Question

Please give me multiple reasons on why japan attacked pearl harbor

Answer 1

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor to prevent U.S. interference in their imperial expansion, exploit weakened European colonial powers, and secure resources. The surprise attack aimed to cripple U.S. naval power and facilitate Japan's stronghold in the Pacific.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reasons for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was influenced by several key factors. Primarily, the desire to neutralize the United States naval presence in the Pacific. The Japanese believed that by crippling the U.S. fleet in Hawaii, they could prevent the U.S. from interfering with Japan's imperial expansion in Asia. This expansion was particularly focused on acquiring much-needed resources such as rubber, oil, and tin from French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies to fuel Japan's empire, known as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Moreover, Japan sought to exploit the weakened state of European colonial powers due to Hitler's conquests, seeing an opportunity to seize control of raw materials and trade routes. The U.S. embargo against Japan was seen as an act of aggression, further straining diplomatic relations and pushing Japan toward conflict. The Japanese military planners aimed to conduct a coordinated offensive throughout the Pacific, taking advantage of the disarray among the European colonial powers.

The attack on December 7, 1941, was a surprise air strike intended to destroy American battleships and aircraft carriers, which would give Japan time to fortify their conquests without immediate American retaliation. Despite intelligence warnings, the magnitude of a carrier-based attack was underestimated, and the strategic surprise was achieved, marking a pivotal moment in World War II and galvanizing the United States to enter the war.

Answer 2

1. Increased need for natural resources

Japan had an increased need for natural resources like oil, minerals and steel as their goals for expansion in Asia and the Pacific increased.

2. Japan had restrictions

The United States also had an obvious interest in these natural resources, and in response to to the Japanese aggression, the U.S. Congress placed restrictions on doing business with Japan. And, if that weren’t enough, Japanese assets in the United States were frozen.

3. Expansion in the Pacific

President Roosevelt moved the US Pacific Fleet from California to Pearl Harbor in 1939. This move was a threat to Japan, who wanted to expand in the Pacific. Military leaders and politicians saw a war between the U.S. and Japan as inevitable, with the solution being to attack first.

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