The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a Sunday, for several reasons. First, the Japanese had been expanding their empire for several years, including into China in 1937. They had signed a pact with the other Axis powers (Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini), and they had taken over French Indochina in 1941. In reaction, the United States froze Japanese assets and embargoed petroleum and other products going to Japan. Hence, the...
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a Sunday, for several reasons. First, the Japanese had been expanding their empire for several years, including into China in 1937. They had signed a pact with the other Axis powers (Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini), and they had taken over French Indochina in 1941. In reaction, the United States froze Japanese assets and embargoed petroleum and other products going to Japan. Hence, the Japanese wanted to retaliate against the United States. Second, the Japanese wanted the U.S. out of its way as it pursued further expansion in the Pacific.
The Japanese chose December 7 for the Pearl Harbor attack partly because it was a Sunday--a day when many of the troops would be resting or attending religious services. The first dive bomber arrived at Pearl Harbor just before 8 am, and the battleships in the harbor were open targets because the American planes were grounded at that time. A private in the U.S. Army had noticed the Japanese aircraft on his radar system, but he was told that the planes were American, as the Americans were expecting the arrival of planes. The early morning raid was also conducted on a clear day, so the weather helped the Japanese in their aims. In the attack, more than 2,300 Americans were killed, and the Pacific fleet took a large hit, as several battleships were sunk and 180 aircraft were destroyed. On December 8, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the attack "a day which will live in infamy."
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