December 8, 1941: The War with Japan Begins

December 7, 1941 is the day the attack on Pearl Harbor took place. A day later The United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan. World War two now had its two largest combatants fully engaged. The war would intensify as man’s inhumanity to man scaled new and scientific heights.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

It was around 9:30 in the morning when then president Franklin Delano Roosevelt went before the Congress to request a formal declaration of war against Japan. He gave a speech about the sad destruction of the pacific fleet the day before. His address was broadcast over every radio and school loud speaker in the country. The nation listened in mourning still dumbfounded by yesterday’s brutal attack. 1,500 people were dead and 1,500 people were injured. The planes, boats, ships and artillery at the Pearl Harbor military installation lay in ruins. It seemed to many an unprovoked attack on a “neutral” nation. ABOVE: December 7th, 1941 – Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

The United States had been assisting its old allies Britain and France with weapons and funds since the beginning of the war in 1939. So soon after the end of the Great War (914-1918), Britain was ill equipped to wage another campaign. The U.S. had declared itself neutral and Adolph Hitler had stated on several occasions he had no desire to go to war with the United States. Japan was Germany’s ally and a part of a pact signed in 1940 by Italy, Germany and Japan that stated if a country (namely the United States) attacked one of the pact members they were automatically at war with the other two members.

There are several theories that the attack on Pearl Harbor was planned to ensure American involvement in World War II. FDR had pledged to the American people they would not become involved but he had informed Great Britain that he would support a war against Germany. No matter the cause, the attack the day before was to bring America into the war against Germany and all her allies. Less than half an hour after FDR finished his speech and he request for a declaration of war, Congress passed a resolution to enter a state of war with Japan. The vote was unanimous. A similar vote in the house had only one vote against. Before lunch on December 8, 1941 America was at war.LEFT: December 8th, 1941 – The U.S. Declares War on Japan

American involvement with Japan would last until August of 1945 when two atomic bombs were dropped by the United States on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Almost 200,000 people died as a result of the attacks. Japan, a thus far ruthless and determined opponent surrendered and one of history’s bloodiest wars came to an end.

The day America declared war on Japan is one example of the day after. The day after history is often forgotten; what occurred after the dramatic change. But it is the day after that pushed history forward and gave us the world we enjoy today. RIGHT: The U.S. Army During World War II

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