A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched an attack on the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in the US territory of Hawaii.

“YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.”

Prior to this, FDR had overseen the Land-Lease program which had the USA arm China, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain in their wars against Japan and Germany.[1]

On July 26, 1941 the USA froze Japanese assets and also put an embargo on steel and oil exports to Japan while they were in the middle of a war in China (which was also in a civil war again). The USA produced 80% of Japanese oil.[2][3]

So the Japanese launched a desperate attack to fortify their position and gain Dutch East Indies oil.[4]