Summarize the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor: When it occurred, why the Japanese decided to do this, and the effect of this decision.

Answer 1

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on the morning of December 7th, 1941. The attack was a surprise to the solders stationed at the naval base on Pearl Harbor and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 Americans.

Before Pearl Harbor there were already strong tensions between Japan and The United States. This was caused by the most part due to the fact that Japan was acting very aggressively on expansionist policies and the U.S. was trying to stop Japan from doing so. The U.S. enacted economic sanctions on Japan with hope to stop or slow down their expansionism but instead lead to the Japanese becoming more angered with Americans. This was during WW2, and Japan thought that a war with the United States was bound to occur so they decided to attack first. Pearl Harbor was in a very strategic position and if they successfully took it over they would be able to control the Pacific.

While many American lives were lost and Pearl Harbor was nearly destroyed, American retaliation was devastating to Japan. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States declared war on Japan. This was a turning point in World War II and gave the Allies a new advantage over the Axis powers. In the U.S., women started to gain respect by working many jobs that men once believed they were not able to do. Ultimately, the U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons, which was a devastating blow to Japan and in 1945 the Axis powers lost to the Allies.