The Causes and Consequences of the 1941 Bombing of Pearl Harbour, Hawaii

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Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy”. From 8am Pearl Harbour was bombed, although the event lasted just 2 hours, the loss of life and naval vessels was devastating for the Americans. The attack occurred within the time frame of World War Two, and is considered a prominent historical event as it drove the United States, “the world’s most powerful economy” into the war which thereafter had considerable impacts. The causes of the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour include; Japanese imperialistic tendencies and ambitions, the tripartite axis agreement which encouraged Japan into aggression and the war. Other causes of the bombing of Pearl Harbour consist of the harsh impact the Great Depression (1929-1939) and the freezing of assets and exports from USA on Japan. Significant consequences on people and groups in society include the most apparent- the loss of naval vessels, aircraft and life as an immediate response of the bombing. The war in the Pacific was as a result of the bombing of Pearl Harbour making that a second consequence. This meant that New Zealand was threatened which caused us to revaluate our international relations, another consequence. The final and quite possibly the most damaging consequence of the bombing of Pearl Harbour was the USA nuclear attack on Japanese cities Nagasaki and Hiroshima which in theory resulted in the end of the second world war. Japan has for a long time been an aspiring imperial nation, inspired by the historically powerful empires of the likes of Britain, Spain and Portugal. Particularly as she wanted to expand her territory in order to acquire access to resources and to begin with she looked to her close neighbours. Japan took her first steps of aggression in the Manchurian region of China in 1931 where their army

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