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Pearl Harbor Effects

Good Essays

On December 7, 1941, The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the naval base stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This attacked launched America into World War Two. The attack on Pearl Harbor brought forth an astounding amount of change to both the United States and Japan. The United States became the biggest power in the Pacific and it eventually led to the military advancements such as the atom bomb. One of the main effects of Pearl Harbor was the destruction of the United States Pacific Navy Fleet stationed in Hawaii at the time. The Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor included “four battleships, two heavy cruisers, ten destroyers, and two dozen long-range submarines” ("Japan Attacks and America Goes to War."). The Japanese attack …show more content…

In the Pacific, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, was mobilizing along with other ships against the Japanese Navy. This battle was known as The Battle of Midway. Back in the United States, Congress had officially declared war on The Empire of Japan. Franklin Roosevelt described that “December 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” (Madsen). This speech marked the beginning of direct American military involvement in what would be called World War 2.
Another effect that Pearl Harbor had is the invention of the atom bomb. Though not directly linked to Japan, if the Japanese never attacked the United States there would be no reason to create the most destructible weapon humanity has ever seen. However, Japan forced the United States’ hand in joining the war. This led to many American lives lost in the campaigns against Japan and Germany. America lost over “418,500” (“By the Numbers: World Wide Deaths”) soldiers and civilians because of their involvement in the …show more content…

Before America, Japan was the main power in the Pacific. This was apparent until the United States defeated them with the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Up until the late 1960’s, America was the most prominent and dominating manufacturer of the world. However in today's world, America is still an extremely powerful trading country, it has become more of a rentier country. China became the United States’ main outsource for manufacturing because it was exponentially easier and much more inexpensive. Before, America made most of everything in-country such as steel. However, with the United States recovering from the war, it was forced to outsource some of its manufacturing workload to other countries, mainly China. During the 1920’s and the 1930’s, the world was going through the Great Depression. America had struggled through this period of economic downfall. However, Japan emerged earlier than other countries because its economic success came from government deficits used to expand Japan’s heavy industry and military. Many other smaller Pacific nations saw Japan as an invincible power that no Western nation could overcome. Yet, after their war campaign against America, Japan was left crippled. Japan’s main supplier of oil, the United States, regulated trade with Japan do to their recent military actions. Left with no option, Japan

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