Export Control Act Of 1940 Essay

In the 1930’s the Japanese government began initiatives to expand it’s land and influence throughout the Pacific that would ultimately bring it into direct confrontation with the United States and European powers. Japan began it’s war of conquest by invading China in July 1937, this conflict would last until the end of World War II. In 1938, President Roosevelt asked Congress for additional funds (500 million) to expand the military, and modernize the United States current inventory of weapons and armament. While this build up was directly related to the growing threat of war in the European theatre, but was seen by the Japanese as a direct threat to the expansion of their empire. (1)

Politically, the “Export Control Act” of 1940 was directly aimed at choking off Imperial Japan’s ability to continue its war in China and it’s eventual expansion into the greater Pacific region by restricting shipments of oil and materials. One month prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States authorizes a 50 million dollar loan to help stabilize the Chinese economy, and another 50 million dollar loan to purchase

With Admiral Yamamoto taking command of Imperial Japanese Navy in 1939, he began formalizing an in-depth plan to destroy (or neutralize) the American forces at Pearl Harbor and in turn demoralize the American population. By July of 1941, Yamamoto was finalizing his plan, and coordinating the required forces needed for the attack. Japan held out hope that the United States would agree to their southern expansion policy in the Pacific and end the trade embargo against Japan, but if diplomacy failed, the Japanese would attack. Diplomacy did indeed fail and on December 7th, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the Hawaiian Islands killing 2,403 Americans bring the United States officially into World War II.