Pearl Harbor: Inevitable or Preventable?
When discussing the Pacific theater of operations in World War II, it is imperative, at least from our perspective, to start at the beginning of America’s involvement in the conflict…that of course being Pearl Harbor. And while we will not go through every step of the action that day, we do want to talk about some of the things that happened, could have happened, or could have been prevented.
The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War · William Toti, Seth Paridon
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Show Notes
-Historians often cite Japanese expansionism, imperialism, what have you, for their desire to attack Pearl Harbor. Others say it the United States’ embargos that led to the attack. Which was it? And could there have been another alternative to Kido Butai flinging airplanes at the sleeping American Pacific fleet?
-There were many warnings about the impending attack before the first aircraft dropped their ordnance. What were some of those warnings? What, if any, actions could of/should have been taken?
-After the attack, the US government needed scapegoats. They had to pin the blame on their overall intelligence failure on anybody but themselves, and so they harpooned both Army General Walter Short, and Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel. Who were these guys, what were their respective roles and were they actually to blame for the entire attack? Were they to blame for anything? What should they have done prior to the attack? Were they aware of any real threat?
-The actual attack on Pearl Harbor was a military feat in its own right. Who was the planner? Why was attacking PH such a risk militarily?
-Let’s talk about the opposing forces…Japanese planning, skill and execution versus American response…
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