The United States was aware of inevitable conflict with Japan for many years before Japanese planes attacked its Pacific Fleet at Oahu Island, Haiwaii, on 7th December 1941. Japanese expansionism in south-east asia had been evident as early as its invasion of China in 1937, and its alliance with the fascist Axis powers, Germany and Italy, in 1940, and the capture of Singapore (February 15th 1941) and French Indochina (Vietnam) in July 1941 led the US to sever commercial relations and impose an embargo on Japanese oil and other shipments vital to its economic interests. Japan continued to negotiate with the United States but hoped by a surprise attack to cripple US power in the Pacific.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Pearl Harbour". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 March 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=837, accessed 23 November 2024.]
