On December 7, 1941, Japan inflicted a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. What lead to this attack was the growing tension between the U.S. and Japan throughout the years. In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria in order to continue its colonial expansion and strengthen its political standing in the world. Hoping to cease this threatening expansion, in July 1940, the U.S. decided to respond with economic sanctions and trade embargoes. This action brought Japan to a critical situation as it was greatly relied on imports from America. Without these imports Japan’s military would not function, thus ending its expansion efforts. Although these trade links were very important to both sides, the U.S., as a world power, was not disposed