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Description
Pearl Harbor provides a dramatic and well-researched example of an attack preceded by a mass of signals which nevertheless achieved complete surprise. Dr. David Potter, Senior Lecturer in Governmen...t at the Open University, examines the question of why the Americans were surprised at Pearl Harbor and focusses on the problem of communication and decision-making in large government organisations. The programme contains archive newsfilm including the attack on Pearl Harbor and film animations illustrating the routes taken by the various secret messages planning the attack.
Pearl Harbor provides a dramatic and well-researched example of an attack preceded by a mass of signals which nevertheless achieved complete surprise. Dr. David Potter, Senior Lecturer in Governmen...t at the Open University, examines the question of why the Americans were surprised at Pearl Harbor and focusses on the problem of communication and decision-making in large government organisations. The programme contains archive newsfilm including the attack on Pearl Harbor and film animations illustrating the routes taken by the various secret messages planning the attack.
| Module code and title: | D101, Making sense of society |
|---|---|
| Item code: | D101; 10 |
| First transmission date: | 24-04-1975 |
| Published: | 1975 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:21:20 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Vic Lockwood |
| Contributor: | David Potter |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | American surprise; Archive newsfilm; Communication; Film animations; Government decision-making; Pearl Harbour; Secret messages |
| Footage description: | Programme opens with archive film. Pathe News Film of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Clip from Roosevelt's 'Day of infamy' speech. Potter examines the question: why were the Americans surprised at Pearl Harbor, when they in fact possessed the necessary information. He looks at the political moves prior to 1941. Maps of Far East and film of Japanese Fleet and troops. Over a map of the Pacific, Potter looks at the various channels of communication and intelligence between Japan, the USA and vice versa. Some of the numerous signals and messages revealing Japanese intentions during 1941 are shown and read, with occasional U.S. intelligence reports. Potter discusses the problems of correctly intercepting and interpreting the data. The problems include those of 'noise', i.e. mass of useless data, messages not collected in one spot and that they did not fit in with U.S. hypothesis. Potter sums up on the problems of communication as revealed by Pearl Harbor. He quickly goes through the final sequence of events before the attack. Stills. Last section has archive film of Japanese reconstruction of attack. Credits. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/71734 |
| Production number: | 00525_2162 |
| Videofinder number: | 1667 |
| Available to public: | no |
