The "East Wind Rain" Message and FDR's Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor

[Gawdzilla Sama]

IMO, Roosevelt certainly did everything he could to get America into the war on the Allied side, and that is a good thing. He was smart enough to realize that the Nazis and Japanese empire needed to be defeated, but until Pearl Harbor it wasn't really politically possible. Though I don't believe he had prior knowledge of Pearl Harbor, I do think he was trying to provoke an attack by Japan. Had he simply caved in to the isolationists, we would have been in a much weaker position when we finally, inevitably got drawn into the war.

The Pacific was a distration for the US. We didn't need wars on opposite sides of the planet. Ares wasn't listening.

 

[theprestige]

The Pacific was a distration for the US. We didn't need wars on opposite sides of the planet. Ares wasn't listening.

Certainly one of the opinions of all time.

 

[dudalb]

"Everyone knew the Japanese were going to attack", Not many outside the high echelons of the Japanese military knew when and where.

This is the key. For a long time, most people in the Military and high up inn Washington knew war with Japan was inevitable, they just did not know when or the exact circumstances. The Purple code was diplomatic, and simply did not give out military details.
And even after the Dec 7th reception of the final Japanese message, nobody though Hawaii would be attacked from the air, Submarine attacks were the worst they expected to happen in Hawaiian Waters. Amost everybody though the Phillippines would be the main target.

 

[dudalb]

The Pacific was a distration for the US. We didn't need wars on opposite sides of the planet. Ares wasn't listening.

Roosevelt tried to delay war with Japan for that among other reasons. Germany was his first priority.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Roosevelt tried to delay war with Japan for that among other reasons. Germany was his first priority.

Concur. The Magic Background to WWII provides some interesting reading.

I add that the Chinese were campaigning hard to get the US to take some of the Japanese heat. The Soong sisters (and to a lesser extent Pearl S. Buck) kept the Sino-Japanese War in the papers.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

TMBtW is online for those with endurance.

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This is the key. For a long time, most people in the Military and high up inn Washington knew war with Japan was inevitable, they just did not know when or the exact circumstances. The Purple code was diplomatic, and simply did not give out military details.
And even after the Dec 7th reception of the final Japanese message, nobody though Hawaii would be attacked from the air, Submarine attacks were the worst they expected to happen in Hawaiian Waters. Amost everybody though the Phillippines would be the main target.

Ibiblio.org/pha

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Amost everybody though the Phillippines would be the main target.

And they were relatively correct. The attack on Pearl was a raid. The PI was a major objective, mostly because of the US forces there. Resources too, of course, but the threat of the US power there was what signed PI's fate.