Japanese General - We were tricked into attack Pearl Harbor

[SB Shock]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081101.JAPAN01/TPStory/?query=shino+yuasa

Gen. Tamogami also claims that Japan was tricked into attacking Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.

Japan was "snared in a trap that was very carefully laid by the United States in order to draw Japan into a war," he writes. "Roosevelt had become president on his public pledge not to go to war, so in order to start a war between the United States and Japan, it had to appear that Japan took the first shot. Japan was caught in Roosevelt's trap and carried out the attack on Pearl Harbor."

He also claims

life under Japanese occupation was "very moderate" and cites a rise in the population on the Korean Peninsula during Japan's 1910-1945 occupation as "proof that Korea under Japanese rule was also prosperous and safe."

Gen. Tamogami ends his essay saying Japan should reclaim its glorious history. I wonder how soon he will be a retired General?

[SubGod22]

The first quote isn't inaccurate. The US had a blockade restricting oil flow and other things into Japan. Tricked may be the wrong term, but Roosevelt did help push the Japanese into their actions by doing so.

[Indy23]

Looks like denial and propaganda to me. The Japanese knew they were playing with fire when they attacked Pearl Harbor. They were ultimately on the wrong side if they didn't want to lose the war.

[KC Shox]

Sub is right. That landlocked country was slowly drying up thanks to the blockade the US instituted. They attacked us, but in their eyes I'm sure, had justification to do so. What would have the US done if the roles were reversed?

[Maggie]

Sub is right. That landlocked country was slowly drying up thanks to the blockade the US instituted. They attacked us, but in their eyes I'm sure, had justification to do so. What would have the US done if the roles were reversed?

In the next few years? Comprise a committee and talk about should be done. Or should I say beg…

[shocrates]

Sub is right. That landlocked country was slowly drying up thanks to the blockade the US instituted. They attacked us, but in their eyes I'm sure, had justification to do so. What would have the US done if the roles were reversed?

Our military projects so much global presence and our navy protects international waters that it would never get to that point. Anybody that even thought about it would be vaporized by a Tomahawk and a JDAM in about 30 minutes. That is the difference between the superpowers and the wannabees. Bad analogy. Now if we did it to Iran on the other hand......

[ShockBand]

Nothing is over until we decide it! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

[SubGod22]

Looks like denial and propaganda to me. The Japanese knew they were playing with fire when they attacked Pearl Harbor. They were ultimately on the wrong side if they didn't want to lose the war.

Even amongst the leadership it was questioned. They feared they were making a mistake by waking up a sleeping giant but had run out of options and did what they felt was their only and last option.

They failed!

[ShockerPrez]

If they were tricked, it would imply that they didn't really want to have a war, and if they really didn't want to have a war, why so defiant in the face of defeat and 'to the death' attitude in the waning days? I'm sure that national pride played a big role, but if you didn't really want to fight in the first place why wouldn't you be more conciliatory at the first or second sign that you were about to have you rear handed to you?

At the time, weren't they also invading other countries like China prior to them attacking us? That would also seem to be that they weren't attacking us out of necessity, but rather imperialistic desires.

[Indy23]

Looks like denial and propaganda to me. The Japanese knew they were playing with fire when they attacked Pearl Harbor. They were ultimately on the wrong side if they didn't want to lose the war.

Even amongst the leadership it was questioned. They feared they were making a mistake by waking up a sleeping giant but had run out of options and did what they felt was their only and last option.

They failed!

They should have realized that they wouldn't have the resources to defend themselves if the Americans could become established in the South Pacific. They didn't underestimate us in that they knew they were in for a fight, but they hoped we wouldn't have the homeland support to fight a two-front war. They were wrong. After Midway, they knew they were in serious trouble.

[Ixiah]

Okay, now a serious history buff can weigh in on this. First there are some inaccurate statements that people have made:

The US had a blockade restricting oil flow and other things into Japan.

SB you are not quite right on the "blockade" comment. A blockade is the use of military force to prohibit trade was not the case. Rather the United States had an empargo on exporting oil to Japan (along with items such as scrap iron).

That landlocked country was slowly drying up thanks to the blockade the US instituted.

Wha??? Japan is an island so it can't be landlocked. A landlocked country is one that is essentially enclosed by land. Afghanistan would be an example.

Okay, now on to the topic at hand. During the years leading up to the attack on Pearl the Japanese were extremely agressiive.

• 1. Japan quickly conquered Manchuria and set up a puppet government.
  
  2. Japan had occupied French Indo China (now known as Vietnam) and had seized control of the country from the Vichy French government.
  

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_French_Indochina

  
  
  3. Japan was rapidly building a dangerous mix of carriers (Shokaku, Zuikaku, Soryu, Hiryu, Akagi, and Kaga were all first rate), Battleships (Yamato, Musashi, and Shinano would still be the worlds largest battleships), and numerous modern cruisers and destroyers. Also its aircraft were quite good - being long ranged and ideal for the pacific.
  
  4. Japan was waging a brutal war against China at the time of Pearl Harbor. This included attacking the US gunboat Panay and the barbaric murder of civilians at Nanking.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Panay_(PR-5)
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_of_nanking

Does this list look like a peaceful nation that would be "tricked" into going to war. Heck no, they did it because we turned off the spigot to their war machine (fuel specifically) and they faced two choices. The first would be to come begging for us to turn it back on (which would almost certianly require them to pull out of China). The other option would be to take the Netherland East Indies (which also had oil). We had guarenteed its soverignty and so that would have cause an immediate war. So they chose option #2.

Btw - the reason Japan lost the war IMHO was because of our country's strong spirit. We did not give up when we faced tough battles such as Guadacanal ,Tarawa, Iwo Jima, etc. They thought by causing a bunch of casualties they could get us to bargain - they were wrong.

[SubGod22]

I didn't think blockade was right but I knew the effect were pretty much the same. Japan was having issues getting what they needed and reacted.

[Indy23]