WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, decimating the US Pacific Fleet. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war.

Detailed explanation-2: -The attack on Pearl Harbor left more than 2, 400 Americans dead and shocked the nation, sending shockwaves of fear and anger from the West Coast to the East. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress, asking them to declare war on Japan, which they did by an almost-unanimous vote.

Detailed explanation-3: -Pearl Harbor was a tactical victory for the Japanese, but strategically a dismal failure. Battleships were a dying breed of fighting ship; the big aircraft carriers were to become the new dominant force on the high seas, and not one of our three Pacific carriers were in port on Dec. 7, 1941.

Detailed explanation-4: -The scenes leading up to and featuring the pilots’ dogfights over the harbor are accurate, but the similarities seem to end there. That is, except for the very expensive and realistic-looking explosions.

Detailed explanation-5: -While there is no single correct or simple reason for the attack, this lesson should help students realize that Japan’s motivation for attacking Pearl Harbor was driven by its political self-interests, its scarcity of economic resources and perceived opportunity costs, and America’s embargo policy.