Jen's+Notes

Attack on Pearl Harbor (Event)

Info from http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display.aspx?categoryid=21&entryid=295250&searchtext=pearl+harbor&type=simple&option=all&searchsites=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,

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 * Attack occurred on Sunday, December 7th, 1941
 * The President at the time was Franklin Roosevelt
 * President Roosevelt proclaimed it a day that would "live in infamy"
 * It was a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from the Japanese
 * Japan attacked without a declaration of war, causing the United States to end its neutrality in World War II and join the Allies (The Allies were a side in the World War composed of Great Britain and the Soviet Union)
 * The attack was a result of failed negotiations. Japan wanted to expand in Asia, but were prepared, should their negotiations fail (like they did), to organize an attack on America. Hence, the Pearl Harbor attack.
 * Japanese diplomats placed in Washington, D.C. were responsible for the negotiations; the Japanese Navy was responsible for planning the attack.
 * The key to attacking Pearl Harbor was that destroying the U.S. fleet there would allow Japan less difficulty while they invaded the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia - hence, the U.S. couldn't stop them because of the attack in their country currently taking place.
 * America was completely unaware of the attack. When the first wave of attack (composed of 51 dive bombers, 40 torpedo bombers, and 43 escorting fighters) came, the wave was shown on the radar - however, because the technology was very new at the time and technicians were poorly trained, said technicians were unable to determine the size of the approaching fleet.