Why did U.S. pre-emptive strike vs. Germany when Japan bombed Peal harbor?
414360
1. Germany was closely allied with Japan. They coordinated all sorts of things.\n\n2. Immediately after we declared war on Japan, Germany declared war on us.\n\n3. America had to be dragged kicking and screaming into World War II. We attacked Japan because they attacked us. We attacked Germany because they declared war on us. We did not pre-emptively strike anyone, and we did not fight against Stalin because he did not attack us or declare war against us.\n\n4. By "anti-Iraq wackos" I assume you mean Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and the rest, since they manufactured a false reason to go to war with Iraq, and abused the American military as a political tool to slaughter thousands upon thousands of Iraqis.
220027
Japan Invaded Shanghai, which was formerly held by the int'l concession (USA and UK) and the french concession. Japan used Chinese citizens as tests for biochemical activities, and at one time planned to bild a zepplin with gas to poison target californian cities. Oh, and Japan had a mutual war pact with the nazis. Other than pearl harbor and the previous reasons stated..., I see no reason to be alarmed.
312055
The second wworld war would have ended without the use of atomic bomb. but the war offered an opportunity for the U.S to test the bomb which it has produced. The use of that bomb made the Japanese to surrender unilaterally
1094265
To be honest with you the very first code break for the USA was the attack on Midway Island. We just got done with the battle of the Leyte gulf and got our carriers to do battle with the Japs. The US sent a fake siginal that the water distillation unit on Midway Island did not work.They intercepted a code that was headed for the mainland of Japan stating this. The Japanese lost 4 carriers in the battle and was a huge turning point in the war. June 5,1942
322948
In theory I agree but in fact the Marines fight where the Navy is ordered to deploy. The bulk of our Navy was based in the Pacific. After Pearl Harbor the Navy and Marine commanders knew and decided that Japan would have to maintain air superiority and keep their fleets supplied. In addition the island hopping campaign to the Japan home islands. The bulk of  marine divisions ship stationed, the amphibious attacks could not occurred and the war might been lost.
170900
Most historians do not believe that Hitler knew of the attack on Pearl Harbor itself. He was certainly aware however, that it was the intent of the Japanese to go to war with the US once the oil embargo and the closing of the Panama Canal had been announced. The Japanese had an embassy in Berlin but were not regarded highly by Hitler. He saw them more as a useful foil to keep the US and the USSR occupied.
541269
Because the point of the Kamikaze was to sacrifize yourself and die only if the bullets ran out, to kill the american ships or airplanes in the process.\nThere's no fun in dying for no reason. They were only willing to die fighting the Americans, and not by crashing onto the ground or bumping their head against the cockpit glass.\nThat would not have been heroic, but stupid.
297273
The bombing of Dresden was a war crime, not because there were civilians or because it had little military value. It was a war crime because the German government had declared it an "open city." This, under the rule of war determined in the Hague in I believe 1912 means that Germany would take no actions to defend the city or to use it for supplying the war effort (would not fly fighter planes over it, would not set up anti-aircraft guns, would not build supplies, would not route arms trains through its rail yards, would not station active troops there, etc), and in return the Allies would agree not to attack it. In fact, the British commander who had organized the attack was fired and under investigation within 24 hours after the attack.\n\nIt has been contended that the purpose of the attack was to break the last spirit of resistance of the German military or to cause an uprising against the German government to stop the war, much like the modern idea of "shock and awe."\n\nHiroshima and Nagasaki were not open cities, and as such the attack on them was not a war crime. Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been intentionally spared earlier bombing not because they had little importance (they both were used for production of war materials, etc), but because in 1942 when the decision was made to build the atomic bombs and deploy them against Japan it was decided they needed to be used against a target in pristine condition. If dropped on Tokyo, which was already a smoking ruin, no one would have known anything had happened.
736178
It was oil and other resources such as rubber and scrap steel.  Oil was the reason Japan coveted S E Asia.  \n\nThere was another reason:  an underestimation of the foe they were taking on.  They underestimated the industrial might of the USA . Yamamoto, the Japanese admiral who planned and led the attack on Pearl Harbor stated exactly what was to happen: initial successes until Japan would be overcome by the strength of the industrial response.  Also, call it nationalism or perhaps racism, Japan didn't think they would lose to the USA.  They thought they were tougher and better warriors.  And they were a tenacious, brave adversary.  But they woefully misunderstood the spirit of the Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought under the Stars and Stripes.
1641
That is an almost impossible question to answer.\n\nYou are not asking about the attack, but during the entire war.  And both cities were under attack from 1943 on.\n\nHiroshima was a major source of industry, making both aircraft and other munitions for the Japanese War industry.  Nagasaki was one of the major ports of Japan, and had one of the largest Naval Bases in the city.  So both had been subjected to bombardment for over a year before the war ended.\n\nA better question might be "How many would have died if they were not bombed?"
253071
the ethical issues of the atomic bomb aside, the japanese military was quite prepared to fight to the last man, woman, and child in a US-led invasion of japan.  the loss of life on both sides would have been horrific and much greater than that caused by the atomic bombs.  the sheer magnitude of their destruction was basically a huge wake-up slap to the japanese military and forced them to admit that they could not win the war.
690767
Nope; the planners of the attack were firmly convinced that it would strike a crippling blow against their eventual rival in the Pacific, forcing the U.S. to make more favorable arrangements to split spheres of influence in the Pacific Rim.\n\nThe Japanese Empire was shamelessly and eagerly imperialist; they wanted everything in Asia subservient to them.  They saw the U.S.A. as the only serious obstacle to that hegemony, since the English, French, and Dutch were tied up in World War.
831455
Mark was referring to the attack on Pearl Harbour. That is a good point, maybe they are a bit paranoid about having a large military presence as it attracted the Japenese in'41'. Or it could be the attitude of people from the lower 48 if "AFwife"s atitude is an example .
377306
It was faught on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.  A Japanese submarine was engaged and sunk by the Navy.  There were run-ins with both German and Japanese subs off of coast in the Atlantic and Pacific, but no battles on land
341763
Japan entered WWII when they bombed Pearl Harbor. They wanted to spread the borders of their country, but got a war with the U.S. instead. They never made an allience with Gremany or Italy. When the U.S. used the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and a large valley, Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Japan unconditionally surrendered their military forces.
1144248
We entered WWII after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, not because Hitler declared war on America, it was common knowledge that Hitler wanted to take over the world. It wasn't 20 million people it was 11-12 million. if you really want to place the blame anywhere but the Nazis and Fascists then you should blame France and Britain and the other Allies that attend the Munich Conference. It was here that the policy of appeasement was applied towards Hitler. Appeasement if you don't know is the act of giving in to enemies in order to avoid war. Britain and France allowed hitler to take over the Rhineland and it was only after hitler's invasion of Poland that the rest of Europe declared war. Also the blame lies with the individals that lived in areas surrounding the concentration camps that swore after the war that they had no idea what was going on in their backyards (as if the smell of rotting and burning flesh isn't and obvious give away!!) and FDR's New Deal Programs helped to pull us out of the Great Depression as opposed to Hoover who didn't try to help the unemployed and starving people that were being thrown from their homes!
431391
The Germans made a deal with the Japanese that if they attacked America then they (the Germans) would help the Japanese fight against the U.S. This did not happen.The Germans wanted the Japanese to keep the U.S. busy while the Germans did there thing. America had a deal with Great Britain that the U.S. would send equipment and supplies to help in the war. It was called "lend and lease". This would help the war effort and keep the Americans from the fighting. This was working to some point until the raid on Pearl harbor. There is speculation that the Brits knew of the attack on pearl but didn't say anything because they wanted the U.S. to join the war. There were a few stipulations G.B. had to agree to for the U.S. to officially join in the war effort. The most important was that G.B.(great Britain) would have to remove it's self from ALL of it's colonies. such as India and others.