Why Japan Bombed Pearl Harbor

So what if the US seized all Japanese assets. They had no reason to bomb Pearl Harbor.

It makes as much sense as your argument.

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor because of their past success with bombing Port Arthur, a Russian port on February 8, 1904. They believed that they could duplicate the strategic maneuver with the US.

http://www.russojapanesewar.com/torp-attk-pa.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1905portarthur.asp

On the night of November 11-12, 1940, Swordfish torpedo bombers of the Royal Navy Air Service attacked the main Italian fleet in the harbor at Taranto in southern Italy. This was the first time in history that one fleet attacked another fleet using only aircraft. Shortly thereafter, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku of the Japanese Imperial Navy spoke to Lt. Commander Genda Minoru about planning an air attack on the American base in Hawaii--usually referred to as Pearl Harbor. In fact, the memoirs of several Japanese naval officers claim that when Yamamoto planned and executed the Imperial Navy's training exercises at sea in 1939-40, he was already talking about how Japan would attack the United States.

So, in fact, planning for an attack on the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii began well before that particular boycott. The Imperial Navy was alrady planning, in conjuntion and cooperation with the Army, what was known as the Southern Operation, which was to attack the British and Dutch East Indies. Yamamoto personally considered that war with the United States would be a disaster, and he said so in private correspondence. Nevertheless, if the Japanese were to attack the East Indies, they could not do so while ignoring the significant American naval and Army Air Force presence in the Philippines, and any attack there would necessarily involve the Pacific Fleet, based in Hawaii. So Yamamoto knew that to safeguard the Southern Operation, the Pacific Fleet must be neutralized, at least termporarily. Hence, the Pearl Harbor plan, which resulted in one of the most brilliant naval operations in history. For as much as it galls American pride, the Imperial Navy overcame enormous obstacles to accomplish that attack, and maintained perfect operational security, and deserve credit for what they accomplished.

The American gunboat Panay was sunk by the Japanese in China in 1937. Many nations had already embargoed Japan as a result of the Second Sin0-Japanese War, which began in July, 1937, and although it is not so recognized, is actually the beginning of the second world war. Japan was on a collision course with the United States and England long before they occupied French Indo-China.

The torpedo attack on Port Arthur was launched from ships, not aircraft.

History may have had a part in it, but the more pressing Japan motive in 1941 was revenge, and thats probably how Japan military sold it to their emperor.

Did you read the DATE in Setanta's post. ???//

It's kind of hard to claim revenge for seizing assets when you were planning to attack more than a year BEFORE the seizure.

Joe(I'm having a seizure now)Nation

Hey, 1937, 1941, what's a few years among enemies?

I'm going to post what I truly believe about an historical event and then, even when presented with stubborn historical facts, I will continue to stick to the figment of my imagination.

The reason Caesar crossed the Rubicon was to get to the other side.

Joe(no. really. <nods head earnestly>)Nation

Well, yes, but ... but only because they had changed the location for daily game of dice!

Are you saying he was chicken? ! ? ! ?

(Imagine an Army marching cadence:

Why did the chicken cross the road
To get to his left, right, left, Sir ! ! !)

Every time I read your signature, Set, I am reminded of the wag who said
" Yes, Moma Lisa was a beautiful woman, but you really have to hand it to Venus de Milo."

Joe(we didn't talk to him after that)Nation

By the by, they think they have found the mortal remains of Lisa Gherardini, the real "Mona Lisa." As usual, the more elegant academic disputes have begun . . .

Is . . .

Is not . . .

Is so . . .

Your Mama . . . is not . . .

From China Daily . . . imagine that . . .

I could read your accounts of history for days and days, Set. Thanks!

You're very kind, thank you. The best account, and the one which i most highly recommend is At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor, Gordon Prange, et al, 1981. Incredibly, his works were only published after his death. He was MacArthur's Chief Historian in Japan, with a staff of 100. At that time he and his staff were able to interview literally hundreds of Japanese who had participated in the planning and the attack. He has a short way with the revisionists, too.

Why do I find it creepy that they think they have the skull of Mona Lisa?

Joe(Where have you gone, Nat King Cole?)Nation

The Swordfishes belonged to the Naval Air Branch. The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) existed from 1914 to 1918 when it was absorbed, along with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps, into the Royal Air Force. The Royal Navy did not have an air component under its complete control again until 1937 when the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force was was returned to Admiralty control and renamed the Naval Air Branch. This name was used from 1937 to 1952, when Fleet Air Arm was re-adopted.

They did a forensic search for the high school pictures of la MAdonna Lisa Gioconda.
Here she is about 20 years before Leonardo pinted her (she had undergone a depilatory procedure that was required of all pre- nubile Italian women of the age)