- Japan underestimated U.S.'s economic and industrial might.
- Japan believed the United States would not be able to recover quickly from the attack and would be unable to sustain a long war.
- They failed to take into account the fact that the U.S. was still a powerhouse despite the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- The U.S. was able to quickly rebuild its fleet and mobilize its economy to support the war effort.
Overestimating the effectiveness of the attack on Pearl Harbor
- Japan believed the attack on Pearl Harbor would be decisive and that it would cripple the U.S. Navy.
- The attack did do significant damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet but it did not completely destroy it.
- The United States was able to recover from the attack and rebuild its fleet with the help of its industrial might.
Misjudging the U.S. resolve
- Japan did not believe the United States would be willing to go to war over the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Japan was wrong; The U.S. declared war on Japan the day after the attack.
Failure to understand U.S. war aims
- Japan did not understand that the United States was determined to achieve unconditional surrender from Japan.
- This meant that the United States would not accept anything less than Japan's complete defeat.
- Japan was unwilling to accept unconditional surrender and this led to the prolongation of the war.
Conclusion
- Japan miscalculated U.S.'s response to the attack on Pearl Harbor in several ways.
- They underestimated U.S. economic and industrial strength, overestimated the effectiveness of the attack on Pearl Harbor, misjudged the U.S resolve and failed to understand U.S. war aims.
- These miscalculations led to Japan's ultimate defeat in the war.