World+War+II

Pearl Harbor Group 1:

1. List the reasons why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

2. Did the United States know about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Pearl Harbor Group 2 :

1. What part did the military play in ignoring the mounting evidence of an impending attack?

As we all know, the United States did not get involved in World War ll right away. There needed to be some sort of event that angered the people of the United States, and something along the lines of Pearl Harbor would definitely do the trick. Many people today have the opinion that President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor as an excuse to enter his nation into the war. Morton A. Kaplan is a distinguished service professor of political science at the University of Chicago and is also the editor and publisher of the website "The World & I." On this website Kaplan talks about the conspiracy of FDR and the Japanese bombing. There are also some arguments made that Roosevelt put a fleet of ships at Pearl Harbor on purpose to be sunken by the Japanese. Geocities.com provides the argument that Roosevelt blinded the commanders at Pearl Harbor and set them up by denying intelligence to Hawaii, and misleading commanders into thinking negotiations with Japan were still continuing to prevent them from realizing the war was on. Also, some say FDR sent false information to Hawaii about the location of the Japanese carrier fleet. The book "The American Age" by Walter LaFeber talks about Roosevelt's schemes before the bombing. It says Roosevelt secretly placed US ships in places where incidents could push Americans into war. He misled the American people about his actions. He also allowed the FBI to break the law by wire tapping phones and opening mail that was suspected of being affiliated with Axis powers. The military intercepted Japanese codes, and kept them a secret to all but the President. Also, if the thoughts of this conspiracy really are true, the military most likely had a big part to do with it. If the president knew that Japan was going to bomb Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the military would have been informed and told not to do anything in response or in preparation for a bombing. The military played a vital role in the Pearl Harbor bombing, as did higher officials such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Japanese commanders.

Pearl Harbor Group 3 :

1. What were the effects of the attack and what prevented it from being more devastating?

Pearl Harbor Group 4 :

1. What did the Japanese have to gain by attacking Pearl Harbor?

During WWII, Japan was seeking to expand its empire. To progress their expansion, they attacked Pearl Harbor so that the war would be at sea, not on their land. Japan was also trying to weaken the United States Navy Fleet to get ahead in the war. Japan hoped to weaken the United States because the US was their biggest threat. Another benefit for the Japanese was oil. The United States had a trade embargo on oil in Southeast Asia, and Japan was looking for access to this necessity. In addition to these reasons, Japan wanted revenge. They felt that Japan was not treated equally on many occasions. They thought that the Americans favored white Russians in the peace treaty to end the Russo-Japanese war. They also felt that they were cheated because in some situations they could not buy land or attend white schools. 2. What did the Japanese have to lose by attacking Pearl Harbor?

Japan had to be cautious of a retaliation from the United States. The retaliation could greatly weaken their army and put them a step back. Japan also ruined any chance of a future alliance or aid from the United States. Since the United States is a world power Japan had to worry about Incurring their wrath. As Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stated, "I fear all we have done is to awoken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." They could no longer rely on a beneficial relationship with the United States.

Pearl Harbor Group 5 :

1. What did the U.S. have to gain from the Pearl Harbor attack?