Pearl Harbour: Japan's Goals

Rebecca SE Tan

1 July 2022

(Sneak Peak of Article)

The attack on Pearl Harbour is arguably Japan’s ticket to self-destruction. While U.S. officials were disgruntled with Japanese incursions into China and its alliance with Italy and Germany, there was little public support for an intervention. However, met with the loss of 2400 innocent lives, public ambivalence had quickly transformed into rage. Without which, the history we know today – culminating in two atomic bombs – might have been vastly different. Does this mean, then, that Pearl Harbour was simply a reckless, ridiculous decision? While the attack was definitely risky, I implore that it had at least been rational. In this essay, I hope to examine the goals behind Pearl Harbour from the perspective of Japan.

Expanding into Southeast Asia

The Pearl Harbour attack was a means to a greater end – for the U.S. to get off Japan’s back and allow their expansion into Southeast Asia. At the time, the U.S. restricted Japanese advancement in two key ways: economic sanctions and military deterrence. A surprise attack on the U.S. could turn the tides and place Japan in a good position for negotiation.

1. The Quest for War Resources

One of the main objectives of attacking Pearl Harbour is to secure natural resources to fuel Japan’s war efforts. As the U.S. were critical of Japan’s invasion of China, they froze Japanese assets in 1941, essentially cutting off 80% of Japan’s supply of oil. Britain and the Dutch East Indies followed their lead, leading Japan to lose three-quarters of its access to overseas trade. Since Japan’s military was almost entirely dependent on imported oil – with the navy only left with about six months’ worth of oil reserves – Japan was desperate to shock the U.S. in hopes that the attack would trigger negotiations to lift the economic sanctions.

2. Removing the Military Threat

In some sense, the Pearl Harbour was also a pre-emptive strike by the Japanese as they anticipated U.S. intervention in their Southeast Asia expansion. As the Europeans were already preoccupied fighting the Germans and the Italians, Japan’s main threat was the American Pacific Fleet located (relatively) nearby. A successful attack would be able to derail the U.S. for months, protecting Japan’s flank as it rapidly swept through Asia. Indeed, right after Pearl Harbour, Japan successfully invaded Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Wake Island, Midway Island, Guam, and the Philippines. Removing the threat of the U.S. military also aided the first objective, as the East Indies were subsequently used to provide Japan with petroleum. If Japan was able to secure its empire in Southeast Asia, it would have full access to other much-needed war resources, such as rubber, bauxite and tin.

Why the Expansion?

But why did Japan want to expand into Southeast Asia in the first place? Japan foresaw three birds they could kill with the stone of imperialism – they could break free from the West, gain recognition on the international stage, and establish a secure haven for themselves.

1. Freedom from the West

Japan hated the West and their ideologies. To them, western colonialism was a monster spreading its tentacles, contaminating other countries with selfishness and capitalism. By contrast, traditional Japanese values such as family and self-sacrifice had to be fiercely protected. Some Japanese may even view the expansion into Southeast Asia as a ‘defensive move’ to secure the area from western colonisation.

Japan also resented how the West treated Asia and themselves. Despite their advancements, Japan was peeved to receive racial slurs from western nations and felt unfairly treated. One example is the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited Japanese immigration into America. This sense of injustice may stretch back to 1853 when a technologically outmatched Japan begrudgingly signed a skewed treaty dictated by the Americans.

By World War II, Japan believed herself to be Asia’s champion and a civilising power for Asians. By then, they had already annexed Korea, colonised Taiwan and set up a puppet state in Manchuria. They had also been warring with China since 1937. In 1940, Japan announced the ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’, which outlined her vision of a united Asia with a combined economic and military strength to liberate Asia from western colonialism. Indeed, the mantra of ‘Asia for the Asians’ garnered initial support from some Asian colonies before the realities of Japanese occupation set in. Paradoxically, Japan’s own sense of superiority manifested itself in arrogance and racism.

2. Recognition of their Power

Japan was tired of being a second-rate power that others kicked around. During the London Naval Conference of 1930, Japan was forced to limit its naval strength to 60% of the U.S. and Britain. The western powers explained that they needed greater military force because of their colonies, a reasoning that Japan later rejected. By establishing its own empire, Japan hoped to prove to the West that they were indeed a great power and should be treated as such.

With power also comes a greater say in international affairs. Following their past experience, Japan was determined for others to take their opinions seriously. When the Treaty of Versailles was drafted in 1919, Japan’s proposal for equal treatment of all nations, regardless of race, was promptly shut down by the West. The rejection of this suggested clause was a particularly tough blow because European colonialism was centred on a racial hierarchy that belittled ‘yellow races’ like the Japanese. Having fought alongside the Allied powers in World War I, Japan felt betrayed and disappointed. In their view, they had already attempted diplomatic measures but were simply being trampled on. To earn a seat at the ‘adult’ table, they would need to first demonstrate their military prowess.

3. Establishing a Secure Haven

Japan also wanted to build a self-sustaining empire to protect itself and its resources. Due to Japan’s open geography, they felt encircled by the surrounding foreign powers. Around them were China and Russia, as well as colonies by the Americans, the British, the French, and the Dutch. Beyond military threats, Japan was also worried that these ‘hostile’ powers could choose to cut off supplies. As Japan had little natural resources of their own, they sought to establish their own supply via Asia. Ironically, while the British and the U.S. did place an embargo on petroleum, it was brought about by Japan’s military aggression in Asia.

Discussion

Indeed, there were many goals behind the famed Pearl Harbour attack. Since history is often shaped by its winners, I would caution against simply dismissing the intelligence or motives of the Japanese. On the other hand, however, the goals outlined in this essay may also be in part propaganda by the Japanese to explain away their aggression. Ultimately, this essay does not seek to imply that the attack was ethical or even unavoidable but only that it was well-motived.

What do you think about Japan’s intentions? What other factors may have pushed the translation of these goals into war? Is this narrative different from what you had in mind? Let me know in the comments below!