Re-Writing History; Pearl Harbor And World War Ii Essay, Research Paper
?Tora, tora, tora!??What if these words were never said? In the history of the United States of America, there have been many situations that have changed, or turned this country?s history around. One of these being World War II and Pearl Harbor. What if Pearl Harbor was never attacked by the Japanese, would we have thrown ourselves into the second World War? If not, would this have changed the political, economic, national, and governmental issues of the United States? The answer, more likely, is yes.
On November 8, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president of the United States. During this same period, the Nazi party began their move to take over Europe. On March 15, 1939, the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia and Germans signed a pact with the Soviet Union, Britain and Poland singed a Mutual Assistance Treaty on August 25 as well. At the same time, the U.S took the backseat to the situation and proclaimed its neutrality. Ironically, the German troops crossed the Vistula River in Poland.
On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill became the British Prime Minister. Later that year the Germans bombed on the offensive against British factories and airfields. Later that week, Hitler set up a blockade of the British Isles, and the first major air raid on London on August 23rd.
As all this unfolded, the U.S remained neutral. The U.S was still recovering from First World War. On November 5 Roosevelt is re-elected and the British are running out of supplies. So, Roosevelt issues the Lend-Lease Act: where Roosevelt lends or leases artillery and other war supplies to Britain and, ?any country whose defense was vital to the United States.?
Now, the big event that throws the U.S into World War II was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Eight American battleships and thirteen other naval vessels were sunk or badly damaged, almost 200 American aircraft were destroyed and approximately 3,000 naval and military personnel died or were wounded .
Due to this attack, the Japanese-Americans were hurt badly. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 , which allowed military leaders to exclude whomever they felt necessary from military areas. This order served as the foundation for the removal of approximately 110,000 ethnic Japanese: two-thirds of them American citizen from the Pacific Coast. In the spring of 1942 the U.S. Army forcefully moved the Japanese American populations of California, western Oregon, western Washington, and southern Arizona to 16 temporary detention compounds; typically fairgrounds and racetracks, one by the salt river, in Casa Grand and another being in Florence, Arizona. Anywhere from 8,000 too 20,000 Japanese were in these ?relocation centers? at one time; housed in small, badly built, military barracks. Not only did it hurt the Japanese-Americans in the U.S, later on it changed the Japanese way of life and the rest of the world like nothing else ever did. On August 6 1945, the U.S dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Then again, on August 9, three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The blast destroyed 68 percent of the city and damaged another 24 percent, and an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people were killed or reported missing in Hiroshima alone. Consequently, if Pearl Harbor was never attacked, the Japanese wouldn?t have suffered such astronomical loss of life and humiliation due to their unconditional surrender.
In reaction to the attack, the U.S threw ourselves into World War II. We mobilized 4,355,000 people into the war. Out of that number of people, the total casualties wound out to be 350,000 people, that is eight percent of the initial number of men mobilized. We also went to Normandy, we sent a total of about 1.5 million troops to these beaches. It has been called the largest amphibious operation in history.
Without the war, many people wouldn?t have had jobs; farmers would not have been so big because the cotton was used for the rubber tires and the fibers were used to strengthen the wings on f the aircraft. The factories for iron and army supplies would not have been needed to the extent that it was when the war was in progress. Women would not have started to work because all the men would still be at home and not fighting the war. In addition, would have Franklin D. Roosevelt been elected for an additional term? I don?t think so. This man was in office and dealing with all the troubles of the world for seven years, so no one knew about the situation, and the tactics as Roosevelt did. So if we didn?t get into the war, we would have had another election just as if nothing was happening.
Pearl Harbor gave the United States its greatest reason for its entry to World War II. If this event never occurred, the U. S would not have been as committed to the war as much as we were. There would have been less money spent, less men lost, the British would have had to go to Normandy by themselves and do it alone. The atomic bombs would have never been dropped on Japan, the Japanese would have never gotten a bad name for the bombing and all the ?relocation camps? would not have been set up. There would be many things that would have changed if Pearl harbor was not attacked, but there is nothing that can change the catastrophic events that played out from the bombing of Pearl Harbor and World War II.
Bibliography
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99.93-99. ?World War II Casualties?
United States lost 8 percent of total 4,355,00 people
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99.93-99. ?World War II Casualties?
Total casualties was 350,000 Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99.93-99. ?Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor?
Eight American battleships, thirteen other ships, 200 American aircraft, 3000 men killed
P.148.The American West Transformed, 1985
Executive Order 9066,110,000 Japanese-Americans excluded