Diplomatic History Commons^™

A Matter Of Accountability: Communication And Coordination Failures Proceeding Pearl Harbor, Marc C. Jeter

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Abstract

Save for September 11, 2001, arguably no other incident in American history generates persistent and impassioned debate associated with the questions of why and on whom to affix responsibility than does the Pearl Harbor raid. For both Japan and the United States the road to December 7 (or 8^th in Japan), was long and complex. Ensconced within the context of what was underway in Europe, there existed little room for diplomatic miscalculations or missteps. Thus for American civil, military, naval, and diplomatic leaders in Washington, D.C. and throughout the world, that American installations were attacked should not have …