Discuss about Pearl Harbo¦¦¦¦¦.
Pearl Harbor has been the topic of historical analysis and up to date it remains a debate topic. It was an epic moment that goes down history for the United States and the entire world as well. The war led to the destruction of fleets used in battle by the Americans at the pacific. It was this action that awoke[1] the fierce pride and the self righteousness of the United States. It changed the way Americans would view the entire nations and its neighboring states[2].
It was on that fateful day of December 7th 1941, that the inlet of the pacific on the south coast of the Oahu on the Hawaiian island experienced a most horrifying yet humiliating attack by the Japanese. Military men were faced with a lot of shock and disgust amid the gunfire and the explosions. The war was arranged according to waves and the first wave recorded Japanese fighters and bombers of the torpedo and the dive sweeping over the Oahu Island. The second wave also came unexpectedly and within minutes it recorded deaths of over 2400 American civilians and service men .A rough estimate number of 400 American planes were completely destroyed and damaged equipments such as bullets and bombs around 350 in number were recovered[3].
So inevitable and opinionated was the 1941 to 1945 war between Japan and the United States. It was at this time that Japan had conquered all of East Asia including south-east Asia which was earlier on colonized by the western countries. Japans collaboration with the Nazi Germany military led to alienation of western powers. Britain at that time needed support in terms of resources and manpower in order for it to survive and its only counterpart of hope was the United States. It was without a doubt that Washington was not ready to accept any alliances from the Japanese colony. They had declared war should they attempt to invade the islands. The islands were barricaded by the United States military forces and were under the American colony. The Japanese colony wanted to be independent and not rely on the United States fro economic assistance. As a result the pacific war erupted as a way of economic security and national pride through Southeast Asia’s conquest by Japan. The war also broke out when Franklin D.Roosevelt’s administration failed to check on japans request for redeployments of the US force in the pacific and sanctions of the economy for the Asian empire.
The Japanese realized how the united states were exploiting their imperial ambitions and thus decided to fulfill its ambitions through war. Decisions on how to start war with the United States perplexed many since the latter not only proved to be strong but in terms of geographics, it was beyond the military reach of Japan. By attacking the Philippines and the Pearl Harbor, Japan was able to wage war against her enemy who was fully gauging and capable of destroying the islands of the Japanese home. Strategists have branded the inevitability of Japans’ war towards her counterpart the United States as a war that was always going to lose. A majority of theorists stated that, the move was irrational and senseless since Japans chances of losing were at a higher scale than winning.
The 1941 war was as a result of threats on the economy’s destruction by the United States and a mixture of National pride as a result they believed that they were bound to rule Asia. However it is said that Japans war machines was totally dependent on the United States imports[4].Critics argue that Russia and America though different in their experiences they are seen to share similar myths since the two countries experienced attacks and invasions that were somehow humiliating. They were involved in defeating attacks that left them to search their national pride. In both countries the war events were elevated into the national calendar that serves as the foundation of each country’s sense of pride. As a result of the wars, bestseller Walter Lord reprinted a book known as Day of infamy and it is one of the most popular and widely read books in the world. In day of infamy, people experience no troubles in the land. Issues like poverty, illicit affairs, drugabuse, broken homes, prostitution are unheard of yet when the war broke to live in infamy meant a paradise that is Americanesque.
Conclusion
That fateful day is now honored with generations of people visiting the Pearl Harbor site. It is currently reserved as a sacred ground for honoring great men and as for the national soul it is seen as a comfort food history. Such was an eventful day that saw a Great Titan, the United States fall down in humiliation yet the date witnessed the beginning of a Super Power life[5].
Works Cited
Carleton Greg, History Today: Sunday lessons, Vol 61 Issue 12, (p 30-37, 8p), Associate Professor of Russian literature, Tufts University (2011). Print.
Carl, Boggs, How film conquers history, Vol 28 Issue 4,(p451-466),National University,Los Angeles (2006).Print.
Wade, Dudley, Military History: Hallowed Ground¦ a date which will live in infamy, Vol 28 Issue 5, (p32-36,4p) (2012).Print.
[1] Words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, it awoke a sleeping giant.
[2] Carl, Boggs, in his journalhow film conquers history.
[3] Dudley Wade, in his journal titled hallowed ground (p 32-36).
[4] Imports of United States include copper, aluminium, zinc, Nickel, potash, scrap iron, steel and machine tools.
[5] Greg Carleton is Associate Professor of Russian Literature, Tufts University and Center Associate.
Press order button now¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦