Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
by Francis Loquellano
A Decade of Deterioration of the Relationship Between Japan and U.S.
Hideki Tōjō Turned to War
As Japanese and American diplomats tried to discuss a reasonable solution for both parties, the Japanese were trying to put effort on expanding the war in China. In due time, Cordell Hull, the U.S. Secretary of State at the time, issued an ultimatum for Japan to remove all of its troops from China and any of the Southeast Asian territories they chose to take over. Tōjō then convinced the Japanese government that it would be national suicide to accept to Hull's ultimatum proposal. At the same time, the Western nations were trying to starve Japan into submission. Tōjō was left no option but to turn to war.
Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, "A date which will live in infamy"
Japanese aircrafts
The USS Arizona burning during the attack
The USS Shaw in floating drydock after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
After the Attack
The Attacks Continue
Other countries that the Japanese attacked was Malaya and Singapore. The Japanese troop arrived in Malay on December 8th. Although they were outnumbered and opposing the British who had the better technology, they were still trained better than them. Also, the advanced British warship, the Prince of Wales, only took down three Japanese planes. By the end of January, the allied troops retreated to Singapore. Demoralized by the long retreat and could not stop the Japanese, the British commander was fearing for the safety of the 1 million civilians that were in the city of Singapore therefore he surrendered on February 15, 1942.
On June 4, 1942, the Japanese invasion fleet arrived on the island of Midway. A group of American dive bombers caught the Japanese off guard while their decks were full of planes being refueled and rearmed. The American bombs started fires. The Americans burned and sank four Japanese carriers. This was considered a turning point in World War II. The Americans hit the Japanese so hard that they could no longer expand their territory. They could no longer invade Australia or threaten Hawaii or North America. The United States government could use American resources in a safe manner to defeat the Germans before turning its attention to Japan.