US Embargo of Japan The United States responded to this growing threat by temporarily halting negotiations with Japanese diplomats, instituting a full embargo (stop) on exports to Japan, freezing Japanese assets (money) in U. S. banks, and sending more supplies into China. Diplomats in Washington came close to agreements with Japan on a couple of occasions, but pro-Chinese sentiments in the United States made it difficult to reach any resolution that would not involve a Japanese withdrawal from China, and such a condition was unacceptable to Japan’s military leaders.
Faced with serious shortages as a result of the embargo, unable to retreat, and convinced that the U. S. officials opposed further negotiations, Japan’s leaders came to the conclusion that they had to act swiftly. For their part, U. S. leaders had not given up on a negotiated settlement, and also doubted that Japan had the military strength to attack the U. S. territory. Therefore, they were stunned when the unthinkable happened and Japanese planes bombed the U. S. fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The following day, the United States declared war on Japan, and it soon entered into a military alliance with China. When Germany stood by its ally and declared war on the United States, the Roosevelt Administration faced war in both Europe and Asia.

Citing evidence from the last section of this reading “US Embargo of Japan” what was the reasoning behind the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor?