McCollum Memo (Oct 1940)
artifactNations & Geopolitics
A 1940 US memo laid out an 8-step plan to provoke Japan into attacking first — and a year later Pearl Harbor happened.
Who they are
The McCollum Memo, written in October 1940 by Navy intelligence officer Arthur McCollum.
What they do
It was a document proposing steps to goad Japan into striking first so the US public would support entering the war.
How it works
Its 8-point plan included keeping the fleet in Hawaii, cutting off oil to Japan, and backing China, with the note that if Japan committed an act of war, 'so much the better.' The US imposed the recommended oil embargo in July 1941, and Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Why it matters
It documents how leaders can use economic pressure to engineer a first strike from an adversary, since a reluctant public would only back war after being hit.
The engine's record — word for word
Lt. Commander Arthur McCollum, Office of Naval Intelligence. 8-point plan to provoke Japanese attack: keep fleet in Hawaii, embargo oil to Japan, support China. If Japan commits overt act of war, so much the better. July 1941: US imposed recommended oil embargo. Dec 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor. The kinetic trigger manufactured through economic strangulation — the population could not support war until the adversary struck first.
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