Why Do You Think Hiro Hito Attacked The States?

[Neil B]

Not much I can add to all the above but, you may want to look into US-Japanese mistrust and rivalry during the Allied Intervention in Siberia in 1918. The US push for China to be open to all trade clashed with Japanese plans for domination of China. US moves into the Pacific after the Spanish-American War (occupation of the Phillipines) were seen as a potential threat by the Japanese.
Since we're on the topic can anyone reccomend a good book on US-Japanese relations say 1890-1941? Now that would be an interesting read.
Take care,
Neil

[harribobs]

Originally posted by angie999+Mar 29 2005, 02:43 PM-->

I have read that it is extremely unlikely that he made this comment, but I cannot remember the source.

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[/b]

My reference for the warning in 1940 is Richard Fuller's excellent book 'Shokan'

I will check to see if the 'sleeping giant' comment is also there

chris

[nolanbuc]

Originally posted by angie999+Mar 29 2005, 08:43 AM-->

I have read that it is extremely unlikely that he made this comment, but I cannot remember the source.

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[/b]

Interesting, I have always assumed that since Yamamoto studied in the US and was Naval attache' to the US, he would have had the knowledge of the US capabilities to have made this prediction.

[harribobs]

Interesting, I have always assumed that since Yamamoto studied in the US and was Naval attache' to the US, he would have had the knowledge of the US capabilities to have made this prediction.

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quite right, while attache he recommended that the japanese navy adopt the american navigation system, and later planned the attack on Pearl, he was fully aware of their capabilities

[sappernz]

I remember reading about a ship, was it the Emoden, that was captured with documents showing that Britain was willing to abandon the Far East and this emboldened Japan to attack Pearl Harbour in the hope of knocking out Americas Pacific Fleet and being able to conquer the Pacific before America could rebuild .
Do not forget that while the Pearl Harbour attack was an alleged surprise to America, it failed in its main aim of destroying the carrier fleet stationed there.
This enabled America to halt the Japs at the Battle of the Coral Sea and inflict a damaging blow on them at The Battle of Midway.
If the giant was not woken it was certainly pissed off by then.

[harribobs]

Originally posted by sappernz@Mar 31 2005, 04:36 AM

If the giant was not woken it was certainly pissed off by then.

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[spidge]

Hi to all from a proud Aussie.

Tripping over this website is the most amazing suprise I have had in a long time. I have been enthralled by the comments of those daring to question "written" history as to who actually participated in WW11 yet alone made a difference.

My father was the recipient of a late mortar on the first attack to route the enemy from Tobruk in Jan/41 2/8th 6th div. He received horrific head and body injuries which were treated by a great Australian plastic surgeon (Benjamin Rank) at Al Kantara hospital. The only time you could see the skin graphs on the face was when it was very cold!!

My ten cents worth to the above question:

Inconceivably, he was coerced into it by the militarists. The misconception was that Americans were "soft" as public opinion was against participation in the European war. Rendering the U.S. Pacific fleet harmless was a brilliant strategy in theory and we will never know the resultant ability of the U.S.A. to react if the entire West Coast was unprotected and open to attack.

Even up to Midway, their (Japans) strategy was built around certain Carrier commanders being in the battle. Halsey was in hospital and Ray Spruance (a cruiser skipper) took over command of the carrier fleet. The rest is history - It is generally accepted that Halsy would have fought a different scenario. Added to this, Yorktown was still afloat and active after Coral Sea (Japs thought it sunk) which added to the poor preparedness of the Japanese to wage what they thought to be the final crushing blow.

Regards

[jason taylor]

It was a case of put up or shut up. The Japanese couldn't carry on the war in Asia without it. That is the classic Japanese excuse. It of course doesn't account for the fact that they got themselves in the mess in the first place, and we were under no obligation to help them. Their might have been a face-saver we could have given them along that line. But it is hard to think of one. In any case, abandoning China would have been to embarrassing to them and there was no way to continue conquering China without oil. "America committed aggression against Japan by getting tired of helping them commit aggression against others." So goes the line. Apparently they really believed that and many still do.

[General Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Kiwiwriter

The Japanese desire to build an empire came from their ancient view of "hakkoo isshiu," or "all corners of the world under one roof," with the center of the roof being over Tokyo and the Japanese. The Japanese were a divine race, led by a living God in their Emperor, and destined to rule. They had not lost a war since 1598, and their armed forces had never known defeat. Midway was the first time the Imperial Japanese Navy had lost a battle, and only the third through seventh capital ships it had lost in action (the other two to Russian mines off Port Arthur in 1905, not a battle). Many of the folks in the Imperial Army, trained in bushido spirit and combat tactics, lacked the larger world-view of the Navy and some civilians, and dismissed American and British industrial power as being unequal to Japanese "spirit" and the ferocious loyalty of the "100 million." It's fascinating stuff.

Bingo! And Kiwiwriter does what few historians or anyone else does for that matter. Cuts to the chase. All the rest of the "reasons" economic, political, military are fine, but the impetus to act on any or all of them comes from the mindset of the Japanese Military cast. When they came to power and through out and assasinated the moderates, the die were cast.
Course you won't get many points on a history test for this. They want all the "other" explanations.
"Reality is meaningless. It's the perception of reality that always leads us astray." Merlin

[General Mayhem]

Originally Posted by ghvalj

Guys I need help on this...
Why did Japan attack USA by surprise? Any help I can get will be appreciated.

It's an important and ovrlookd fact, but Japanese attacked the Soviet Union first and were badly defeated in 38 or 39 (forget which). This had an impact on there decision to go south as opposed to north. All the reasons of oil and food and politics were only the fuel for a idealogy of glorious conquest held by the Military Ruling elite. (See Kiwiwriter)
As to Hirohito attacking the US, the Emperor's of Japan did not wield power in the same manner as western emporer's and Hirohito's role was not comparable to Hitler or Stalin. The fact that Hirohito overuled his Military goverment at the end of the war to surrender (they wanted to fight one last face-saving costly battle on Japan proper) was a radical departure from the Emporer's role.