Introduction
The attack of the United States naval fleet that had anchored at Pearl Harbor had devastating effects on the United States. The destruction of the United States military infrastructure and loss of lives dented the already wavering diplomatic relationships between the two countries. A total of about 350 American warplanes were completely destroyed, with 3400 American service men losing their lives and 1200 sustaining injuries. This surprise attack crippled the America in terms of its efforts to check the progresses of the expansion of the Japanese empire on the coast of the pacific (United States., & Barkley, 1946).
Japan was a country with a rich, complex, and developed structure. As a country, Japan detested western civilization and technology. The country, therefore, was striving to attain self-sufficiency, but these efforts were more or less futile considering the fact that the country lacked the raw materials. This explains the bitter relationship between Japan and the western world. Japan used force in its quest for resources, occasionally coming into confrontation with the U.S and Europe (United States., & Barkley, 1946). The United States intelligence failed incredibly, allowing the Japanese military to exploit the element of surprise to launch an attack on the Pearl Harbor.
The attack on the Pearl Harbor, the results of the attack, and the United States intelligence failure
An attack on the Pearl Harbor stirred up turbulence in the United States, Japan, and their respective allies. The United States was on the verge of declaring war on the empire of Japan. The rivalry between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific was a contributing factor to the bitter relationships between these countries and their allies. What can be rightly be referred to as gross failure on the side of the United States intelligence is to blame for the successful attack by Japan on the Pearl Harbor. The disagreements between the United States and the empire of Japan had led to United States President Roosevelt imposing economic sanctions on Japan. An array of turbulent encounters between the countries, including embargoes and economic sanctions, characterized the pre-World War II era. The aggression exhibited by Japan left the United States and its allies with few options. The countries were definitely in for a serious war.
A day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States president, declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States later in December 1941, which started the world war. This attack seemed to be a huge success on the side of Japan, with the country increasing its aggression in Asia. In the long term, however, this attack was clearly catastrophic since a military superpower had been rattled, and the United States took vengeance on Japan (Hoyt, & Hoyt, 2008).
The United States intelligence
Several Japan diplomats like Takeo Yoshikawa were some of the questionable figures who worked against the United States undetected. The United States, sadly, was unable to detect all the indications and signs of a spy in this diplomat. The question that intrigues everyone is why the United States intelligence would fail so spectacularly considering the prevailing circumstances (Hoyt, & Hoyt, 2008). There were all indications that Japan and its allies were openly plotting against the United States. Germany, for example, was exerting pressure on Japan to take action with the aim of diverting America’s attention from Europe. This was sufficient to raise eyebrows in the intelligence community, ironing out the surprise advantage enjoyed by Japan in the attack on the Pearl Harbor (Hoyt, & Hoyt, 2008).
The then U.S ambassador to Japan, Joseph Grew, had indicated to Hull, Secretary of State, that there were indications of a possible assault on the Pearl Harbor in case any hostilities broke out. The Japanese spies operated in the United States, either undetected or unchecked. This enabled them to gather the intelligence the Japanese needed to attack the Pearl Harbor. The United States intercepted several encrypted messages from Tokyo, but surprisingly enough; the intelligence did little to detect this attack before it actually happened. Considering the intelligence strength of the United States, it can only be termed as a gross mistake.
A deliberate disregard of valuable intelligence by the U.S and British intelligence led to the destruction of the fleet. These occurrences dragged the United States into the World War II. However, some historians argue that the inconsistency and the apparent incompetence exhibited by the United States intelligence was a normal communication failure. The United States bounced back and was top of its game, launching decisive attacks on Japan in an act of seeking vengeance (Hoyt, & Hoyt, 2008). The U.S has since learnt its lesson. This is evident from its in-time response and a strong intelligence community.
Conclusion
The devastating surprise on the United Sates at the Pearl Harbor has been a center of criticism on the inconsistency of the American intelligence at that time. Having acted with fury by making Japan pay the ultimate price, the United States has since exhibited the most stable and strong intelligence community. The country had learnt its lessons and corrected its mistakes.
References
Hoyt, E. P., & Hoyt, E. P. (2008). Pearl Harbor attack. New York: Sterling Pub.
United States., & Barkley, A. W. (1946). Pearl Harbor attack: Hearings before the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack, Congress of the United States, Seventy-ninth Congress, first [-second] session, pursuant to S. Con. Res. 27. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off
Bay, M., Bruckheimer, J., Wallace, R., Affleck, B., Hartnett, J., Beckinsale, K., Bremner, E., Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Firm). (2001). Pearl Harbor. United States: Touchstone Home Video.
