Nagano shares responsibility for the decision to go to war, although he also explored peace proposals that failed. He approved sending the Kido Butai after Yamamoto threatened to resign, while worrying that the proposed strike force was too small. The operational choice was whether more ships and aircraft at Pearl Harbor could deliver a decisive shock, or whether preserving the fleet offered a better chance against an American advance across the Pacific. The final plan sat uneasily between those incompatible strategic purposes.
Chapter · 11:19-13:10
The Pearl Harbor force-allocation dilemma
Nagano's role in the decision for war included a hard choice: concentrate more force at Pearl Harbor or hold it for the expected Pacific fleet battle.