1. Citations: Wilson, Theodore A. “Bombing of Pearl Harbor.” Great Events from History: The Twentieth Century, 1941-1970. Ed. F. Gorman Robert. 6 vols. Salem Press, 2008. Salem History Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Swygart, Glenn L. “Pearl Harbor attack.” The Forties in America. Ed. Tandy Lewis Thomas. Salem Press, 2010. Salem History Web. 10 Apr. 2014. “Pearl Harbor.” International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 6. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 190. World History in Context. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. Picture Credits: www.superstock.comwww.superstock.com americanhistory.unomaha.edu *The picture on the left shows Cordell Hull and Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura coming back from a negotiation meeting. *The picture on the right shows Japanese expansion before Pearl Harbor Deterioration of US-Japanese Relations in 1941 There were many reasons why the Japanese attacked an American Naval Base in Hawaii during World War Two. Due to the economic challenges in many countries especially the United States, Japan lost valuable resources. Japan thought the only way to solve their country’s problems was to expand their empire and they focused on expanding in China. The United States opposed the Japanese expansion with moral and economic sanctions. Japan moved further towards expansion and joined the Axis Powers. Japan threatened to engulf many countries such as Thailand and the Dutch East Indies. In response to Japan’s aggressions, President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States placed, through the Export Control Act, an embargo on aviation gasoline. In addition, Japanese assets were frozen, all ports were reported to close to Japanese ships and restrictions were set on the exports of scrap iron and steel. These restrictions, especially the embargo, meant that Japan had to choose between peace and war within a year, before their oil reserves were exhausted. Many negotiations were discussed between the two countries. Finally, Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura of Japan presented Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, with what was to be the final Japanese proposal for peace. Hull said it was unacceptable and made a counteroffer but it was rejected. The Americans thought that Japan would never strike supposedly well-protected military installations so far from their country. But, Japan did want revenge and so they attacked on December 7th, 1941. Japan’s Point of View According to the Japanese, the Pearl Harbor attack was a logical result of a series of confrontations between Japan and the United States. In Japan’s defense, they had nothing else to do. They were in a bad economy and their country was close to falling apart. The leaders of Japan all agreed on expanding their empire but they differed in opinion on how it should be accomplished. Japanese leaders all came to believe that their country was being encircled by the Western powers. After the sanctions put on Japan by the United States, Japan began to consider their already planned attack on the American navy base. They had two options, to try to create peace or to embark in a new war. To Japan, the attack was seen as merely a “strategic necessity.” The attack was only part of Japan’s grand strategy to secure the Pacific for oil shipments to fuel the empire’s efforts to dominate Asia. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy, told Japanese leaders to avoid war with the United States but only attack when necessary. But, once Japan joined the Tripartite Pact, Yamamoto was convinced that war with the U.S. was going to happen no matter what. In Japan, some viewed the attack as a mistake that awoke a “sleeping giant.” Others consider that time period as a dishonorable period of aggression in the nation’s history. “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy” - Franklin Roosevelt