World War 2
Pearl Harbor
After the imposition of the American oil embargo, Admiral Osami Nagano, Chief of the Japanese General Staff, observed that Japan was like 'a fish in a pond which the water is gradually being drained away'. Alternative sources of materials were relatively near at hand, in Borneo, Java and Sumatra, Malaya and Burma. The only way to obtain them would be to undertake the rapid military conquest of a vast area of the Far East.
In November 1941 talks began in Washington between the US and Japanese high command; with the aim of averting hostilities. Meanwhile the Japanese prepared a major surprise carrier strike against the US Pacific Fleet's base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
On the 26th of November the Japanese fleet left the harbor. Maintaining radio silence, and under cover of clouds, it sailed to its attack positions of 200 miles from Pearl Harbor. The Americans were aware of Japanese intentions; they had been decoding messages for months. But they were ignorant of Japan's precise plans.
At 7:55am on the 7th of December the Japanese struck, achieving complete surprise. Aircraft from six carriers sank or disabled six of the battleships anchored at Pearl Harbor and destroyed over 300 aircraft on the ground. One vital factor cheated them of annihilating victory; the Pacific Fleet's two carriers were on a training operation at the time, thus escaping the attack. When the second wave of Japanese warplanes arrived, crucially, they failed to attack Pearl Harbor's dock repair and oil storage facilities; the destruction of which, would have immobilized the US Pacific Fleet.
Shortly before 1pm on the 8th of December, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war against Japan. Britain also declared war on Japan the very same day. Three days later Germany and Italy - honouring treaty obligations with Japan - declared war on the United States. The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill recognized this as the turning point in the war. With the vast military potential of United States engaged against Japan and Germany, Churchill was convinced that now, the war would be won.