Sadie Nezovich
Mr. Pelegano
Honors English 9
22 May 2023
A Not So Pretty Pearl
The attack on Pearl Harbor was caused by Japan’s desire for natural resources and dominance in the Pacific, leading to the United States entering World War 2 and the death of millions more than just those at Pearl Harbor.
Japan bombed the naval base, Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941. “Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded” (History). The attack did not only affect the Navy but it also ignited a spark of retaliation and desire for victory within the American population. “Most importantly, the shock
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The attack signaled the beginning of the Pacific war for the US, but it did not automatically involve them in the war in Europe. Germany was not winning their side of the war over on the Eastern Front, so it was not in their best interest to start another war with the US. Regardless, Germany declared war on the US on December 11, 1941 (Britannica). Once the US joined World War 2, the war escalated and so did tensions between the US and Japan. These tensions resulted in the catastrophic damage from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At least 110,000 people died as a result of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined (Bulletin). These deaths along with many others the US was responsible for could have been avoided if the attack on Pearl Harbor never happened and the US never became involved in the war.
The US is responsible for a significant number of deaths in World War 2 that could have been avoided if Japan’s greed had not led them to attack Pearl