Who Was To Blame For Pearl Harbor Essay

The Japanese attack on the American Military Base, Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii occurred on December 7th, 1941. The attack sunk 19 warships of the United States Pacific Fleet, destroyed 120 aircraft and killed 2,400 servicemen. Despite the cloud of misery and sadness that surrounds this event which killed thousands of people, conspiracists place blame for the attacks on FDR, President of the United States at the time. The theories claim that either Great Britain knew and had broken Japanese codes, knowing of the pending attack and Churchill, leader of Great Britain, did not tell Roosevelt, or that Churchill told Roosevelt and that they did nothing. However, there is no evidence of a telegram that the conspiracies rely on, experts and insiders testify the Roosevelt was surprised by the attack in Hawaii, and other reports and research conclude that there was no conspiracy as Washington had no prior knowledge of the attack. FDR did not know about the attack on Pearl Harbor or allow the

The location of the attack in Hawaii caught FDR off guard and experts have stated that “on the basis of all the information we have now, President Roosevelt did not know and was as surprised by the tragedy as any American” (Culver). FDR, because of sanction he posed to hinder Japanese conquests in China, suspected an attack from Japan (NPR). Though, many experts state the attack was suspected to take place in the Philippines, rather than Pearl Harbor (History.com). Roosevelt’s biographer, Jean Edward Smith, after being asked if FDR knew of the attack beforehand, answered “No, he was totally caught off guard by it. The record is clear. There was no evidence of the Japanese moving toward Pearl Harbor that was picked up in Washington” (NPR). FDR knew a Japanese attack was possible, but experts and insiders agree that the attack in Hawaii on Pearl Harbor was