Impact of Pearl Harbor

During the 1940s many lives were lost after an attack at Pearl Harbor, it had a large impact on the U.S. such as: it being the leading cause to the start of World War II, which also led to more drastic event, and the many people’s lives who were lost.

Pearl Harbor, U.S. naval base in Hawaii, was the setting of the attack that occurred by the Japanese forces. It occurred on December 7, 1941, a date according to President Roosevelt, will “live in infamy.

” The idea of the attack came from Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and was later approved by Japanese general staff. The attack that had been a surprise for the U.S. but the two countries have been edging towards war for decade when both nations were going against each other for political and economic influence but nothing was done to increase security at the naval base. When two U.S. radar operators  had seen something strange in the screen but was later thought to be american b-17s that happened to be  expected at the time  . As the first bomb appeared at 7:55 a.m followed by  183 aircrafts sent by Japanese forces as the first attack of the day. The attack went by in two waves and included dive bombers and torpedo  bombers. The attack had several aims but one being to destroy american fleet units to prevent interference with U.S. pacific fleet  in order to conquest of the dutch east indies and Malaya.Leading  them to a clear path to conquer south east Asia .On the same day the Japanese attacked  the philippines and later on invaded the dutch east indies and Malaya leaving them with almost all of southeast Asia by 1942.

The outcome of Pearl Harbor left the United States with a loss of over 2,000 Americans and about over 1,000 others wounded. There was damage near 20 U.S. naval vessels ,but luckily the three aircraft carriers located at Pearl Harbor were sent off the day before leaving the U.S. with The USS Lexington, the USS Enterprise, and the USS Saratoga but Japanese forces managed to damage four of the U.S. battleships lined up on battleship row and destroy 188 U.S aircrafts, but it did not cripple the U.S. naval base as anticipated by the Japanese and failed to destroy the oil facilities on the island. Although the Japanese did have fewer losses as they arrived with six aircraft carriers, nine destroyers ,two battleships, two heavy cruisers and three submarines but lost just 29 aircrafts and less than around 100 men  . Prior to Pearl Harbor, the united states was in complete struggle with Axis powers and had sent large amounts of financial aid and military equipment to the allied cause. Although the biggest long term affect of Pearl Harbor is that it brought the U.S. to war which is what America  has been avoiding for so long.

In addition to the events President Franklin D. Roosevelt ,who had led the united states during  the great depression, had declared war on Japan on December 8th, after many discussions and debates. They were determined to go into war just after the attack at Pearl Harbor that  first started  the american involvement in world war II.Several days later on December 11th, Germany and italy also declared war on the U.S. Japan thought the United States would be entering war with a broken navy after pearl harbor but most battleships that were damaged were recovered and repaired to join the war.In the final year of war  the United Stated dropped two nuclear bombs at  two cites in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over a total of a million people. The  american involvement in world war II lasted three years, eight months and twenty two days after japan bombed pearl harbor and costed more than over  400,000 Americans.The Americans fought long and hard to avenge the attack at Pearl Harbor.

As Pearl Harbor being one of the drastic events to occur to the U.S. it is seen how the United States was able avenge from the attack and still go towards  world war II even thought it had many effects on the U.S. Today, pearl harbor remains an active military base and headquarters of the pacific fleet.

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