History of Asia

Why was Japan attacking Pearl Harbor a surprise attack?

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was not a surprise in the sense that the United States was unaware that Japan might attack. In fact, the United States had been receiving warnings about a possible attack for several months, and had even intercepted Japanese diplomatic messages that indicated that an attack was imminent.

However, the specific time and place of the attack were a surprise. The United States had expected an attack on its Asian possessions, such as the Philippines, but not on Hawaii. Additionally, the United States had not been expecting an attack on a Sunday morning, when most of the ships in the harbor were at anchor and unarmed.

As a result, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise to the American military and caused significant damage and loss of life.