highlighting the fact that the American defence force could have halted the attack on the naval base. The memorandum clearly states that America suspected possible spies but intentionally chose to ignore the possibility. The fact these documents were concealed and not made available to the public implies that the attack was a surprise to the American public but was expected by American intelligence forces. The USA was fully aware of Japan’s unsavoury behaviour and chose to ignore it. This information lends itself to the argument that America was in fact aware of an impending attack and knowingly chose to overlook the dangerous situation. This disregard essentially resulted in unnecessary death and destruction for the single purpose of waging …show more content…
The fact that the Japanese people had planned the attack months in advance, considering every possible aspect, undeniably supports the argument that the American people were in fact caught off guard. The Japanese had been meticulous and concise, which subsequently worked in their favour. The Japanese empire emerged victorious in this particular battle against the USA, temporarily crippling America’s Pacific Fleet. Japan had momentarily succeeded in their quest for complete dominance in the Pacific. Their motive for the attack on Pearl Harbour became clear. The immense amount of damage further supports the notion that the attack was a surprise. No nation would deliberately subject their people to such despair and sadness for the sole purpose of entering a war. The loss of life was tragic. The huge loss of life emphasizes the fact that the United States was taken by surprise. America suffered great loss as a result of the attack on their naval base. Their nation lost lives but they were able to rapidly recover. There is contradicting evidence pertaining to this topic that is both possible and plausible. There is the argument that states that the American government was aware of an impending attack. However, this argument proves invalid when argued with the point of view that the military offence was in fact a surprise. America subsequently joined the Second World War, defeating Hitler and the Axis powers alongside Britain, France and Russia (among others). Roosevelt had succeeded in his goal to commit the USA to a fully-fledged war against the Japanese nation which resulted in the involvement of the USA in the Second World War. The war with Japan continued and subsequently ended with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, another event that changed the course of human history. America has gone on to be possibly one of the most powerful nations in the world, dominating the