why did the Japanese get involved in WWII?

Answer 1

Japan was already long involved in war to dominate Asia before WW2 even started in Europe. The collapse of the Netherlands and France allowed Japan to widen their conquests relatively peacefully into Indochina (French) and Indonesia (Dutch). Britain's difficulties in Europe also allowed Japan to have easier inroads into Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Burma. Their goal was to supplant European domination with Japanese domination, spun as a Co-prosperity sphere... though really simply imperialism.

The US embargo simply increased their need to take these territories though I can't imagine it caused them to covet them in the first place. And if you wonder why they attacked us, you just have to look at the globe. To protect shipping from south east Asia, particularly Indonesia, they badly wanted to control the Philippines, which were dominated by the United States. As long as the US held those islands, their shipping was intensely vulnerable. So they had to invade the Philippines and that meant war with the US. To make that possible, they had to run a lightning raid to knock out our Pacific Fleet. Thus, Pearl Harbor.

Answer 2

Japan joined Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in an Alliance. The United States applied both diplomatic and economic pressures to try to resolve the Sino-Japanese conflict. The Japanese government viewed these measures, especially an embargo on oil, as threats to their national security. By the summer of 1941, both countries had taken positions from which they could not retreat without a serious loss of national prestige. Although both governments continued to negotiate their differences, Japan had already decided on war. The attack on Pearl Harbor was part of a grand strategy of conquest in the western Pacific. The objective was to immobilize the Pacific Fleet so that the United States could not interfere with invasion plans. The principal architect of the attack was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Though personally opposed to war with America, Yamamoto knew that Japan's only hope of success in such a war was to achieve quick and decisive victory. If there were a prolonged conflict, America's superior economic and industrial power would likely tip the scales in her favor.

Answer 3

The Japanese need raw materials for their industries. They started WWII when they invaded Manchuria. They allied themselves with the Axis in November 1941. They attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Then we nuke them into surrending to us.

Answer 4

Japan wanted control of the Asian continent and so they formed an alliance with Germany. It would have worked swimingly for both Germany and Japan if Germany and told Japan about invading Russia. Japan officially joined the War on December 7th, when they attacked the US in an attempt to halt the US from aiding allies in Europe.

Answer 5

The Japanese were busy taking over all of Asia and the pacific for the Japanese empire.

We cut off their supply of oil, gas and steel and they attacked Pearl Harbor.

Answer 6

Because they knew they were stronger than Samoa, Tonga, Malaysia, Korea & the Phillippines - why did the US get involved in their war? No - they had already decided to before Pearl Harbor ... because they were stronger still (& objected)

Answer 7

Look up the Tripartite Treaty. This was a treaty signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan saying that if any of these countries were attacked that all of them had to fight.

Answer 8

Good answers all. What wasn't answered by them was why Japan invaded Manchuria in the first place. Simple answer...Economics. Japan needed the raw materials to continue to grow.

Answer 9

Because Japan and America were rivals over who would be the dominant imperialist power in China, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. That rivalry could only be resolved by war.

Answer 10

They got involved because we were going to cut off their oil supply to help fuel the fire burning in Europe. They were intimidated, and they attacked.