The months before the attack on Pearl Harbor the US Government tried to instigate the forces of Japan into attacking the US. After the peace negotiations with the Japanese government failed, the commanders of the Navy and the Army were telling its commanders in charge of US territory’s what to expect and what to do. The message that was sent to General Douglas MacArthur, who was based in Manila, Philippines and part of the message said, “Japanese future action unpredictable but hostile action possible at any moment. If hostilities cannot, repeat, cannot, be avoided the United States desires that Japan commit the first overt act.”
All this happened on November 28, 1941, just nine days before the fate full day that will go down in infamy.[4] So the US instigated the Japanese into attacking Pearl Harbor, but as it is known the winners write the history of the world.