The Motivations Behind the Pearl Harbor Attack: A Focus on Energy Security

Abstract

Japan attacked to Pearl Harbour had been happened in December 1941. There some conclusion had been founded. Regarding to Japan, there are five reasons: economic reason, financial reason, expanding living space, securing from political domestic unrest, and to win the war speedily. However, the war is a pragmatical choice of Japan and heavily motivated by energy security agenda. Therefore, even they saw to probability to win the war was low, they still committed to have the war. For the US, the reasons to wage war to Japan was more than the anger of Pearl Harbour being devastated, it was a political justification to keep the global domination, especially toward Japan’s steady of growth and expansion. The reason of war is still relevan today as there is some similarity of great powers competitions. Therefore, it needs to be taken as the important lesson learned, in order to make war as history only to the human civilization and maintaining world peace and security.