To most of the Revisionist historian on Pearl Harbor issue, they all blamed on the rigid and the inflexibility of American policy toward Japan, which at the end terminated the Hull-Nomura talk.(Topic sentence 2) The American, especially Roosevelt, had a wrong perception that given a longer period of time, Japanese would hell because of no resource. He also became so self-confident, as the Japanese leaders’ thought on the American naval strength, so he followed a vigorous policy toward Japan. Roosevelt force Japan to withdraw from Manchuria before talking. To Feis, his policy was for the righteous and to defense against the territorial integrity of China . However, had the American policy been for righteous, she would not have let China be at the blink of partitioned in 1895 or she would not have done nothing to stop Japanese expansion in China which marked the upset of balance of power in far east in 1931. To some economic historian, his policy was to prevent Japan from monopolizing Manchurian area. Yet, it also lacked evidence to support with. But ironically, the American export to Manchuria was somehow increased from the period 1936-1938. Even Trade Council of the America favored Manchuria under Japanese hegemony. Thus, his tight foreign policy was directly targeted at Japan only, not to produce something which was beneficial in Far East, which stifled any opportunity for both side to comprise during the period 1937 to 1940. For example, Sayre Commission and the talks proposed by Grew, a Japanese leader. Yet, the most fatal one was Hull-Nomura talk which was the last talk before Pearl Harbor attack.
Apart from his wrong perception on the Japanese that caused his vigorous policy, the changing international environment (Topic sentence 3), especially after 1940 was another crucial factor. For one thing, after the fall of France in 1940, Japan formally allied with Germany in anti-comintern Pact. Thus, Japanese expansion would become a global issue which demanded more attention. For another thing, Japanese conquest of Indo-China as well as the Southern China which began in 1938 affected the whole balance of power in Far East, but more importantly, it was undoubtedly a threat to the Philippines, an American colony, which was also an American interest. Thus, the changing environment was another reason that led to his vigorous policy on Japan.
As for the consequence, besides stifling the final talk, his vigorous policy also helped to conjure up a very poor imagine of America as compared to other nations in many Japanese eye.(Topic sentence 4, related to topic sentence 2)Even Britain and France would like to please Japan, because of their home-front’s German threat. In 1934, Britain proposed a non-aggression pact with Japan. Later, she even accepted the Wang government in Nanjing in 1937. There was limit oil exportation to Japan in 1941. Only was the Roosevelt policy was not suiting the taste of Japan, that why American image grew to be so poor in Japan. Worse still, Dover argued that the ancient sentiment of outsiders was ingrained and exposed in this case. Outsiders (American) were considered as evil, ghost, barbarian, or monster in Japanese eyes. Of this concept of “Self” and “other” in deep mind, they became more and more subjective and could not act rationally, thus, under such a circumstance, every act done by military men were regard as saving the mother country, and to destroy their enemy. Hence, his policy had very decisive consequences of affecting Japanese eyes towards America.
Apart from Roosevelt’s rigid and inflexible policy towards Japan led to a serious hatred of Japanese towards America, the racial discrimination further worsen the situation.(Topic sentence 5) Racial discrimination has been existed for a prolonged period of time, which regarded the Yellow-face nations as inferior to the white-face nations. In Washington Conference 1921-1922, Japan was only permitted to build battle ships within the ratio of 3 to 5 of America and Britain. Japan protested against such an arrangement as a racial discrimination to them although there was a relative strength on Japan, since British and American Fleets were spreading over different globe of the world which made Japan Fleet the largest in Far East. In London Naval Conference, 1930, such agreement was once again ratified; Japanese people again regarded it as national humiliation. Dover argued that American hated Japan more that Hitler’s Nazi Germany. What American newspaper or magazine, for example Times and reader digest, wrote in that way “The Japs and Nazi……” but not “The Japanese and Germany”. All these implied that to American, German was good, but Nazi was devious and the same as Japs (Japanese) or Nips (Nippon, the Japanese of Japan). At home front, Japanese were treated as subhuman; they were forced to move inside America. Their assets were taken way. In 1934, there was an Emigration Act that biased against the Japanese which later followed by Canada, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico. Thus, under such a circumstance, every act done by military men were regard as saving the mother country, and to eradicate their big evil. Hence, not only was his tight policy put an end to many talks, but also of the racial discrimination that paved the way for the coming of the sudden attack.
Some even extreme historian, like Charles Tansill, favored a conspiracy theory on such issue. (Topic sentence 6)They assumed that Roosevelt was eager to combat Japan, but without the full support of the American government, he directly prompted Japan to attack Pearl Harbor, given that he knew so well that the Japanese would attack the Harbor, to have a “back door” to war. In fact, there were some symptoms that Roosevelt was not so prepared to defense. In 1938 spring, the American congress had came up with a survey suggested that America should increase to 25 bases at the expense of 94 million US dollars with an increase of 9900 navy men, but he only planned to increase 12 bases at the expense of 65 million US dollars with an increase of 6000 navy men. The description written by John Keegan told us with the full picture. On the day on attack, 7 December 1941, even the radar had detected the approach of a large concentration of aircrafts, but the officer had ordered the navy men not to worry. We did not know whether this was an order of Roosevelt or not nor we did not know whether it was true or not because there was no enough supportive evidence.
To sum up, American policy or even more correctly the policy of Roosevelt created an environment that to Japan; sudden attack was the only one means to solve the current difficulties. On the other hand, we should also blame Japan on her ambition as well as her over-confidence on her force.
Central idea: To a large extent, Blames should be put on America
State the faults of Japan first, then to argue the blames of America
Reason 1: Stopped the talk between America and Japan→because of the wrong perception on Japan, and the changing environment
Reason 2: poor image to Japan
Reason 3: conspiracy theory→we did not know if it is true→no comment
Conclusion
Frederick W. Marks, “Pearl Harbor Revisited”. New York, 1995. Prelude to Pearl Harbor: The Diplomatic Dress Rehearsal.
Herbert Feis, “The road to Pearl Harbor: the coming of the war between the United States and Japan”. New York, 1962.
John W. Dover, “War without Mercy race and power in the Pacific War”. Toronto, 1986. The Demonic Other.
John W. Dover, “War without Mercy race and power in the Pacific War”. Toronto, 1986. Pattern of a race war.
Charles Tansill, “Black door to war: Roosevelt foreign policy, 1933 to 1941”. Chicago, 1952.
John Keegan, “The Second War” USA, 1989. The War in the Pacific 1941-1943
