On the morning of December 7, 1941 the Japanese Imperial Navy made its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. The attack targeted the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its Army Air Corps and Marine air forces. The Japanese won a decisive victory on that day, damaging and destroying twelve U.S warships and 188 aircrafts and killing 2,471 Americans (Attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941). Within several hours, the Japanese began attacks on a U.S. base in the Philippines as well as other territories in Southeast Asia, launching its Pacific Campaign of World War II.

The attack on Pearl Harbor immediately inflamed and outraged the United States. They “galvanized a divided nation into action” (Attack on Pearl Harbor), prompting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare December 7 the "Day of Infamy." On December 8, 1941, the President declared war on Japan, entering the U.S. into World War II. Furthermore, the events of Pearl Harbor triggered a rage among Americans "bordering on the genocidal" (Powers). Public opinion polls consistently showed that 10 to 13 percent of Americans wanted the "extermination" or "annihilation" of the Japanese people (Powers).

SOURCES:

"Attack at Pearl Harbor." Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941. 1997. EyeWitness to History. 07 Jul. 2005. <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htm>

"Attack on Pearl Harbor." Attack on Pearl Harbor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 07 July 2005. Wikipedia. 07 Jul. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor>.

Powers, David. “Bushido.” Japan : No Surrender in World War Two. 01 June 2001. BBC. 26 July. 2005. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/japan_no_surrender_04.shtml>