responded to the Japanese aggression by “establishing an embargo on oil and gasoline exports to Japan” (Atkin, 1990). With the U.S. providing Japan with nearly 80% of its oil Japan turned to the Dutch East Indies with a request of nearly 4 million barrels. Japan know had an increased interest in the East Indies but comprehended that Malaya and the Philippines must be controlled, but this would surely mean a U.S. intervention (Cohens, Evans & Peattie, 1997). The U.S. embargo gave Japan a sense of urgency to either agree to the U.S. demands or find an alternant way maintain their Imperial quest of …show more content…
The assault on the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor was a small piece to a bigger prize. By decimating the American Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Japan would now be able to take control of the East Indies without worry of an American intervention.
In early 1938 Germany had demanded that Poland relinquish control Danzig to build a railroad that would run through the Poland. The Polish leadership rebuked suck and idea, afraid that if they accepted the proposal that Poland would become dependent on Germany and lose its independence. In March of 1939 after negotiations failed and “Germany withdrew from both the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact of 1934” (Clark, 2011). From May to August 1939 Germany prepared for an attack Poland, and on the Moring of 1 September