germany, Japan, and Italy. The U.S. joining the war gave the Allies the extra power to win the war. WWII was fought in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is common knowledge that according to Salem Press, "Pearl Harbor thus catapulted the United States into the most deadly and destructive war in the history of the world."
Lastly, the third, and most devastating impact that Pearl Harbor had on the course of history was that it eventually led to the atomic bombing of two Japanese cities, deciding the war in the Pacific.

In 1940, the Manhattan Project was started, a top secret organization that produced materials for atomic bombs. Franklin Roosevelt had this project prepared in case of the need to use such destructive weapons in WWII. On July 16, 1945, the Manhattan Project had its first successful test. At the Trinity Test Site in Alamo, New Mexico, they conducted the first detonation of a Plutonium bomb. As it turned out, the Manhattan Project's bombs were need to end the war. Harry Truman, who had only been told about the Manhattan Project a few months before because of Franklin Roosevelt's death, dropped the first of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Hiroshima was and still is a transportation center and one of Japan's largest cities. After the Eagle, Gray dropped the Uranium fueled bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima, only 10% of the large city remained. Even with the bomb missing its target by over a kilometer, 30% of the population, over 80,000 people, were killed. Even more citizens died from radiation after the immediate bombing. After this bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan's emperor did not surrender, and Harry Truman had to drop another bomb. On August 9, just three days later, another bomb, nicknamed Fat Man was dropped on the port city of Nagasaki. Fat Man

missed by nearly three kilometers, and there was less damage and life loss from this bombing, because Nagasaki was a smaller city than Hiroshima. Although the damage was less than the carnage in Hiroshima, the bomb still killed over 40,000 people. The U.S. had to consider dropping a third bomb, but Japanese Emperor Herbert surrendered, calling what was used to destroy his cities "a new and most cruelest bomb." While over 120,000 Japanese people were killed as a result of these bombings, the dropping of Little Boy and Fat Man actually saved more lives than it took. Because of Japan's surrender, the Allies did not have to invade Japan, and over 1.6 million Axis and Ally casualties were avoided. The attack on Pearl Harbor eventually lead to two Japanese cities being destroyed by atomic bombs and Japan surrendering to the Allies, ending WWII in the Pacific, and indefinitely.
In conclusion, Pearl Harbor being attacked by the Japanese was a very important event that affected history in many ways. The attack was the biggest Naval disaster in the history of the United States and caused the U.S. to join World War II. It also led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing Japan to surrender, ending WWII in the Pacific, and very promptly around the world. The Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor knocked the Americans down, but they showed their strength and endurance, coming back stronger than ever and forcing Japan to surrender. Japan may have seen bombing the American harbor as a smart move, but it came back to hurt them in the end. As Franklin Roosevelt once said, Pearl Harbor was "a date that will live in infamy." In infamy Pearl Harbor has lived for the past 75 years, and it will continue to live that way for decades more to come.