The argument is that many Japanese commanders did not confidently expect victory over the United States. They saw war as a poor chance that was still preferable to destruction under economic and strategic pressure without a fight. That fatalistic outlook makes apparently irrational operational gambles more intelligible. More broadly, wars begin through emotions such as greed, anger, and anguish rather than through a detached calculation that guarantees success.
Notable Point · 11:47-13:26
Fatalism helps explain Japan's choice for war
Japan's 1941 predicament shows why leaders may choose a war they doubt they can win when they see passive decline as the only alternative.