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Pearl Harbor

1941MajorContested

Japan's attack brings the United States into the war.

Contested history

Consensus: Japan's surprise attack on 7 December 1941 killed about 2,400 Americans.

Intelligence failures and missed warningsEstablished
The U.S. had broken some Japanese codes but did not piece the warnings together.
Roosevelt knew in advance and let it happenUnsupported
Nine official investigations found no evidence of foreknowledge of the target.

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