Pearl Harbor Dbq

knowledge with regards to the whereabouts of this attack, furthering the argument that the attack was a genuine surprise. American intelligence was unable to speculate or guess the Japanese nation’s intention (source B). This statement is supported by the fact that Japan had meticulously planned the attack, taking various precautionary measures to safeguard the security of their plan (source A). The United States would have found it tremendously difficult to completely decipher the Japanese plan. The messages that were recovered by American intelligence gave no indication that there would be an, “outbreak of hostilities” (Source B).
The attack was also a surprise due to the American nations’ ignorance and arrogance. The Americans did not believe

The attack only took one hour and fifteen minutes to complete. This clearly indicates that the Japanese were exceptionally well trained. They were therefore able to rapidly execute the attack. A large amount of battles take days to win - the Japanese managed to emerge victorious in less than two hours. This emphasizes the notion that America was in fact taken by surprise since the Japanese attack was swift and precise. The Americans were blindsided, the attack ended just as it had begun. The Japanese had achieved their goal. The Japanese captain, Captain Fuchida sent out a coded message to his comrades, which said that they had successfully caught the Americans by surprise. Adding to the notion that America had been caught by surprise, the Japanese declaration of war had not reached America in time, furthering the fact that America was caught off guard. America had not been warned prior to the attack. By the time that they received the declaration; Japan had already launched its attack on Pearl Harbour (Source E). There is a strong possibility that Japan delivered the warning ‘late’ on purpose due to the fact that it provided them with the opportunity to cause significant damage to an unprepared and oblivious America. The fact that the Japanese had such a strong fleet of military weaponry and transport substantiates the fact that the

President Roosevelt and his government claimed that America and Japan had peaceful relations and that it was Americas’ goal to maintain peace in the Pacific. According to Roosevelt, that is why the attack was a surprise (source F). Roosevelt successfully paints a picture of an innocent America and a guilty Japan through his use of propaganda techniques. Roosevelt emphasizes the fact the United States are the peace makers whereas Japan is the instigator. Roosevelt insists that he did not want war, furthering the idea that neither he nor his government wanted to enter a fully-fledged war with Japan. Roosevelt portrays the Japanese as both power hungry and warmongers. The American President’s speech is in agreement with sources A and E. This source once again refers to the meticulous planning by the Japanese. Once again, emphasizing the fact that a surprise attack was unavoidable. America could not have stopped Japan (source F). The fact the American president reiterates the point that the attack was a surprise, emphasizes the argument that Japan was definitely acting as the aggressor. One needs to keep in mind that this source is extremely biased and provides insight regarding American attitude. Roosevelt aims to ensure that the American public were aware of the fact that it was necessary to enter war with Japan as they had committed a war crime against the United States of