A Historical Analysis of the Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Japanese decision to attack Pearl Harbor is described by Bruce Russet as an act of irrationality due to the difference in relative power between the two nations. Russet developed a general decision theory model that considers the utility to the decision-makers of each of the possible three courses of action. The first course of action was no attack at all, the second was attack the third party one, and the third course was to attack the third party as well as the major power which poses a threat by protecting the third party. The author concludes that Japan reached its decision by attributing significance to the extensive economic, military, and political ties between the Southwest Pacific Area and the United States even though there was no obvious alliance between the two.

White compares the attacks on Pearl Harbor with the more recent attacks on September 11th to examine how the subsequent emotional meaning of these attacks connects to state power and violence. The term flashbulb memory is defined as a phenomenon that affects the recall for the circumstances in which an individual first learned about a shocking historical event. All of the emotional power associated with Pearl Harbor and September 11th stems from both events being characterized by the sudden, unexpected, and violent deaths of thousands of people. In addition to being recalled, they have also been memorialized through various acts of remembrance in the years to follow. However, the emblematic visual images of intense destruction from these violent events are mostly ambiguous in reference to their moral or emotional meaning. Historical moments such as these create event-centered frames for memory that are subject to representation through dramaturgical and narrative modes. Thus, history and personal narrative are often interdependent in the way they make up each other’s composition.

Emily Rosenberg describes one of the ways that Pearl Harbor is remembered in her review of a website designed by national geographic titled Remembering Pearl Harbor. One of the site’s most central features is an interactive multimedia ‘attack map’ of Oahu, which constructs a framework of the attack by recounting it through photos, footage, and personal narration. In order to view the events more historically, the history section gives factual information about the roles of all the U.S. and Japanese ships as well as which each one targeted and how they were damaged. This section also includes a timetable that shows all significant activities relating to the event from August 1939 to September 1945. Another section, called the memory book, gives a much more personal and emotional relationship of the events that took place. It is comprised of stories that highlight the intense loss, acts of heroism, and acute feelings of fear.

Nathaniel Peffer’s article discusses where to put the blame for the Pearl Harbor attacks and whether it was possible for them to be avoided by examining the function of America in the far east as valid or invalid. Peffer theorizes about what would have happened if President Roosevelt had not refused to meet with Prince Konoye after his request for a personal meeting, the issues at heart could have been settled in a much more peaceful manner and prevented the violent attacks on Pearl Harbor from happening. Since Prince Konoye did not actually have any authority though, he would have not been able to settle things

Nightingale’s article briefly recounts the main events of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the American response following the attack. However, for most of the article, Nightingale provides a personal account from someone aboard the USS Arizona. The narrative tells about the ship’s rapid firing from the battle stations and a terrible explosion that causes the ship to catch fire. The soldier then ends up in the water and is helped to shore by a Major, who refuses to let him go even though he barely has any strength left.

Works Cited

Nightingale, E.C. Pearl Harbor Attack, 1941, http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htm.

Peffer, Nathaniel. Pearl Harbor Post Mortem. Far Eastern Survey, Vol. 15, No. 6, Mar. 27, 1946: 81-83.

Rosenberg, Emily, S. “National Geographic: Remembering Pearl Harbor,” The Journal of American History, Vol. 93, No. 2, Sep., 2006: 626-627.

Russett, Bruce, M. “Pearl Harbor: Deterrence Theory and Decision Theory,” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1967: 89-106.

White, Geoffrey, M. “National Subjects: September 11th and Pearl Harbor,” American Ethnologist, Vol. 31, No. 3, Aug. 2004: 293-310.