In the 1930’s, Japan was waging war.
Trying to expand their conquests,
Throughout the Pacific shores.
The United States became irate,
And blocked supplies and ended Japan’s take.
Japan in return, schemed and planned,
An attack on the United States land.
In 1941, December 7,
The first Japanese missiles
Rained down from the heavens.
In little more than an hour,
The damage was done.
The naval fleet was destroyed,
The Japanese thought they’d won.
They had no idea the battle had just begun.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Atomic Bombings
Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japan had begun their attempt to create an Asian empire. They seized Manchuria and moved into Indochina and were getting ready to attempt a take over in the Philippines and Malaya. Japan also had plans to seize smaller islands throughout the Pacific, such as Thailand, Borneo, Burma and the Marshall Islands. The reason behind Japan’s blatant plans for expanding their country’s rule was that the population was growing too large for the small islands of Japan; they lacked the resources and were importing nearly everything needed to support their economy. Because of their aggressive actions against these smaller nations, the United States imposed sanctions upon Japanese by not allowing the needed imports into Japan (Bard 130).
The Japanese attack on the American shores of Pearl Harbor came about due to Japan’s anger at the sanctions and the United States demand that they withdraw from China (Bard 130). The American President, Harry Truman, decided to retaliate and use the newly developed atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The thought at the time was that the United States attack on Japan was necessary in order to stop the Japanese from further expanding their conquest in the Pacific and any lesser action would not have sufficed. After researching the subject, I have come to disagree with this statement. Instead, it was unnecessary and unethical for the United States to use atomic weapons against a country that had been making attempts to surrender, whose naval fleets had already been destroyed, and who had no resources to conduct a full fledged war.
America did not exhaust all possible means for ending the war before launching those bombs. President Truman knew that the Japanese had been negotiating with Stalin and the Russians for months to help them negotiate an end to the war. The United States was aware of this because we had deciphered the Japanese codes (Freeman 2). Japan was in trouble at this time, their government was divided and their resources were diminished because they could not get supplies to their military due to the sanctions against them (Boyer 2).
The United States demanded total and unconditional surrender from Japan, but the Japanese wanted to keep their Emperor. They viewed their Emperor as a “divine being, a direct descendent of the goddess of the sun” (Raico 3). The Japanese people did not want to witness him tried as a war criminal and hanged.
Another often quoted reason for the need to drop the atomic bomb on the two Japanese cities was that is was crucial to save millions of American lives. However, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the allied Forces in Europe and future President of the United States stated that “Japan was already defeated and dropping those bombs was completely unnecessary” (Freeman 1). Even Chief of Staff to President Truman, Admiral William D. Leahy said that “the use of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan; the Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender” (Freeman 2).
Ethically America could not justify the retaliation against 200,000 innocent men, women and children. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a military base; we destroyed two cities full of innocent civilians. Our President tried to argue that the Japanese military was violent and brutal and therefore so was the entire country. Propaganda films were shown in theaters all over the United States that encouraged prejudice and racial hatred against the Japanese to help sway the American people to agree (Raico 1).
Even though Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, killing over 2000 people and nearly destroyed our entire Navel fleet, the United States should not have used the atomic bomb on innocent people in retaliation. This was unethical because no matter how devastating an attack on our country was, it does not call for the destruction and deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
Sources:
Bard, Mitchell. World War II. Penguin Group: New York. 2004.
Boyer, Paul S. “Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity-Hiroshima.” Enotes. 11 Dec.
2008.
Freeman, Robert. “Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Necessary?” Newscenter. 08 Dec.
2008. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0806-25.htm.
Raico, Ralph. “Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Ludwig von Mises Institute. 06 Aug. 2004.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/raico22.html.
The Japanese attack on the American shores of Pearl Harbor came about due to Japan’s anger at the sanctions and the United States demand that they withdraw from China (Bard 130). The American President, Harry Truman, decided to retaliate and use the newly developed atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The thought at the time was that the United States attack on Japan was necessary in order to stop the Japanese from further expanding their conquest in the Pacific and any lesser action would not have sufficed. After researching the subject, I have come to disagree with this statement. Instead, it was unnecessary and unethical for the United States to use atomic weapons against a country that had been making attempts to surrender, whose naval fleets had already been destroyed, and who had no resources to conduct a full fledged war.
America did not exhaust all possible means for ending the war before launching those bombs. President Truman knew that the Japanese had been negotiating with Stalin and the Russians for months to help them negotiate an end to the war. The United States was aware of this because we had deciphered the Japanese codes (Freeman 2). Japan was in trouble at this time, their government was divided and their resources were diminished because they could not get supplies to their military due to the sanctions against them (Boyer 2).
The United States demanded total and unconditional surrender from Japan, but the Japanese wanted to keep their Emperor. They viewed their Emperor as a “divine being, a direct descendent of the goddess of the sun” (Raico 3). The Japanese people did not want to witness him tried as a war criminal and hanged.
Another often quoted reason for the need to drop the atomic bomb on the two Japanese cities was that is was crucial to save millions of American lives. However, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the allied Forces in Europe and future President of the United States stated that “Japan was already defeated and dropping those bombs was completely unnecessary” (Freeman 1). Even Chief of Staff to President Truman, Admiral William D. Leahy said that “the use of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan; the Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender” (Freeman 2).
Ethically America could not justify the retaliation against 200,000 innocent men, women and children. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a military base; we destroyed two cities full of innocent civilians. Our President tried to argue that the Japanese military was violent and brutal and therefore so was the entire country. Propaganda films were shown in theaters all over the United States that encouraged prejudice and racial hatred against the Japanese to help sway the American people to agree (Raico 1).
Even though Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, killing over 2000 people and nearly destroyed our entire Navel fleet, the United States should not have used the atomic bomb on innocent people in retaliation. This was unethical because no matter how devastating an attack on our country was, it does not call for the destruction and deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
Sources:
Bard, Mitchell. World War II. Penguin Group: New York. 2004.
Boyer, Paul S. “Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity-Hiroshima.” Enotes. 11 Dec.
2008.
Freeman, Robert. “Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Necessary?” Newscenter. 08 Dec.
2008. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0806-25.htm.
Raico, Ralph. “Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Ludwig von Mises Institute. 06 Aug. 2004.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/raico22.html.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Annotated Bibliography
Bard, Mitchell. World War II. New York: Alpha Books, 2004.
This book offers a significant amount of information on the events that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan and the United State’s reaction to the attack and their entrance into WWII.
There is a great deal of background detail presented which is helpful to someone who is searching for the cause or the events prior to Pearl Harbor. This source is very reliable and is unbiased. The section on Pearl Harbor gives both sides of the story, telling about some of the early warnings and how the government ignored them.
I used this source to assist in my research because it had accurate figures of damage done to the United States Navel fleet and deaths. It has not changed the way I feel about my topic, it has reinforced my feeling that our government knew the Japanese were planning this attack.
“Timeline Pearl Harbor.” Pearl Harbor Remembered. Pearl Harbor Survivors
Association. 25 Jan. 2005.
The website offers a minute by minute account of December 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The account begins at 3:42 AM when a periscope is spotted in Honolulu Harbor.
This source is very reliable as the timeline is written from military documents that were recorded at the times the events occurred. It is unbiased, just tells the facts of the day as they happened.
This document did not help me much with my research other than to confirm the schedule of the day’s events.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. 19 Jan. 2005.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
The website “Pearl Harbor- Mother of All Conspiracies” is the epitome of an effective website for those individuals who believe in a conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor. This website, created by the author, Mark Willey, contains an excerpt from the first chapter of his book, Mother of Conspiracies. The author’s statements are credible and accurate. He quotes from public documents from the Navy Court of Inquiry, the Army Board Report and the Joint Congressional Committee Report. Although Mark Willey’s writing is credible, and he utilizes trustworthy sources for his information, the author is biased. Mr. Willey is adamant that there was a conspiracy between the United States government and Pearl Harbor. He does not speak about both sides of the issue. This website helped in my research because I agree that there was a conspiracy.
Lord, Walter. Day of Infamy. New York. Henry Holt and Company, 1985.
The main point of this book is to tell the story of the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. Mr. Lord tells the account of December 7, 1941 by using first hand accounts from soldiers and laymen that were present in Pearl Harbor that day.
This book is a very reliable source since the author uses direct quotes from men and women present and he lists the contributors at the end of the book. I believe this book is objective and unbiased. Mr. Lord just wants to tell the story of that day.
Day of Infamy has been helpful to me in my research because it gives an honest description of that day from people who were actually present and involved in the attack. It has not changed my mind about the events of Pearl Harbor; it has just confirmed the events of that day.
Persico, Joseph. Roosevelt’s Secret War. New York: Random House, 2001.
The topic of Roosevelt’s Secret War is the disclosure of how President Roosevelt led the United States into World War II without the general public realizing this was what was happening. This book covers the entire WWII years, and what and when the President knew certain facts about coming events like the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor. The book is very clear that President Roosevelt was deceptive and misleading to the American people.
It was a useful source for me because it was further proof of my belief that the U.S. government knew that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked by the Japanese and that our President had a part in concealing that knowledge. Roosevelt’s Secret War is accurate and objective and the author used sources close to the president and documents from the Library of Congress and they are cited in the back of the book.
This book was again a help to me to formulate my thoughts on the conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor.
Prange, Gordon. Pearl Harbor. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1986.
Pearl Harbor is a sequel to another book I used, called At Dawn We Slept.
Pearl Harbor goes more into depth about the conspiracy and warnings given to our government about what Japan was planning.
Mr. Prange worked on this book for 37 years and he interviewed every surviving Japanese officer who was part of the Pearl Harbor plan and attack as well as every other U.S. source that he could find.
This book was a good resource for me because it further added to my beliefs that our government knew in advance that the Japanese were going to attack us and they did nothing to stop it from happening.
This book offers a significant amount of information on the events that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan and the United State’s reaction to the attack and their entrance into WWII.
There is a great deal of background detail presented which is helpful to someone who is searching for the cause or the events prior to Pearl Harbor. This source is very reliable and is unbiased. The section on Pearl Harbor gives both sides of the story, telling about some of the early warnings and how the government ignored them.
I used this source to assist in my research because it had accurate figures of damage done to the United States Navel fleet and deaths. It has not changed the way I feel about my topic, it has reinforced my feeling that our government knew the Japanese were planning this attack.
“Timeline Pearl Harbor.” Pearl Harbor Remembered. Pearl Harbor Survivors
Association. 25 Jan. 2005.
The website offers a minute by minute account of December 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The account begins at 3:42 AM when a periscope is spotted in Honolulu Harbor.
This source is very reliable as the timeline is written from military documents that were recorded at the times the events occurred. It is unbiased, just tells the facts of the day as they happened.
This document did not help me much with my research other than to confirm the schedule of the day’s events.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. 19 Jan. 2005.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
The website “Pearl Harbor- Mother of All Conspiracies” is the epitome of an effective website for those individuals who believe in a conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor. This website, created by the author, Mark Willey, contains an excerpt from the first chapter of his book, Mother of Conspiracies. The author’s statements are credible and accurate. He quotes from public documents from the Navy Court of Inquiry, the Army Board Report and the Joint Congressional Committee Report. Although Mark Willey’s writing is credible, and he utilizes trustworthy sources for his information, the author is biased. Mr. Willey is adamant that there was a conspiracy between the United States government and Pearl Harbor. He does not speak about both sides of the issue. This website helped in my research because I agree that there was a conspiracy.
Lord, Walter. Day of Infamy. New York. Henry Holt and Company, 1985.
The main point of this book is to tell the story of the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. Mr. Lord tells the account of December 7, 1941 by using first hand accounts from soldiers and laymen that were present in Pearl Harbor that day.
This book is a very reliable source since the author uses direct quotes from men and women present and he lists the contributors at the end of the book. I believe this book is objective and unbiased. Mr. Lord just wants to tell the story of that day.
Day of Infamy has been helpful to me in my research because it gives an honest description of that day from people who were actually present and involved in the attack. It has not changed my mind about the events of Pearl Harbor; it has just confirmed the events of that day.
Persico, Joseph. Roosevelt’s Secret War. New York: Random House, 2001.
The topic of Roosevelt’s Secret War is the disclosure of how President Roosevelt led the United States into World War II without the general public realizing this was what was happening. This book covers the entire WWII years, and what and when the President knew certain facts about coming events like the Holocaust and Pearl Harbor. The book is very clear that President Roosevelt was deceptive and misleading to the American people.
It was a useful source for me because it was further proof of my belief that the U.S. government knew that Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked by the Japanese and that our President had a part in concealing that knowledge. Roosevelt’s Secret War is accurate and objective and the author used sources close to the president and documents from the Library of Congress and they are cited in the back of the book.
This book was again a help to me to formulate my thoughts on the conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor.
Prange, Gordon. Pearl Harbor. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1986.
Pearl Harbor is a sequel to another book I used, called At Dawn We Slept.
Pearl Harbor goes more into depth about the conspiracy and warnings given to our government about what Japan was planning.
Mr. Prange worked on this book for 37 years and he interviewed every surviving Japanese officer who was part of the Pearl Harbor plan and attack as well as every other U.S. source that he could find.
This book was a good resource for me because it further added to my beliefs that our government knew in advance that the Japanese were going to attack us and they did nothing to stop it from happening.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Letter to Houghton Mifflin Company
November 19, 2008
Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
To Whom It May Concern,
Pearl Harbor was a major historical event which led the United States into World War II. After scrutinizing the minimal information provided on Pearl Harbor in the text book World History: Patterns of Interaction, which is published by your company, I am writing to suggest some changes in the content for future editions.
Most textbooks make little to no reference to the fact that the United States had prior knowledge of the coming attack from Japan, the author of your passage at least mentions the de-coded message. However, the United States government had been forewarned by multiple other sources as well. Gordon Prange’s book, At Dawn We Slept, and Roosevelt’s Secret War, by Joseph Persico, describe the numerous secret intelligence reports that warned the U.S. government of Japan’s plans. Had these intelligence reports been treated appropriately by our government officials, they would have been prepared for the encounter with the Japanese. The President of the United States and the Superior Officers of our Armed Forces withheld this information in order to gain support from the American public on the entry into World War II.
I feel that the information I have presented here should be included in future publications of this textbook because the whole story should be taught instead of the typical account of a surprise attack.
Sincerely,
Blaine Hudson
350 Coal Creek Road
Redstone, Colorado 81623
Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116
To Whom It May Concern,
Pearl Harbor was a major historical event which led the United States into World War II. After scrutinizing the minimal information provided on Pearl Harbor in the text book World History: Patterns of Interaction, which is published by your company, I am writing to suggest some changes in the content for future editions.
Most textbooks make little to no reference to the fact that the United States had prior knowledge of the coming attack from Japan, the author of your passage at least mentions the de-coded message. However, the United States government had been forewarned by multiple other sources as well. Gordon Prange’s book, At Dawn We Slept, and Roosevelt’s Secret War, by Joseph Persico, describe the numerous secret intelligence reports that warned the U.S. government of Japan’s plans. Had these intelligence reports been treated appropriately by our government officials, they would have been prepared for the encounter with the Japanese. The President of the United States and the Superior Officers of our Armed Forces withheld this information in order to gain support from the American public on the entry into World War II.
I feel that the information I have presented here should be included in future publications of this textbook because the whole story should be taught instead of the typical account of a surprise attack.
Sincerely,
Blaine Hudson
350 Coal Creek Road
Redstone, Colorado 81623
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Interpreting Data
I was unable to find any charts or graphs related to my topic but I did find this website www.usshancockcv19.com/pearl_harbor_history.htm . This is an inclusive site that offers how and what time the attack occurred, how many casualties the U.S. suffered, and how much damage was inflicted upon our Naval fleet.
I did not gain any knowledge from this website that I had not already acquired. Of course after exploring this area in history and researching many sources for quite some time now, there is not much I do not already know of this issue. However this source presents valuable statistical information directly related to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It shows the number of casualties killed and wounded from each branch of the military as well as how many civilian lives were taken. It also provides a list of the U.S. Naval ships that were damaged or destroyed in the attack. The web site declares whether the ships were lightly or heavily damaged and if they were salvaged or repaired after the raid.
After deciphering this data I have concluded that it is comprehensive and reliable as I have seen this information written in other sources that I have read. This website could help others understand my topic because after reading the figures they would have a better grasp on the severity of the attack and the damage the Japanese caused to our naval fleet.
I did not gain any knowledge from this website that I had not already acquired. Of course after exploring this area in history and researching many sources for quite some time now, there is not much I do not already know of this issue. However this source presents valuable statistical information directly related to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It shows the number of casualties killed and wounded from each branch of the military as well as how many civilian lives were taken. It also provides a list of the U.S. Naval ships that were damaged or destroyed in the attack. The web site declares whether the ships were lightly or heavily damaged and if they were salvaged or repaired after the raid.
After deciphering this data I have concluded that it is comprehensive and reliable as I have seen this information written in other sources that I have read. This website could help others understand my topic because after reading the figures they would have a better grasp on the severity of the attack and the damage the Japanese caused to our naval fleet.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Article Summary
This week I chose the most recent article I could find related to my topic to summarize in this blog. I found this article on the New York Times web site and it was published on October 31, 2008, and the title is “Japan Fires General Who Said a U.S. ‘Trap’ Led to the Pearl Harbor Attack.”
In summary, the Japanese author tells of the termination of the Chief of Staff of Japan’s air force, General Toshio Tamogami, for making public his views of the Japanese military during World War II. General Tomogami wrote an essay for a writing contest sponsored by a real estate company, which was posted on their website. While he won $30,000 for winning the essay contest, he lost his high-ranking position in the Japanese military.
General Tomogami wrote in his essay that he believed that the United States President, Franklin Roosevelt, intentionally set a trap to force the Japanese to make the first move against America. He made other statements that “denied Japan had invaded China and the Korean Peninsula,” and “justified Japanese colonialism.” These comments especially angered Asian countries who were invaded by Japan.
Japan has recently begun expressing regret over these actions during World War II and did not appreciate being contradicted by one of their top officials in a public manner.
In summary, the Japanese author tells of the termination of the Chief of Staff of Japan’s air force, General Toshio Tamogami, for making public his views of the Japanese military during World War II. General Tomogami wrote an essay for a writing contest sponsored by a real estate company, which was posted on their website. While he won $30,000 for winning the essay contest, he lost his high-ranking position in the Japanese military.
General Tomogami wrote in his essay that he believed that the United States President, Franklin Roosevelt, intentionally set a trap to force the Japanese to make the first move against America. He made other statements that “denied Japan had invaded China and the Korean Peninsula,” and “justified Japanese colonialism.” These comments especially angered Asian countries who were invaded by Japan.
Japan has recently begun expressing regret over these actions during World War II and did not appreciate being contradicted by one of their top officials in a public manner.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Movie Review
“TORA!TORA! TORA!,” yelled the Japanese commander, signaling the Japanese pilots to attack. With those three words, the Japanese began to assail the island of Pearl Harbor with their bombs.
The film TORA! TORA! TORA! is boring and the acting is banal, however it is an extremely accurate portrayal of a historic event. This movie claims to be one of the most spectacular action films ever made. It stars James Robards as General Short, and was nominated for 5 Academy Awards. The movie begins with the Japanese plotting their strategy for their coming attack on America and then switches back and forth between events in America and Japan prior to the attack. The second half of the movie is when the action begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The reason this film bored me was because more than one half of the film was spent on pure dialog, no action or anything to really keep me engrossed. Also, the only recognizable actor in the film was Jason Robards and most of the acting was poorly done. However, for this movie having been made in 1970, the action scenes during the actual attack on Pearl Harbor were somewhat realistic.
I cannot recommend this film for entertainment purposes, but if you are looking for a movie that is directly related to this historical event and is accurate with it’s facts, then TORA!TORA!TORA! is the film you are looking for.
The film TORA! TORA! TORA! is boring and the acting is banal, however it is an extremely accurate portrayal of a historic event. This movie claims to be one of the most spectacular action films ever made. It stars James Robards as General Short, and was nominated for 5 Academy Awards. The movie begins with the Japanese plotting their strategy for their coming attack on America and then switches back and forth between events in America and Japan prior to the attack. The second half of the movie is when the action begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The reason this film bored me was because more than one half of the film was spent on pure dialog, no action or anything to really keep me engrossed. Also, the only recognizable actor in the film was Jason Robards and most of the acting was poorly done. However, for this movie having been made in 1970, the action scenes during the actual attack on Pearl Harbor were somewhat realistic.
I cannot recommend this film for entertainment purposes, but if you are looking for a movie that is directly related to this historical event and is accurate with it’s facts, then TORA!TORA!TORA! is the film you are looking for.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Contraversial Issue
The United State’s use of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan, in August of 1942, is a controversial issue connected to the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on America’s Pearl Harbor. Americans opinions are split on whether the decision to use nuclear weapons on Japan was the appropriate retaliation for Japan’s assault of Pearl Harbor.
An editorial from the Las Vegas Review Journal written on the 60 year anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Japan acclaims the decision. However, Fred E. Foldvary, Senior Editor of The Progress Journal considers the bombing a “historic blunder.” The Editor of the Las Vegas Review Journal states in his editorial that it would have taken months and probably years to elicit surrender from Japan just by continuing the “submarine blockade of food going into Japan, and the firebombing of Japanese cities. Mr. Foldvary, of The Progress Journal, makes the opposing point that the Japanese did not surrender because the U.S. demanded an unconditional surrender and would not negotiate terms with the Japanese. The Japanese government wanted to be able to keep their emperor as ruler, but the United States would not allow that according to Fred Foldvary.
The Las Vegas Review article makes the point that with a full on war against Japan, the ultimate death toll for both the United States and Japan could have been in the millions. Instead U.S. soldiers were spared and only 300,000 Japanese lost their lives. Mr. Foldvary of The Progress Reports disagrees with these figures. He reports in his editorial that a “worst case scenario for death with a Japanese invasion would be less than 50,000. He states that those who “defend the atomic bombings use grossly inflated numbers of potential casualties.”
Both of these editorials have facts supporting their opinion that contradict each other. Those who support the U.S. use of the atomic bomb on Japan feel that this was the only way to end the conflict with this country and to keep the overall death toll low. The opposition states that America should have negotiated further with Japan and allowed them to make some of the choices for the peace treaty.
Works Cited
“Editorial: Hiroshima Bombing Anniversary.” Las Vegas Review Journal. 6 Aug. 2005. http://www.reviewjournal.com/1vrj_home/2005/Aug-06-Sat-2005/opinion/2794069.html.
Foldvary, Fred. “Hiroshima, mon horreur.” The Progress Report. 21, Oct. 2008.
http://www.progress.org/2005/fold415.htm.
An editorial from the Las Vegas Review Journal written on the 60 year anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Japan acclaims the decision. However, Fred E. Foldvary, Senior Editor of The Progress Journal considers the bombing a “historic blunder.” The Editor of the Las Vegas Review Journal states in his editorial that it would have taken months and probably years to elicit surrender from Japan just by continuing the “submarine blockade of food going into Japan, and the firebombing of Japanese cities. Mr. Foldvary, of The Progress Journal, makes the opposing point that the Japanese did not surrender because the U.S. demanded an unconditional surrender and would not negotiate terms with the Japanese. The Japanese government wanted to be able to keep their emperor as ruler, but the United States would not allow that according to Fred Foldvary.
The Las Vegas Review article makes the point that with a full on war against Japan, the ultimate death toll for both the United States and Japan could have been in the millions. Instead U.S. soldiers were spared and only 300,000 Japanese lost their lives. Mr. Foldvary of The Progress Reports disagrees with these figures. He reports in his editorial that a “worst case scenario for death with a Japanese invasion would be less than 50,000. He states that those who “defend the atomic bombings use grossly inflated numbers of potential casualties.”
Both of these editorials have facts supporting their opinion that contradict each other. Those who support the U.S. use of the atomic bomb on Japan feel that this was the only way to end the conflict with this country and to keep the overall death toll low. The opposition states that America should have negotiated further with Japan and allowed them to make some of the choices for the peace treaty.
Works Cited
“Editorial: Hiroshima Bombing Anniversary.” Las Vegas Review Journal. 6 Aug. 2005. http://www.reviewjournal.com/1vrj_home/2005/Aug-06-Sat-2005/opinion/2794069.html.
Foldvary, Fred. “Hiroshima, mon horreur.” The Progress Report. 21, Oct. 2008.
http://www.progress.org/2005/fold415.htm.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Reflect and Reconsider
When we were instructed to choose a subject that we could write about for an entire semester, on a blog, the three topics that I began to think about were football, the war on drugs and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Out of those three, I chose the one I was most engrossed in and that was Pearl Harbor. Setting up the blog was somewhat difficult since I don’t have high speed internet and I am not exactly computer savvy. I learned that the most efficient way to complete my assignment for the week was to write it in a word document and then cut and paste into the blog.
When I began to research this topic, I knew quite a bit of information about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but had little knowledge about the conspiracy theory. This assignment has given me the chance to study the conspiracy idea more in depth, which I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I was surprised at how solid the facts were for there being a conspiracy. It was amazing to read about the number of warnings our government received prior to the attack that they hid from military officials on Pearl Harbor. At first, I was shocked to find that the United States government would go to such great lengths to rally the public to support our entrance into World War II. But after further reading on the subject, I discovered how dishonest our government was at this time.
From my research about the conspiracy of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I no longer have any doubts that the U.S. government covered up the warnings and allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor. As of right now I am wondering why textbooks don’t mention the true account of Pearl Harbor and how it really wasn’t a surprise. The second item I am pondering is whether FDR’s presidency was totally corrupt or just in this instance. In the second quarter I plan to investigate the U.S. retaliation against Japan.
When I began to research this topic, I knew quite a bit of information about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but had little knowledge about the conspiracy theory. This assignment has given me the chance to study the conspiracy idea more in depth, which I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I was surprised at how solid the facts were for there being a conspiracy. It was amazing to read about the number of warnings our government received prior to the attack that they hid from military officials on Pearl Harbor. At first, I was shocked to find that the United States government would go to such great lengths to rally the public to support our entrance into World War II. But after further reading on the subject, I discovered how dishonest our government was at this time.
From my research about the conspiracy of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I no longer have any doubts that the U.S. government covered up the warnings and allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor. As of right now I am wondering why textbooks don’t mention the true account of Pearl Harbor and how it really wasn’t a surprise. The second item I am pondering is whether FDR’s presidency was totally corrupt or just in this instance. In the second quarter I plan to investigate the U.S. retaliation against Japan.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What Warnings did Our Government Recieve?
The conventional thought in the United States is that the clamity of Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise. Americans are taught to believe that we were hit without warning and that there was no way to prepare a fight against the attacking Japanese. Textbooks and encyclopedias all give the same story of the peaceful Hawaiian harbor being destroyed by the Japanese in a matter of a few hours on a lazy Sunday morning. For instance, in the book The Story of America , the author states that “the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor without warning” and “The Americans caught completely by surprise, could offer only feeble resistance.” Unfortunately, this is not the whole truth. While the average Navy Seaman, Army Private, Airman, Marine and civilian had no idea what was coming, those in authority in America’s government did, starting with the President.
The U.S. had many reports from secret agents in foreign countries that the Japanese were planning to attack the United States. Most of the intelligence information specifically states that the attack would occur at Pearl Harbor. Reports of a planned attack even came from our own U.S. Ambassador to Japan (Persico 2001).
For instance, on January 27, 1941, Dr. Ricardo Rivera-Schreiber, who was the Peruvian envoy in Tokyo, informed Max Bishop, Secretary of the U. S. Embassy, that his spies had told him about a planned attack on Pearl Harbor. Bishop immediately told the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Joseph C. Grew, who knew Schreiber well and felt that “he would never mislead me in anything he might pass on to me” (Prange 1981). Grew sent a wire to Washington D.C. with the information he had been given. No one in Washington believed the report. They thought it was a wild rumor and that Japan could never “pull off a surprise attack against the United States”(Tweeten 2005).
In July of 1941, a military attaché in Mexico reported to Washington that his sources had seen the Japanese building special small submarines to be used in attack on the American Navy in Pearl Harbor. The Mexican attache’ also stated that the Japanese were practicing surfacing and submerging the small subs (Willey 2005). This report was also ignored.
Also in July, a famous British secret agent named Dusko Popov, whose code name was “Tricycle,” gave information to the FBI that an attacke on Pearly Harbor was coming soon. The FBI told him that his information sounded like a set-up. They said it was “too precise, too complete to be believed,,,it sounds like a trap” (Willey 2005). A meeting wa set up between Popov and J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the FBI, but Hoover kept the information to himself. (Persico 2001).
In addition, another secret agent told CBS newscaster Eric Severeid that the Korean underground intelligence had positive proof that Pearl Harbor would be attacked before Christmas. One spy had actually seen Admiral Yamamoto’s plans. This Korean spy’s name was Kisoo Hann and he spoke personally to a U.S. senator named Guy Gillette. Guy Gillette then took this information to the State Department, the Army and Navy Intelligence Office and the President. No one did anything with that information either (Willey 2005).
In October of 1941, the Soviet Union’s most famous spy, Richard Sorge told the Kremlin that Pearl Harbor would be attacked within a few months. Moscow informed the United States (Willey 2005). Sorge was caught in Japan and then hung (Prange 1986).
The anti-Nazi German Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Hans Thomsen, on November 13, 1941, gave a report to U.S. Intelligence that the Japanese would be attacking Pearly Harbor (Willey 2005).
These are just a few of the reports the American government received from secret intelligence sources. No one in authority in the U.S. government made these threats against Pearl Harbor known to those stationed at the base in Hawaii.
Sources used:
Persico, Joseph. Roosevelt’s Secret War. New York: Random House, 2001.
Prange, Gordon. At Dawn We Slept. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1981.
Prange, Gordon. Pearl Harbor. New York: Penguin Putman Inc., 1986.
Tweten, Stone. “Road to Pearl Harbor.” 19 Jan 2005.
http://history.Acused.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/RD-Pearl.html.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. 19 Jan. 2005.
http://geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
The U.S. had many reports from secret agents in foreign countries that the Japanese were planning to attack the United States. Most of the intelligence information specifically states that the attack would occur at Pearl Harbor. Reports of a planned attack even came from our own U.S. Ambassador to Japan (Persico 2001).
For instance, on January 27, 1941, Dr. Ricardo Rivera-Schreiber, who was the Peruvian envoy in Tokyo, informed Max Bishop, Secretary of the U. S. Embassy, that his spies had told him about a planned attack on Pearl Harbor. Bishop immediately told the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Joseph C. Grew, who knew Schreiber well and felt that “he would never mislead me in anything he might pass on to me” (Prange 1981). Grew sent a wire to Washington D.C. with the information he had been given. No one in Washington believed the report. They thought it was a wild rumor and that Japan could never “pull off a surprise attack against the United States”(Tweeten 2005).
In July of 1941, a military attaché in Mexico reported to Washington that his sources had seen the Japanese building special small submarines to be used in attack on the American Navy in Pearl Harbor. The Mexican attache’ also stated that the Japanese were practicing surfacing and submerging the small subs (Willey 2005). This report was also ignored.
Also in July, a famous British secret agent named Dusko Popov, whose code name was “Tricycle,” gave information to the FBI that an attacke on Pearly Harbor was coming soon. The FBI told him that his information sounded like a set-up. They said it was “too precise, too complete to be believed,,,it sounds like a trap” (Willey 2005). A meeting wa set up between Popov and J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the FBI, but Hoover kept the information to himself. (Persico 2001).
In addition, another secret agent told CBS newscaster Eric Severeid that the Korean underground intelligence had positive proof that Pearl Harbor would be attacked before Christmas. One spy had actually seen Admiral Yamamoto’s plans. This Korean spy’s name was Kisoo Hann and he spoke personally to a U.S. senator named Guy Gillette. Guy Gillette then took this information to the State Department, the Army and Navy Intelligence Office and the President. No one did anything with that information either (Willey 2005).
In October of 1941, the Soviet Union’s most famous spy, Richard Sorge told the Kremlin that Pearl Harbor would be attacked within a few months. Moscow informed the United States (Willey 2005). Sorge was caught in Japan and then hung (Prange 1986).
The anti-Nazi German Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Hans Thomsen, on November 13, 1941, gave a report to U.S. Intelligence that the Japanese would be attacking Pearly Harbor (Willey 2005).
These are just a few of the reports the American government received from secret intelligence sources. No one in authority in the U.S. government made these threats against Pearl Harbor known to those stationed at the base in Hawaii.
Sources used:
Persico, Joseph. Roosevelt’s Secret War. New York: Random House, 2001.
Prange, Gordon. At Dawn We Slept. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1981.
Prange, Gordon. Pearl Harbor. New York: Penguin Putman Inc., 1986.
Tweten, Stone. “Road to Pearl Harbor.” 19 Jan 2005.
http://history.Acused.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/RD-Pearl.html.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. 19 Jan. 2005.
http://geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Survey Results
In my survey I Posed 5 questions relevant to my topic:
1. Do you believe the attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise to our government?
2. Would it taint your opinion of the United States government if you found out that they exploited the soldiers at Pearl Harbor by letting the attack happen without warning them?
3. Was it right for the US to retaliate against Japan by dropping the atomic bombs?
4. Would the United States have entered WWII if the events of Pearl Harbor had not occurred?
I chose question # 1 because I wanted to see if people knew about the many warnings the government got prior to the Japanese attack. Question # 2 was chosen because it seems like many individuals now days are quick to believe that the US government is corrupt. The third question regarding our retaliation was picked because a lot of Americans feel it was wrong for the US to retaliate against Afghanistan and Iraq and I was wondering if they felt the same in this instance. I chose the final question because there is evidence that Franklin D. Roosevelt allowed Pearl Harbor to happen in order to enter WWII with the support of the American citizens.
I expected yes answers to the first two questions and no as an answer to the third one. I was unsure of what people’s opinion would be on the fourth. I polled eleven individuals, six were adults, two of these were women, and all were over the age of 40. The remaining five were students under the age of 22. Two were male college students and three were in high school, and two of the high school students were female.
Everyone’s answers to the first two questions were exactly what I predicted. However, in the third question regarding bombing Japan, the adults all stated that they f felt it was right to retaliate against the Japanese, but the students disagreed. Two of the adults stated that the US would not have entered WWII if Pearl Harbor had not been attacked, and everyone else believed we would have gone to war eventually even without the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor.
In my future blogs I would go more in depth about the warnings that the US government received prior to the attack to show the evidence that this was not a surprise. I could also show the proof of how the President wanted to participate in WWII but could not without the support of the American people.
1. Do you believe the attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise to our government?
2. Would it taint your opinion of the United States government if you found out that they exploited the soldiers at Pearl Harbor by letting the attack happen without warning them?
3. Was it right for the US to retaliate against Japan by dropping the atomic bombs?
4. Would the United States have entered WWII if the events of Pearl Harbor had not occurred?
I chose question # 1 because I wanted to see if people knew about the many warnings the government got prior to the Japanese attack. Question # 2 was chosen because it seems like many individuals now days are quick to believe that the US government is corrupt. The third question regarding our retaliation was picked because a lot of Americans feel it was wrong for the US to retaliate against Afghanistan and Iraq and I was wondering if they felt the same in this instance. I chose the final question because there is evidence that Franklin D. Roosevelt allowed Pearl Harbor to happen in order to enter WWII with the support of the American citizens.
I expected yes answers to the first two questions and no as an answer to the third one. I was unsure of what people’s opinion would be on the fourth. I polled eleven individuals, six were adults, two of these were women, and all were over the age of 40. The remaining five were students under the age of 22. Two were male college students and three were in high school, and two of the high school students were female.
Everyone’s answers to the first two questions were exactly what I predicted. However, in the third question regarding bombing Japan, the adults all stated that they f felt it was right to retaliate against the Japanese, but the students disagreed. Two of the adults stated that the US would not have entered WWII if Pearl Harbor had not been attacked, and everyone else believed we would have gone to war eventually even without the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor.
In my future blogs I would go more in depth about the warnings that the US government received prior to the attack to show the evidence that this was not a surprise. I could also show the proof of how the President wanted to participate in WWII but could not without the support of the American people.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Website Review
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html
The website “Pearl Harbor- Mother of All Conspiracies” is the epitome of an effective website for those individuals who believe in a conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor. This website, created by the author, Mark Willey, contains an excerpt from the first chapter of his book, Mother of Conspiracies, which is sold online and through Borders Bookstores. There are no sponsors, the date created is not listed, nor is there a notice for when the website was last updated.
Mr. Willey’s website is well written and easy to navigate. However it is not visually appealing and it is somewhat difficult to read due to small print and crowded type. The author’s statements are credible and accurate. He quotes from public documents from the Navy Court of Inquiry, the Army Board Report and the Joint Congressional Committee Report.
Although Mark Willey’s writing is credible, and he utilizes trustworthy sources for his information, the author is biased. He is adamant about there being a conspiracy involving the United States government and Pearl Harbor. Mr. Willey does not speak about both sides of this issue, he only addresses his belief that the United States had plenty of warning that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and they chose to stand by and let the attack happen.
The website “Pearl Harbor- Mother of All Conspiracies” is the epitome of an effective website for those individuals who believe in a conspiracy surrounding Pearl Harbor. This website, created by the author, Mark Willey, contains an excerpt from the first chapter of his book, Mother of Conspiracies, which is sold online and through Borders Bookstores. There are no sponsors, the date created is not listed, nor is there a notice for when the website was last updated.
Mr. Willey’s website is well written and easy to navigate. However it is not visually appealing and it is somewhat difficult to read due to small print and crowded type. The author’s statements are credible and accurate. He quotes from public documents from the Navy Court of Inquiry, the Army Board Report and the Joint Congressional Committee Report.
Although Mark Willey’s writing is credible, and he utilizes trustworthy sources for his information, the author is biased. He is adamant about there being a conspiracy involving the United States government and Pearl Harbor. Mr. Willey does not speak about both sides of this issue, he only addresses his belief that the United States had plenty of warning that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and they chose to stand by and let the attack happen.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Current beliefs
Pearl Harbor is often linked to the term “conspiracy theory.” At this time, many Americans feel that the United States government allowed Pearl Harbor to be attacked by the Japanese in order to escalate our entrance into World War II. In the early years after the attack in 1941, the American people thought that the Japanese totally surprised the United States and that Pearl Harbor was hit without warning so there was no way to prepare for the assault on us. However, there is tangible proof that has been made public that the US government had been warned of the coming assault long before it occurred and even several times on the morning of the attack
Reports about the Japanese plan came from the American Ambassador to Japan, the German Ambassador to the United States, a British secret agent, Korean intelligence, and a famous spy from the Soviet Union (Willey 2005). Our president also heard from the governments of the Netherlands, Australia, Peru and others. American military intelligence had decoded the Japanese secret code called JN-25, and were reading the Japanese secret messages 24 hours a day, one message spelled out the exact date and time of the assault on Pearl Harbor (Willey 2005). On the morning of the attack, a strange submarine was spotted in the entrance to Pearl Harbor and it was torpedoed and sunk. When Admiral Kimmel, the Commander of the Pacific Navy was told of this, he ignored the message (Lord 1957).
Once all these facts became known to Americans, most now believe that our nation’s leaders chose not to prepare for the Japanese bombing in order to have a reason to enter WWII. Also, 9/11 is often compared to Pearl Harbor since the news came out that the United States was warned about this event as well.
In Japan, they feel that the war “brought them suffering, not that war made them do reprehensible things” (Chira 1991). The Japanese government is allowing textbooks to be “sanitized” on how they portray their actions in WWII (Chira 191). The authors revising the textbooks are ‘justifying Japan’s conduct during the war and stating that their actions were exaggerated ‘ (Chira 1991). The Japanese people were very worried when the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor was approaching, they were afraid that the US might re-start the anti-Japanese feelings that were so prevalent after Pearl Harbor.
WWII and Pearl Harbor had a huge affect on the Japanese people. They are very opposed to any sort of war and they will not assist in any military needs that the United Nations requests of them, nor will they help with any peacekeeping efforts needed by their Western allies (Chira 1991).
Sources Used:
Chira, Susan. “The Nation; Pearl Harbor’s Smoke, Hiroshima’s Fallout.” The New York
Times. 8 December 1991.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. Jan. 2005.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
Reports about the Japanese plan came from the American Ambassador to Japan, the German Ambassador to the United States, a British secret agent, Korean intelligence, and a famous spy from the Soviet Union (Willey 2005). Our president also heard from the governments of the Netherlands, Australia, Peru and others. American military intelligence had decoded the Japanese secret code called JN-25, and were reading the Japanese secret messages 24 hours a day, one message spelled out the exact date and time of the assault on Pearl Harbor (Willey 2005). On the morning of the attack, a strange submarine was spotted in the entrance to Pearl Harbor and it was torpedoed and sunk. When Admiral Kimmel, the Commander of the Pacific Navy was told of this, he ignored the message (Lord 1957).
Once all these facts became known to Americans, most now believe that our nation’s leaders chose not to prepare for the Japanese bombing in order to have a reason to enter WWII. Also, 9/11 is often compared to Pearl Harbor since the news came out that the United States was warned about this event as well.
In Japan, they feel that the war “brought them suffering, not that war made them do reprehensible things” (Chira 1991). The Japanese government is allowing textbooks to be “sanitized” on how they portray their actions in WWII (Chira 191). The authors revising the textbooks are ‘justifying Japan’s conduct during the war and stating that their actions were exaggerated ‘ (Chira 1991). The Japanese people were very worried when the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor was approaching, they were afraid that the US might re-start the anti-Japanese feelings that were so prevalent after Pearl Harbor.
WWII and Pearl Harbor had a huge affect on the Japanese people. They are very opposed to any sort of war and they will not assist in any military needs that the United Nations requests of them, nor will they help with any peacekeeping efforts needed by their Western allies (Chira 1991).
Sources Used:
Chira, Susan. “The Nation; Pearl Harbor’s Smoke, Hiroshima’s Fallout.” The New York
Times. 8 December 1991.
Willey, Mark. Pearl Harbor Mother of All Conspiracies. Jan. 2005.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/6315/pearl.html.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Background Information
Pearl Harbor is an American naval base in Hawaii. It is located on the southern coast of Oahu Island. Pearl Harbor has been a United States Naval Base since 1875. It is considered one of the largest and best protected naval bases in the world.
By the middle of 1941, Germany had forcibly taken over most of Europe and was also attacking Great Britain. There were also conflicts in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Soviet Union. The Japanese had begun their plan to enlarge their territories by taking over the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, and the Marshall Islands.
The United States had not entered any of these wars because President Roosevelt had promised the people of the US that we would not fight any more battles after World War I and most of congress supported isolationism.
However, the United States entered the war on the morning of December 7, 1941, just before 8:00 AM because the Japanese began an air attack on our naval base in Pearl Harbor. The assault on Pearl Harbor lasted one hour and fifteen minutes. When it was over, 2403 people were dead, 1178 were wounded. 188 planes were completely destroyed and 159 planes were damaged. 4 battle ships were blown apart or sunk, 4 other battle ships were severely damaged and 11 other ships were sunk or demolished.
Sources: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to World War II. Mitchell G. Bard. 2004. Second Edition. Alpha Publishing.
The World Book Encyclopedia. 1951. Field Enterprises.
By the middle of 1941, Germany had forcibly taken over most of Europe and was also attacking Great Britain. There were also conflicts in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Soviet Union. The Japanese had begun their plan to enlarge their territories by taking over the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, and the Marshall Islands.
The United States had not entered any of these wars because President Roosevelt had promised the people of the US that we would not fight any more battles after World War I and most of congress supported isolationism.
However, the United States entered the war on the morning of December 7, 1941, just before 8:00 AM because the Japanese began an air attack on our naval base in Pearl Harbor. The assault on Pearl Harbor lasted one hour and fifteen minutes. When it was over, 2403 people were dead, 1178 were wounded. 188 planes were completely destroyed and 159 planes were damaged. 4 battle ships were blown apart or sunk, 4 other battle ships were severely damaged and 11 other ships were sunk or demolished.
Sources: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to World War II. Mitchell G. Bard. 2004. Second Edition. Alpha Publishing.
The World Book Encyclopedia. 1951. Field Enterprises.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Introduction
The topic I chose for my blog is the Attack on Pearl Harbor. I chose this topic because war is something that I am very interested in, and this attack is significant because it was the first time that the U.S. had been attacked. The attack occurred on December 7th,1941 and 3,581 soldiers were wounded or killed.
Some big questions i would like to explore this semester are: Was it actually a surprise attack or did Roosevelt know of the attack before it happened? What was the relation between the U.S and Japan before the attack like?
Some big questions i would like to explore this semester are: Was it actually a surprise attack or did Roosevelt know of the attack before it happened? What was the relation between the U.S and Japan before the attack like?
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