John Schuessler Pearl Harbor Summary

John M. Schuessler creates a different perspective of FDR’s knowledge of Pearl Harbor. John M. Schuessler is a professor in the department of international affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. His expertise lies in international relations theory, security studies, and diplomatic history. Schuessler argues that leaders resort to deception to sell wars to their publics and FDR did not know that there would be an attack on Pearl Harbor. However, FDR did know his actions would lead to provoking Japan would to an attack. Schuessler argues that the US and Japan were already at war with their activities in the Pacific. The “’undeclared war’ in the Atlantic and the oil embargo on Japan should be understood …show more content…
The author believes this discredited and points out that “despite decades of investigation, no credible evidence has ever been adduced to support the charge that Roosevelt deliberately exposed the fleet at Pearl Harbor to attack in order to precipitate war.” Rather Schuesslers believes that FDR made it seems to the citizens of the United States did not provoke Japan in any way. The attack on Pearl Harbor was not anticipated and was possible to the US being preoccupied with developments in Southeast Asia and provoking Japan. Rather than a conspiracy to leave Pearl Harbor vulnerable to an attack, there was “points to confusion and complacency, not conspiracy, in …show more content…
entry into the war by the fall of 1941 and attempted to manufacture events accordingly. In other words, provoke Japan and keep the public in the dark about their engagement in the Pacific. Schuessler argues that FDR knew there would be an attack; however, FDR did not know where. FDR just knew that the U.S’s actions would provoke Japan into attacking first. Roosevelt did not deliberately allow the Pearl Harbor attack to bring a united country into the war. However, Pearl Harbor was neither a complete surprise to the president nor entirely unwelcome. In terms of logic, Robert Stinnett provides a plausible argument about how aware FDR was of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His logic relies a lot on assumptions and coincidences that are not directly related to each other. However, due to the large amount of declassified documents Stinnett used as sources support his claim that FDR was aware that Pearl Harbor would be attacked. There is no denying that some of the actions before the attack on Pearl Harbor were questionable. Yet, the author does not explain why the president would allow a critical Pacific base to be bombed? The attack on Pearl Harbor had the potential of crippling the U.S fleet. However, Stinnett does provide that a portion of the fleet was conveniently out at sea during the attack on Pearl