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Political Reasons for Bombing Pearl Harbour - Coggle Diagram
Political Reasons for Bombing Pearl Harbour
Domestic
Militarists Influence over Japanese Government
Hard-line militarists of the War Cabinet shaped a more aggressive foreign policy
In July 1940, Tojo became War Minister & Matsuoka became Foreign Minister. Both were militarists/nationalists/imperialists
In October 1941, Tojo replaced the moderate Konoye as Prime Minister
Army & Navy ministries functioned independently from the parliamentary branch of Government, so no 'checks & balances' existed in the Japanese political system
Tojo believed that the boldness of the Pearl Harbour attack, would assert his authority as Prime Minister
Internal division between IJA & IJN
There was an unhealthy competition between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) & the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA)
The IJN were seeking a restoration of pride in the Navy because the IJA had more recent success in Manchuria & China. This success gave the IJA more power in the War Cabinet & the IJN wanted some of that power & glory
IJN believed an action as audacious & significant as to deliver a knockout blow to the US at Pearl Harbour would give them enormous credence within the Japanese Government & redress the imbalance of power that the IJA had enjoyed
International
Pushed into a corner
Japan believed that the US embargoes & trade sanctions had pushed them into a corner from which there was no escape other than to attack Pearl Harbour
This feeling was strengthened in Aug 1941 when the US signed the Atlantic Charter with Britain, vowing to oppose Japanese expansion
Impress the Tripartite partners
Japan wanted to win the praise of their Tripartite Pact Partners (Germany, Italy) by attacking their common enemies
Indeed, the Tripartite Pact (Germany, Japan, Italy) guaranteed Japan's ongoing enmity (state of ongoing hostility) with the Allies, most significantly with 'isolationist' USA
Japan felt that attacking Pearl Harbour was a very clear indication of their alliance
Japan believed that attacking Pearl Harbour would expose the US as being vulnerable & show the strength of Japan as a nation
Secure an empire
Japan believed they should have political dominance over their 'sphere of influence' (in Asia) & that the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour was preventing the achieving of that goal
Japan saw themselves as the natural politcal leader of their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS) & saw themselves as racially superior to the rest of Asia, particularly Korea & China
A successful attack on Pearl Harbour would prove to the rest of Asia that Japan was to be respected
Success at Pearl Harbour would prove to the US & Europe that Japan were to be respected
Japan felt particularly disrespected when Britain abandoned the
Anglo-Japanese alliance in 1923 & when the US abandoned the Commercial Treaty with Japan in 1939
Nationalist pride in Japan had been damaged through the Exclusion Act in the US & the refusal of the West to include the racial equality clause in the Treaty of Versailles
Europe was busy & the US were isolationist
European nations were preoccupied with Germany so they were less likely to commit time & resources to effectively protect their imperial interests in Asia
At the time, Japan's only viable opponent was the US
The US was trying to remain isolationist as evidenced by the US response to Japan sinking the USS Panay (a simple apology & $2 million reperations)
Japan hoped a massive, swift, morale-destroying 'knockout blow' would result in the US Govt. being unable to muster the support of the US population for a long war against Japan
Even if the US did respond with aggression, Japan hoped they would negotiate a peace rather than enter a long, costly war (especially if Japan had established a functioning empire in that time & had plenty of gains to negotiate with). "America will be outraged at first, but then she will come to understand ... if we govern occupied areas with justice, the hostile attitude towards us will soften" Tojo Nov 1941