Pearl Harbor Essay -- American History World War 2 WWII

"Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Exactly as Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed in his speech to Congress, December 7th would indeed live in infamy. Pearl Harbor was the most pivotal foreign affairs incident for the United States since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Not only was it significant domestically, it had resounding consequences across the globe. It has lived on as one of the single most tragic events on United States soil. Early Warnings The United States had received many warnings stating there would be an attack on Pearl Harbor. In October, the Soviets top spy, Richard Sorge, informed Kermlin that Pearl Harbor would be attacked in sixty days. Moscow had then informed him that this had been passed on to the United States. The United States completely ignored all references to an attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 6th at 9:30pm, Roosevelt had read the first thirteen parts of the decoded declaration of war that the Japanese had sent to us. The document stated "This means war." This is when Roosevelt decided that it was time to proclaim war on Japan. Unfortunately, his decision did not reach Pearl Harbor in any helpful form before it was too late. Pearl Harbor has remained a controversial topic for these very same reasons. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been blamed for not recognizing the seemingly obvious threats, but recently; a different take on the situation has surfaced. Historians have allowed for the possibility that Roosevelt was prevented from taking action by Congress. Some evidence to support this is an account by Harry Hopkins of the President'... ...concentration camps. These people were taken mainly from the west coast, apparently in case Japan invaded. Upon entering, they were searched, and stripped of any cameras or anything that might be construed as a weapon. Personal belongings were often taken, as well. Despite this, it is not often that you will hear a discussion of the American concentration camps during a history class in the United States. Conclusion Over the years, Pearl Harbor and all things surrounding it have been a controversial and sometimes tense subject. Some people would insist that FDR was a war-monger who could be held directly responsible for the loss of American lives. Others would say that he simply faced the facts. Both groups would be forced to agree that this country, indeed, this entire world, would be a much different place if the Japanese had not made their fateful sneak attack.