International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies (IJPSAT) ISSN: 2509-0119. © 2022 Scholar AI LLC. Vol. 38 No. 1 April 2023, pp. 37-44 Corresponding Author: Rui FGP Duarte 37 The Motivations Behind the Pearl Harbor Attack: A Focus on Energy Security Rui FGP Duarte 1 , Monicha Awang 2 , Syaiful Anwar 3 , Editha Praditya 4 1234 Program Doctoral Republic of Indonesia Defense University ruiduarte73@yahoo.com 1 , monics3unhan@gmail.com 2 , morolawe7760@yahoo.com.au 3 , praditya.editha@gmail.com 4 Abstract— Japan attacked to Pearl Harbour had been happened in December 1941. There some conclusion had been founded. Regarding to Japan, there are five reasons: economic reason, financial reason, expanding living space, securing from political domestic unrest, and to win the war speedily. However, the war is a pragmatical choice of Japan and heavily motivated by energy security agenda. Therefore, even they saw to probability to win the war was low, they still committed to have the war. For the US, the reasons to wage war to Japan was more than the anger of Pearl Harbour being devastated, it was a political justification to keep the global domination, especially toward Japan’s steady of growth and expansion. The reason of war is still relevan today as there is some similarity of great powers competitions. Therefore, it needs to be taken as the important lesson learned, in order to make war as history only to the human civilization and maintaining world peace and security. Keywords— War, Cause, Energy Security, Global Domination I. INTRODUCTION On December 7, 1941, even those who anticipated conflict with Japan were stunned by the attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, nearly 4,000 miles from Tokyo. On December 2022, the editor of the National Geographic released a special edition tagged by the title of “Japan had little chance of victory—so why did it attack Pearl Harbor? (National Geographic, 2022). Japan was conducted war against US, and therefore US declared war toward Japan. The raid had raised US to enter the World War II (WW-II), and create the most devastated war along the human history. The attack has began at 07.55 local time, for 1.15 hours. The striking forces consisted of 353 aircrafts , included 40 torpedo planes, 103 level bombers, 131 dive bombers, and 79 fighters. The attack also consisted of two heavy cruisers, 35 submarines, two light cruisers, nine oilers, two battleships, and 11 destroyers. The attack had killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including 8 battleships. The battleship USS Arizona remains sunken in Pearl Harbor with its crew onboard. Half of the dead at Pearl Harbor were on the Arizona. However, there were three aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were out to sea on manoeuvres that the Japanese were unable to locate them and were forced to return home with the U.S. carrier fleet intact. The Japanese lost 29 aircraft and 5 midget submarines in the attack (National WW2 Museum, 2001). There was a scenario, the Japanese planned to give the U.S. a declaration of war before the attack began so they would not violate the first article of the Hague Convention of 1907, however, the message was delayed and not relayed to U.S. officials in Washington until the attack was already in progress. However, the attack had failed to completely destroyed the U.S. forces, especially the US fleet. With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. could no longer avoid an active fight, as on December 8, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Congress for and received a declaration of war against Japan. The Congress had accepted. The war toward Japan has begun. Japan military leader, Admiral Yamamoto had feared that the United States, with its enormous industrial potential, would soon recover and fight back. And, he was right. US had already recover, developed their