Kamikaze is the Japanese word for "Divine Wind." This term first arose in the mid-13th century, when Mongol fleets set sail to attack the weak and unprepared island nation. As the Mongol ships approached the coast, they were suddenly destroyed by a huge typhoon. 

Like what the Japanese believed to be a god-sent storm, the suicidal Kamikaze pilots were meant to wipe out the enemy and save Japan in its time of need.