Pearl Harbor: The Attack That Brought America into the Global Conflict

The path to the attack on Pearl Harbor was paved by years of escalating tension between Japan, the United States, and other global powers. By the 1930s, Japan had increasingly pursued aggressive territorial expansion in Asia. The country sought to secure resources to fuel its growing industrial machine, leading to its invasion of China and the creation of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This expansionist ideology put Japan on a collision course with Western powers, particularly the United States, who had significant economic interests in the Pacific region.

As Japan moved to solidify its dominance in Asia, the United States responded with growing concern and diplomatic opposition. American policymakers viewed Japan’s actions as a direct threat to regional stability and their own economic interests, especially in China and the Philippines. By the late 1930s, the United States had placed significant economic sanctions on Japan, including an oil embargo that severely limited Japan’s access to vital resources. The embargo further strained relations between the two nations, as Japan’s need for oil and raw materials became critical to its war machine.

In response, Japan’s leadership became more determined to secure access to Southeast Asia’s oil reserves. The Japanese government began to focus on expanding its influence over the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya, and other territories rich in natural resources. Japan’s growing militarism and its desire for expansion were met with an increasingly isolationist stance from the United States. The U.S. saw Japan’s actions as imperialistic, but its leaders were hesitant to directly intervene, largely due to the isolationist sentiments that permeated American politics following World War I.