Factors leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack
Japan forced out
"Concerned over Japan’s ambitions, the US, Netherlands and Great Britain froze Japanese assets in their countries and imposed stringent economic restrictions, cutting off 90% of raw materials required by Japan for war production. The US demanded the aggressive actions against China and Indonesia be halted. Japan was forced to choose between abandoning her efforts or seizure of other areas rich in raw materials. Abandonment was unthinkable and Japan chose the latter"
(Sourced and quoted from Pearl harbor oahu: pearl harbor history)(http://www.pearlharboroahu.com/attack.htm)
(Sourced and quoted from Pearl harbor oahu: pearl harbor history)(http://www.pearlharboroahu.com/attack.htm)
In short:
This is relevant to focussing question one because it explains how Japan was forced out of Indonesia and China and so decided to turn to other resource-rich countries, like the Dutch East-indies. To do this, the Japanese thought they would have to eliminate the threat of the U.S fleet, thus bringing upon the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Explained in detail:
Japan was in a state of extreme overpopulation, which left Japan in a state of undersupply. Japan originally had few natural resources produced within its own country, and had to import a lot of raw materials to sustain themselves. But with the increase of population, the need to import these resources grew even more. It only seemed like the best thing to do: invade china, and seize hold of natural resources. So called "Japanese aggression" had started, beggining in 1931, with Japan intending to expand into Eastern Asia . This began with the invasion of Manchuria, which Japan set up as a state and re-named it "Manchuko". Other subordinate countries, like America, which supplied Japan with much needed resources and war materials, noticed Japan's sudden aggression. America did not like where this was heading (They had economic interests in East Asia of their own) and so cut the supply of such materials to Japan, in order to send them out of East Asia. Indeed it worked, but Japan still needed resources. Japan then turned to seize other resource-rich portions of the world. They saw the Dutch East Indies as the best bet, but seeing as the Dutch East Indies are in the pacific, and America was known for its powerful naval fleet in the pacific, America was seen as a threat to this movement. America would stop Japan as soon as they discovererd their plans, so Japan needed to eliminate this threat for at least as long as it would take to capture the Dutch East Indies. A devastating preventive strike on the American naval base at Hawaii was seen as the best tactic, and so the Japanese carried out their attack on Pearl Harbor.