The United States due to heavy casualties in World War 1 did not want to get involved with World War 2. Unfortunately when Japan declared war on China things changed. The actions that the United States took against Japan changed the course of World War 2. Japan sided with the Axis powers and began planning to destroy the Pacific Fleet in an attempt to disable the US Forces and allow the Axis Alliance to move further into the South Pacific.
The war on the USA by Japan had been brewing for many years. Japan was desperately looking for more land and resources due to the lack of this in their own country. Unfortunately they wanted to expand into China, their neighbours as China was rich in minerals and resources. Japan occupied Manchuria in 1931 and began exploiting its heavy and light industries. Japan declared war on China in 1937 to take what they wanted. The USA could not allow this and placed sanctions against Japan so that they would be cut off from resources that they needed like essential oils which would push them out of China. Unfortunately this angered Japan further and led to Japan siding with Germany and Italy when they signed the Tripartite Pact in July 1940 and became the Axis Alliance. Japans next move was the planning was the attack on Pearl Harbour as the USA had blocked their access to China; the alternative would be control of South East Asia. South East Asia was rich in minerals and oils. For Japan to achieve this they would have to create a
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During the preparation months, pilots were trained, intelligence was gathered and the necessary equipment and machinery was changed and adapted. Even though extensive preparation was made the final approval was only given by Emperor Hirohito to attack Pearl Harbour on 5 November 1941. No declaration of war was given which was against Japanese culture but the attack commenced