Was it a surprise attack?
On the morning of December 7, 1942, America woke up to the news of a ‘surprise' attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. This would trigger America's involvement in the World War II by joining forces with the British to defeat the Germans and the Japanese. The Germans were a great threat to the U.S.A at the moment, and its victory over the British would further threaten the United States' national security. The U.S.A feared that the Germans would join forces with the Southern Americans and incite them against the U.S.A. To resist this, North America had to go to war and take sides against Germany and her allies like Japan and Italy.
The Japanese attack on American soil seemed like a surprise to many, and the Americans who had earlier on tried to evade the World War II saw the need for involvement in this war. What remained unknown to the public was the facts behind the attack. After this attack and after the world war, many theories sprung up regarding the war. One of these theories is the conspiracy theories and advance knowledge theories (Smith, 218). The latter claims that key political figures in the U.S government were well aware of the Pearl Harbor attack before it took place. Many articles are in support of this theory. One of the most popular books ever written about the Pearl Harbor attack and the role of key government officials in the attack is the book ‘Day of Deceit:
The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor' by Robert Stinnett. The unraveling facts in this book take us through the secrets of the government which oversaw the war, and the tactics used by the government, led by Franklin Roosevelt to stir up the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. This book has faced a lot of acclamations as well as criticisms. What cannot be denied is the manner in which Stinnett presents his facts to convince the readers of this book and in so doing influence the reader side with his narration of the attack.
Did Roosevelt and other American leaders know the attack was coming and deliberately lie to the American people that it was a surprise?
According to the narration of Robert Stinnett in his book Day of Deceit; the truth about FDR AND Pearl Harbor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was well aware of the attack before it took place, and was one of the masterminds behind provoking Japan to attack. North America's involvement in the World War II was as a result of the Japanese being provoked to attack the United States first. The planning was so strategic that at first it seemed like the Japanese had pulled a surprise attack without any provocations. Robert Stinnett, a distinguished veteran of the World War II narrates the involvement of top government officials beginning with the key mastermind, Lt. Cmdr. Arthur McCollum, a naval intelligence officer who developed eight key steps to provoke the Japanese to issue an attack. McCollum was conversant with the Japanese language, having been born to Japanese based missionary parents. Every information from the Japanese passed through him and after the translation was offered to the Whitehouse. McCollum acted as the chief strategist towards this attack. Some of the eight-point plan he developed to provoke the Japanese include;
Insisting for the Dutch to refuse to oblige to the oil and trade demands of the Japanese. Failure to acquire oil would lead to a breakdown of many Japanese systems, which needed oil to run.
Cruising in the Pacific Oceans from a distance where they could be seen from the Hawaiian Islands from where the Japanese spies were located
Creating a barrier for all sorts of trade between Japan and other countries to sabotage Japan's economy
Maintaining the U.S. Pacific fleet
When this plan reached Roosevelt, the latter put it into effect immediately. Throughout 1941, Roosevelt main foreign policy objective was to provoke Japan to make an attack so that the U.S could join the war. Roosevelt knew that a mere suggestion of war would be met with a lot of opposition from the American people since they had suffered immensely from the effects of the World War II. This strategic planning for the Japanese attack to appear as a surprise attack would serve to awaken the country to the realization of the need to join the war and protect their country.
Stinnett emphasizes the role played by Roosevelt in the making of a war citing the manner in which only a few classified individuals had access to the information regarding the impending attack. These few were promoted to powerful ranks within the military Navy to ensure that the eight-point plan would go as scheduled. Tadashi Morumora, a Japanese spy, based in Hawaii gave the government clues concerning the attack prior to it happening. This was made possible through the interception of dispatches by the American naval intelligence. The intelligence had managed to crack down the Japanese secret codes and was also aware of the communication between Morumora and the Japanese in Tokyo. Contained in these dispatches was the spy giving the location of the American naval vessels. Roosevelt and McCollum, however, ensured that Adm. Husband Kimmel, the then promoted navy commander for Pearl Harbor was blindsided and kept from having access to the information. Kimmel's counterpart Lt Walter Short was also kept from the then classified information. Availing this information to these people would sabotage the attack since they would have fought to prevent it from happening since that was their job. Orders from the Whitehouse even forbade the regular patrol at Pearl Harbor, and Adm. Kimmel had no option but to oblige with these demands. In fact, during the day of the attack, the main fleets of the American navy were absent from the Pearl Harbor, and only old fleets which had been used in the WWI were affected by the attack (Allison, 328). Later on, the Admiral and his counterpart would be blamed for failing to predict the attack, and would then be relieved of their duties. These two served as a scapegoat to save face for the government and distance the government's involvement in the occurrence of the attack.
In putting Roosevelt at the center of America's involvement in World War II, Stinnett cites the occasion in which President Roosevelt divided the army in 1941. This division was followed by an order of immediate construction of fleets. A maximum of 100 aircraft carriers was aimed at. According to Stinnett, this signified a readiness for the impending war such that the destruction that would be caused by the Japanese attack would not affect the main war aims of the Americans, nor the resources they needed for the war.
Did they need to convince the public that it was a surprise because only in such occasions do the Congress agree to declare a war and insert us into World War II?
President Roosevelt used a national shock therapy to indirectly convince the American citizens and the Congress that war was the only option for the U.S.A. The president and the top military officials responsible for the attack acted as surprised and shocked as everyone else. The president, immediately after the attack described the attack as a ‘deliberate and sudden attack by Japan on the U.S soil'. The Americans believed him fully and saw war as the only option to fight back the Japanese, who had allegedly staged an act of war. The information of the eight steps towards provoking Japan to attack was by then only known to a few classifieds, and some information still remains unknown to the public to date having been discarded or destroyed to conceal evidence.
The Congress was equally convinced of the urgency of war at the time. The members of the Congress remained in the dark regarding the actions of President Roosevelt towards the Japanese (Gillon, 39). In the perception of the American Citizens and the Congress, the Japanese acted out of the will and were the ones who had provoked the Americans to war. Young men registered for war in large numbers, ready to defend their country against such disrespect from the Japanese. Such an act of war only warranted another act of war to retaliate, and joining the World War II and taking up forces against the Japanese was the only option the Americans had.
Citing the attack as a surprise attack, and acting unaware of the whole scenario was enough for the U.S citizens to be convinced that it was a surprise attack (Victor, 149). Only later into the world war and after the world war did people question the occurrences that led to the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's involvement in the World War II. Writers like Stinnett shaded more light into the facts behind World War II, and the involvement of key officials within the American government at the time of the war.
Are you persuaded by the arguments by Robert Stinnett?
Robert Stinnett is, without a doubt, a credible source of information regarding the World War. To begin with, the later was a distinguished veteran of the U.S. Navy. He is, therefore, a first-hand informant, and the information he relays can be trusted based on his past career in the Navy. Moreover, Stinnett spends more than 16 years of research seeking the relevant information concerning his standpoint before he proceeds to pen down this book. By the time Stinnett is writing this book he is sure of his findings, and has proven them over and again.
Stinnett puts together carefully, this thoroughly researched book stating facts and backing them with proofs. It is without a doubt that Stinnett has done his homework quite well, and his ideas in this book are not but fallacious heresies. Stinnett gathers amongst his evidence that in secret white house meetings prior to the War, Roosevelt termed the provocations as ‘pop-ups' citing that an increase in these pop-ups would aggravate them towards achieving a war with the Japanese (Prange,217). He further stated that it did not matter if the Americans lost a few people provided the loss was not outrageous and beyond control.
Stinnett uses the logical appeal to influence a reader of his writings. In using the logic appeal, Stinnett appeals to logical reasoning, giving pieces of evidence before arriving at a conclusion. For example, Stinnett states that the records gathered from the Whitehouse reveal Roosevelt openly disregarding laws which govern international relations and proceeding to dispatch a naval group into Japanese-owned waters. The provocations were eight in number, and the Japanese finally responded after the eighth provocation. Stinnett unravels his story gradually convincing the reader to connect the dots before the war, and agree with his point of view regarding the war. The carefully woven narration appeals to logical thinking where a reader is able to reason and understand the events that lead to a particular occurrence.
With intent to persuade his audience, Stinnett uses an ethical appeal, referred to as ethos to relate to the society's views of what is considered right and wrong. Stinnett does not out rightly take a stand against the war. Rather, he positions himself as a narrator of the events that took place before and after the war. He positions himself as a non-partisan. His agenda lies solely in exposing the truth concerning America's involvement in the World War II. On ethics, Stinnett relates the unethical practices that were conducted by President Roosevelt and the key officials in the military.(Stinnett,142) One of these unethical practices was in the failure to communicate valuable information to Admiral Kimmel, who was the then head of the East post-Navy where Pearl Harbor was located. This was a breach in command. Ideally, Kimmel should have been informed of the communication dispatches, which had been cracked into by the Navy intelligence. Placing him at a distance during this process only acts to clarify Stinnett's claims of the President being 100% involved in the planning of the Japanese attack.
As if this was not enough, The president goes ahead to relieve Admiral Kimmell of his duties despite knowing that he had played the key role in pushing America into war. Here, the president clearly violated the powers given to him by the American people. Instead of owning up to his role in the start-up of World War II, he shifts blame to people who were innocent, claiming that they would have prevented the attack had they been keener with the Japanese. Roosevelt here is clearly looking for a scapegoat for his actions. Punishing Kimmell placed him at a safer distance from having any links with the war.
In another incidence, Roosevelt breaches the international laws by releasing North America's naval vessels into Japanese waters. According to the laws that governed countries during that time, and even today, permission is required for any country to invade or pass through another country (Smith, 140). Sending fleets into Japanese waters did not only act to provoke the Japanese but also violated the laws that govern relations between countries. Key information regarding World War II has mysteriously disappeared. This information contained possibly incrimination information concerning the government and the military officials. It is arguable that the government, led by Roosevelt had a role to play in the disappearing of these pieces of evidence.
Amongst the missing pieces are crucial communication evidence of the Japanese army commander, which revealed information concerning the attack before it took place. Being in possession of these pieces of evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt that the U.S Whitehouse knew everything about the war, and rather than stopping it, only fueled it more (Wohlstetter,71). The finding of this information would have shade some light into the war, and incriminated these key figures. This explains why these files had to go missing, and why their disappearance is very suspicious.
Stinnett throughout his book does not take a stand against Roosevelt. He instead declares that the president was clearly in a dilemma, and what was done had to be done. He praises Roosevelt for his strong administrative skills, which have been felt to date. Roosevelt remains to be one of the most admired Presidents in American history. His strategic administration saw to it that the Americans won the war, and the peace that the world had hoped for was restored. The end results of the war justify the means through which the war was started and the manner in which it was won. The absence of the U.S troops from the war would have seen Germany win the war and led to an increase violation of human rights. The war would have extended for an even longer period. The United States did not only fight for their national security but also for the rights of the Jewish people. Therefore, Roosevelt's actions can be justified by the results of the war (Neustadt,92). Many lives were lost in the war, but in the end, peace was restored, and injustices committed by the Germans were brought to an ultimate stop.
Wrapping it up, Robert Stinnett takes up the role of addressing the questions that the American citizens had in their minds. As an independent individual, Stinnett organizes a deeply moving non-fictions narration of the World War II occurrences. As a veteran, Stinnett is positioned to give first-hand incidences on the occurrences of that fateful day. Stinnett embraces relevance, eloquence, and credibility throughout his smooth narration of the 1941 incidences, which spiraled America towards war. What sets apart Stinnett from other writers is the credibility of his sources and the point he takes throughout the book. He takes 17 years gathering evidence to ensure that he presents the facts through carrying out extensive research and information availed to him by the two government bodies involved. Stinnett does not write this book with an intention to judge, condemn or take sides, but rather to give a narrator's viewpoint of the World War II triggers, and the role of the United States government. His objectivity allows him to influence a reader without putting in much force. In my opinion, Stinnett's narrations are indisputable and based on real facts.
Works Cited
Allison Graham and Zelikow Philip. The Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. Southampton: Johnson and sons, 2008. Print.
Gillon Steven. Pearl Harbor: FDR Leads the Nation Into War Paperback. New York: Oxford Publishers, 2012.Print.
Neustadt Richard, and May Ernest. Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision-Makers. U.K: Emerald, 2001. Print.
Prange Gordon W. At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor 60th Anniversary Edition. Albany: State University New York Press, 2012. Print.
Smith Steven et al. Foreign Policy: Theories, Actors, Cases 2nd Edition. Washington D.C. Springer, 2008.Print.
Stinnett, Robert B. Day Of Deceit: The truth behind FDR and Pearl Harbor. n.d. Print.
Victor, George. The Pearl Harbor Myth. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2007. Print.
Wohlstetter Roberta. Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision 1st Edition. United Kingdom: Oxford State Printers, 1998. Print.
