What Happened After Pearl Harbor Attack?

Some major historical things happened after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Island.

So, what are they?

We have discussed them below in five main points.

Let’s discuss them, step-by-step.

1. Pearl Harbor Attack United American Citizens

Before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Island, United States citizens were diversified into various groups with various opinions.

They had different viewpoints on the war.

In public opinion polls, some percentages of people were in support of America entering World War II and helping allied nations like Great Britain and France.

They mainly wanted the US government to do it for protecting Democracy from dictatorship.

But at the same time, some percentage of people didn’t want America to enter into the World War and interfere with Europe and Asia’s internal political matters.

This group of people simply wanted their country to keep neutrality and take advantage of the situation for their economic development.

Especially, most of them didn’t want the US to fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Because these nations were the big markets for their goods. 

But when the attack on Pearl Harbor took place, American citizens got dramatically unified.

It polarized and dragged their mindset to one side.

Now most of them wanted their country to declare war on Japan and enter World War 2.

This was the first and immediate consequence that came after the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor.

2. US Declare War On Japan And Formally Entered WW2

On the 7th of December, 1941 the Empire of Japan started an airstrike on Pearl Harbor’s US navy fleet.

But the most interesting thing is, an hour ago, the US and Japanese diplomats were in a diplomatic talk about solving conflicts in the Pacific region.

Mainly they were in a diplomatic negotiation to withdraw US sanctions from Japan.

But everyone got shocked when the unthinkable incident happened on the 7th of December 1941.

After two continuous hours of bombing, more than 2400 American people died, and 21 navy ships got highly damaged.

After the betrayal incident, the US ended up all diplomatic negotiations with the Japanese Empire.

The next day, on 8th December 1941, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on Japan and formally entered World War 2.

The speech that the President gave while declaring war is still famous as the ‘Infamy Speech’.

3. Nuclear Attack On Hiroshima And Nagasaki

In the final year of World War II, the United States of America dropped two atomic bombs, named ‘Littleboy’ and ‘Fatman’ on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Some political analysts want to say, the nuclear attack by the USA was an act of revenge for Pearl Harbor’s tragedy.

They rationalize, the way the Japanese suddenly attacked the US navy fleet and killed thousands of people, similarly the US also suddenly attacked them.

However, not all people want to agree with this argument.

Because Americans didn’t develop the bomb only targeting Japan. The United States and its allies’ main goal was to develop it before the Nazis.

Earlier they thought to use it against Germany.

Although, it was no longer possible as the Germans surrendered on May 7th, 1945, to the Soviet Union.

The United States succeeded in developing the bomb after almost three months. 

Out of all the Axis countries, only Japan remained left which had not surrendered yet.

On the other hand, after defeating Germany, the Soviets also invaded Japan; the United States and its Western allies didn’t want Japan to surrender in front of the Communist nation.

So, to bring Japan to its knees and surrender to the US, they attacked with nuclear bombs on August 6th (Hiroshima) and August 9th (Nagasaki), one by one.

The nuclear attack made the Japanese oblige to surrender to the USA; it ended WW2.

4. Italy And Germany Declared War On The United States

On 27th September 1940, a military agreement was signed between Japan, Germany, and Italy.

This military agreement gave birth to the Central power for the 2nd World War.

The treaty is known as the Tripartite Pact or Berlin Pact. 

As per the treaty, if a country declares war against any one of those three, then the other two nations would have to come further to help the first one.

In a simple sentence, the pact was signed to fight together and expand together.

In response to the Pearl Harbor attack, on 8th December 1941, the US declared war on the Japanese Empire.

Therefore, in the same year on 11th December 1941, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy also had to declare war on the United States.

Even though, the US had no deep conflict against the Axis power of Europe; but they had to involve there too.

So, this was also a significant phenomenon that happened after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

5. Raised A Hope To Defeat Nazi Germany

Before the United States entering into World War 2, only Great Britain remained left, which was fighting against the Axis forces.

Hitler’s Nazi army already occupied France; China and the Soviet Union’s conditions also started being very bad.

The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill tried multiple times to ask for help from the USA; but each time, they rebuffed saying that it was Europe’s internal matter.

On the 7th of December 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and when the British Prime Minister got the news, he expressed his feelings something like this:

“So, we had won after all! …We had won the war. England would live; Britain would live; the Commonwealth of Nations and the Empire would live.”

America’s entry made the allied forces more powerful and it raised hope once again for the end of Nazi Germany.