Why was Pearl Harbor an important turning point in the war?

Question: Why was Pearl Harbor an important turning point in the war!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

No, it was not even close to the beginning of WWII!.

WWII had gone on for a while, but the Japanese opened up a new theatre in the Pacific by attacking Pearl Harbour and bringing the then neutral Americans into the Allies side!. With the help of the Americans, the Allied forces eventually turned the tide (pun intended) with D-Day and overrode the Axis forces and won the war!.
Though the Americans were already unofficially supporting the war by supplying the Allies with weapons and other goods, this was the point where they officially declared war on the Axis forces (Japan, Germany, Italy)Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Americans already hated the Japanese, and President Theodore Rossevelt foresaw a Pacific war for dominance between the US and Japan!. After WWI the Japanese behaved like complete bandits, seizing as much territory as they could in China and conducting horrendous massacres such as the rape of Nanking!. Americans were horrified by this and wanted to harm the Japanese!. Roosevelt was focused on the Nazi problem, and hence made do with economic sanctions against the Japanese, which simply made them more aggressive!. After Pearl Harbor though, pacifist sentiment evaporated and WWII was launched!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It forced the US Navy to move from doctrine based on battleships to doctrine based on aircraft carriers!. It also was presented to the American public as a much bigger surprise than it really was to the leadership, allowing them carte blanche to carry out the war as they wished!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

On the negative side, the Japanese attack destroyed a very big part of the US Pacific fleet and thus gave the Japanese the upper hand for some time!. On the positive side, it brought the US into the WWII (not WWIII) and the US's enormous resources assured ultimate victory for the Allies!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Japenese bombes Pearl Harbor, That is what brought the US into the war!. We then proceeded to bomb Hiroshima!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Lame first answer!.

Because it was Japan "officialy" declaring war on the USA!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and that was the beginning of World War 3Www@QuestionHome@Com

I THINK THATS WHEN THE AMERICANS GOT PISSED AND BOMBED THE HELL OUT JAPANWww@QuestionHome@Com