HistoryCentral.com > America's Wars > World War II > Battles & Main Events > 1941 > Pearl Harbor

	DECEMBER 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor
The American decision to impose sanctions on Japan, in response to the Japanese invasion of Indo-China, convinced Japanese leaders that war with the United States was inevitable. While the Japanese continued to negotiate in Washington, plans went ahead for military actions. The Japanese were convinced that they could not win a war of attrition with the United States, so they planned a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, hoping that a decisive victory would be achieved which would force the United States to negotiate. The Japanese attack was executed with precision and, despite having broken the Japanese code, the Americans at Pearl Harbor were caught unprepared, and the attack was successful.