(A) Its leaders wanted to punish the Unites States for its role in World War I.
(B) ** Its leaders believed the U.S. Navy blocked Japanese expansion.
(C) Its leaders wanted to gain control of Hawaii’s natural resources.
(D) The United States had recently declared war on Japan.
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -However, striking south into British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies would almost certainly provoke an armed U.S response. To blunt that response, Japan decided to attack the U.S Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, hoping that the U.S would negotiate peace.
Concept note-2: -Japan intended the attack as a preventive action. Its aim was to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and those of the United States.
Concept note-3: -While there is no single correct or simple reason for the attack, this lesson should help students realize that Japan’s motivation for attacking Pearl Harbor was driven by its political self-interests, its scarcity of economic resources and perceived opportunity costs, and America’s embargo policy.
Concept note-4: -Why did Japan attack the USA? Japan wanted to take over the pacific and wanted to cripple America’s military strength in the pacific. They wanted to attack America so that they wouldn’t get in their way of their expansion in Malaya and the rest of the pacific.
Concept note-5: -This started WWII. Why did many Japanese leaders believe they were justified in attacking the U.S. naval fleet at Pearl Harbor? The Japanese believed they could cripple the American naval fleet.