Pearl Harbor Reflections - Essay Example

The United States had several assets in that portion of the world. This tension had its ups and downs, but it started getting ugly twenty years later.

In 1940, the United States of America stopped the export of all aviation fuel, scrap iron, and other military imperative supplies to Japan. This was an effort to stop Japan’s interference in Southwest Asia without war. The United States never intended to declare war at all, and was looking for more peaceful solutions. Japan, however, refused to back down.

In the summer of 1941, the United States, Netherlands, and Britain joined in a combined effort to freeze Japan’s assets. This was done to prevent the purchase of oil. The United States also moved its Pearl Harbor base to Hawaii, from San Diego. Feeling pressured by the demands of the United States, Japan’s military force felt that the movement of Pearl Harbor from San Diego to Hawaii was a threat to their expansion throughout Asia and the Pacific. With no settlements made on either side, the decision was made by Japan to attack the base in Pearl Harbor.

Two centuries of tension between the two countries, and a lack of communication, were the main reasons why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Neither side had the communication technology that we have today, so telegrams and messages were understandably delayed. The result was a catastrophic attack that Japan felt was in its right. To this day there are still numerous other theories as to why the attack on Pearl Harbor took place, and hundreds of years from now there will likely still be questions.