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Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor: Essay

The Second World War was unlike the First World War in that it was not seen as a European war. World War II was a clearly defined world war in that it was a war fought in two spheres and involved several countries across the globe. The first sphere was the European sphere where Germany and Italy tried to ravage Europe, and the second sphere was the Pacific sphere, a newcomer to the fore. Japan, a rising power, was threatening the peace in the Pacific. Japan rose to prominence in World War II largely through the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The question arises, why did Japan still attack Pearl Harbor? In this essay, I will try to answer it.

Japans motivation for attacking Pearl Harbor was largely driven by its political self-interests, its scarcity of economic resources and perceived opportunity costs, as well as the embargo policy of America. Japans economic interest forced dramatic changes in its domestic and foreign affairs as it suffered greatly from the Great Depression. Japan was inspired by the rise of nationalism and the ultra-nationalist movement, as well as the military-led authoritarian governments of Germany and Italy. Hackler posits that Japan assessed its comparative costs, decided that China and Russia were inferior to Japans might, and set out on a path of military conquest rather than peaceful trade. Considering its very survival under threat, Japan intensified the search for a permanent alternative. The most obvious target was Southeast Asia, rich in minerals and oil. The success of Germany in Europe in 1940 had orphaned French and Dutch colonies in the region, and they became the focus of Japanese attention. Japan was very calculative in her move, and it knew that France could not defend her colony as she was busily fighting for her survival in Europe, so Japan, as the saying goes, struck while the iron was still hot. While occupying French Indochina in July 1941, Japan knew that a full-scale invasion of Southeast Asia would prompt war with America. It needed a mechanism to buy itself sufficient time and space to conquer successfully crucial targets like the Philippines, Burma, and Malaya. The attack on Pearl Harbor was that mechanism, merely a means to an end.

David Berganini argued that Japan had planned a war from the early 1930s and that the emperor had been very much involved. Therefore, one can argue that Japan because of this preconceived plan can be seen as the aggressor in Asia. Other historians suggest that Japan was simply pursuing a traditional European-style imperialist policy similar to what was done by England and France. The argument is that Japan did not plan the war, however, the war occurred because Japan took too many risks. It was a big gamble that did not end well. One can also argue that the USA was to be blamed for the war in the Pacific. The argument is that Japan wanted to free Asia from the domination of the West by its actions, and primarily the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan wanted to cure Western domination because they thought the West was corrupting their people with Western values.

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