What was Japan's aims for attacking the U.S.?

Question

Attacking U.S. possessions wouldn't make the U.S. alter the descison of freezing all Japanese assets in the U.S., so what was Japan's aim for attacking the U.S.?

Answer 1

Japan hoped that the sneak attack on the American Pacific Fleet would allow the Japanese Navy to gain at least temporary control of the Western Pacific.

They believed that if they could seize control of critical sources of raw materials and thereby ensure the functioning of their war economy they would be able to present the United States with defensive posture so strong that the Americans would accept a negotiated peace that would leave Japan in control of what they termed the "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere."

They believed that the Americans did not have the stomach for a protracted and bloody war fought across the vast spaces of the Pacific.

If peace could be made with the Americans that left Japan in a strong economic position then the rest of the Western powers, focused on the problem of fighting Germany, would also concede Japan's pre-eminance in Asia.

Answer 2

First Off, Ask your grandparents if there still alive. They are a wealth of information.

The U.S. was sending much of there resources to Europe, Oil, Steel, raw material, and stopped selling it to Japan. Now with out that Japan could not Fight China and care for there own people.
Japan was now faced fighting with China, and was not getting help from Germany whom had there own problems with supply.
So Japan planed the attack to take over the islands in the Pacific to hold the Americans back (who Japan knew were soon going to be entering the war in England) from moving quickly across the ocean to attack Japan and helping China along with the Russians to defeat the Germans.
The attack was made in hopes to build a strong hold in the Pacific. All it did was unite a country that thought it was untouchable, and unite everyone to one common goal.

Answer 3

Japan faced a dilemna with the United States and Japan's situation in China.

1) Japan was to leave/stop conquering China in exchange for an opening of oil shipments from the US to Japan which Japan desperately needed (they were going sucking dry)

2) Japan keeps it's dignity and find other ways of getting oil, such as conquering the Dutch West Indies and cripple the US fleet to prevent American reaction to Japanese seizure of American and European possessions in the Pacific that contained valuable supplies.

Answer 4

Japan, in the realization that the U.S. would be in the way of its imperial expansion in the pacific, decided to get a head start by sinking the pacific fleet, and start the island hopping. If all of the islands occupied by the U.S. could be taken, the thousands of miles between the mainland and the nearest islands, would provide a huge buffer preventing an adequate attack by the U.S.

Answer 5

Japan was and still is an energy importing nation. After gaining control of Korea and Manchuria Japan now had access to resources but they lacked the time to develop them. They needed energy from places like Indonesia, but the US oil blockade put in place in part to help Europe protect its colonies while war ravaged their homelands causes a problem. It was widely seen from both sides as a collision waiting to happen. Japan never really expected to beat the US but found a conflict inevitable and decided to get the upperhand early and pray for a generous settlement.
*Also contrary to popular American belief (and I am American), it wasn't merely the two atomic bombs that made Japan surrender, but it was a combination of that and Russia entering the war that Japan conceded they were screwed and unconditionally surrendered. If Russia hadn't entered, they probably would have continued fighting

Answer 6

Certainly America's support of China was one reason.
The Tanaka Plan called for the conquest of the United States after the completion of the conquest of Manchuria, China, and Southeast Asia. This was their second reason.
Thirdly, Great Britain and the Netherlands, the allies of the United States were preoccupied with Germany, so the U.S. would receive no help at all from her allies. This was a golden opportunity.
Finally, it was believed that the United States would not be able to re-arm, help Great Britain and China to defend themselves, and fight a war in Asia all at the same time. She would abandon her possessions to help her allies, Great Britain and China.

Answer 7

are you talking about pearl harbour?they attacked because the best defense is a good offense.they knew america would join the fight eventually,and they saw all those ships sitting like ducks in a row in the middle of a vital supply route.the real question is,what took america so long?Canada was overseas kicking butt for 3 years before the states.then they have the audacity to claim the U.S won the war?lol.i guess when you write the history books you can spin it any way you want eh heh heh.

Answer 8

Japan attacking U.S.? A good joke.

Answer 9

We were their rival for control of the Pacific. Gaining that control from us was their goal. They never intended to invade, because they knew they wouldn't succeed.

Answer 10

they thought that we had no stomach for war and after the attack we would sue for peace with our capital ships out of the way and they would be free to do what they wanted