Pearl+Harbor

=Pearl Harbor= toc This attack on Hawaii was mainly a Japanese ploy to gain control of Pacific Ocean and increase the axis' reach. The Japanese wished to control the pacific for strategic placement in WWII. This was meant to intimidate America out of the war, but backfired as America was spurred to return in full against the japanese. The result was America joining the war against the Axis Powers and turning the tide of the war.

Causes
Mainly the battle was caused by Japans advance into China during the 1930's, which lead to an all out war between the two. A japanes attack on French Indochina to control the supplies entering China, prompted America to end oil trades with Japan. As stated this attack was a ploy to end the conflicts and rising tensions in the Pacific which back fired tremendously. It is a common conspiracy theory that some members of the Roosevelt administration had knowledge of the attack before it happened, thought this has never been proven. While the battle cost many Americans their lives it is what caused America to join the war and in the end win the war.

The Attack
The actual battle can be summed up as a well planned, well executed suprise strike at the unsuspecting americans. The US was struck a particularly heavy blow when the USS Arizona went down with more than 1000 soldiers still inside. The attack was meant to happen in three waves. the first two waves were fairly successful for what they were trying to accomplish, each managed to gain the upper hand in one way or another while the third wave was never launched. The first wave, which consisted mainly of of heavy vulnerable bombers to best utilize the element of surprise. the second wave served mainly as a clean up crew, and consisted mainly of small fighter planes. a third strike was urged by several junior officers. This third wave would have been sent to completely wipe out the americans out. Though the fight was a resounding defeat it can be argued that this battle caused america to win the war.

America Enters World War 2
This battle is the straw that broke the camels back so to speak. Granted it was one of the only straws on the camels back, if not the only one. This is what caused us to enter the war almost certainly. Yet it could be argued that we would have joined at a later date. Europe was on its last leg and without help it would have given in to Hitlers Reich it can be agreed that America was the game changer in the war. However it can be argued that the combined strength of Britian, France, and The Soviet, as well as many other smaller European countries could have fought of the Axis without America. It really depends on you faith in other countries.

Afterwards
The battle though sever was not enough to completely cripple the Pacific fleet. the lack of damage to some carriers ultimatly allowed for the Americans to gain the upper hand in the following year. Ironically the thought that only battleships would change the war, was what ended the. the Japanese navy thinking this to be true hoarded battleships for an ultimate battle that never happened. the Americans were not evern going to fight the Japanese unless they came to close, meaning the attack sealed their own fate so to speak.

In The End
In the end the battle can be called a necessary evil. Yes many people died and this is bad, however many more could have died as America may have waited longer to join the fray. This could have caused a longer war. this does not excuse the magnitude of the attack. all in all this can be called one of Americas most costly battles. this refers to both lives and monatery assets.