Prewar Years
In 1930, the Japanese economy faced serious depression, and relied on imports of natural resources such as oil, tin, and rubber from other nations, including America. The Japanese government fell under the sway of ultra nationalist military leaders who thought that conquest of resource-rich countries in Asia was the best way to supply Japan's needs.
- In 1931, Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria.
- In 1937, Japan invaded China, taking many of it’s major ports and virtually cutting it off from the rest of the world
- In 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite pact with Germany and Italy, forming the Axis nations
"ARTICLE 2. Germany and Italy recognize and respect the leadership of Japan in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia."
- Article 2 of The Tripartite Pact
- In 1940, Japan occupied French-Indochina with the cooperation of the French Vichy government
These events angered the United States, which froze Japanese assets in the US, effectively ending trade.
"Commercial and economic relations between Japan and third countries, led by England and the United States, are gradually becoming so horribly strained that we cannot endure it much longer. Consequently, our empire, to save its very life, must take measures to secure the raw materials of the South Seas." - Foreign Minister Teijiro Toyoda in a message to his diplomats on July 31, 1941
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