Why Did Tension Grow between the United States and Japan?

Tensions among Japan and the prominent Western countries United States, France, Britain, and the Netherlands increased significantly at the beginning of the increasingly militaristic Showa era as Japanese nationalists and military leaders exerted increasing influence over government policy, adopting creation of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as part of Japan's alleged "divine right" to unify Asia under emperor Showa's rule threatening already established American, French, British and Netherlands colonies in Asia.

What do you know about tensions between the U.S. and Japan?  Take this World War II quick quiz.

True or False?

1. A full-scale war began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident faked by militarist expansionist Army officers in July 1937.

• True or False?

2. In 1939, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations.

• True or False?

3. The United States and by several members of the League of Nations, particularly Britain, France, Australia, and the Netherlands condemned the Japanese attack against China in 1937.

• True or False?

4. In July 1941, the U.S. terminated the 1911 U.S.-Japan commercial treaty.

• True or False?

5. On October 8, 1940, Admiral Richardson, commander of the U.S. fleet, had a confrontation with President Roosevelt. He felt that Pearl Harbor was the wrong place.

• True or False?

6. The U.S. threatens to embargo scrap metal and gasoline shipments to Japan.

• True or False?

7. In 1941, the Japanese oil embargo begins.

• True or False?

8. Roosevelt replied Japan must leave China before a summit meeting could be held.

• True or False?

Answers

1. True. Since the 1930s, increasingly Japan's expansionist policies brought her into conflict with her neighbors, Russia and China, including with Russian influence expansion into Manchuria and Korea (which Japan saw as a threat and which helped spark the Russo-Japanese War which, after a surprise attack on the Russian fleet, resulted in Japanese victory). Japan's invasion and seizure of Manchuria in 1931, and persistent meddling in Chinese affairs, resulted in Japan leaving the League of Nations. A full-scale war began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident faked by militarist expansionist Army officers in July 1937. Japanese atrocities during the succeeding invasion like the Rape of Nanking further complicated relations with the rest of the world, particularly the US.

2. False. In response to international condemnation particularly by the United States, Britain and the Netherlands of the 1931 conquest of Manchuria, the creation of the Manchukuo puppet government, in 1933 Japan withdrew from the League of Nations. On January 15, 1936, Japan withdrew from the Second London Naval Disarmament Conference which had refused parity of Japan's naval forces with other major navies (notably the U.S.).

3. True. The 1937 Japanese attack against China was condemned by the U.S. and by several members of the League of Nations, particularly Britain, France, Australia, and the Netherlands.  These countries had economic and territorial interests, or formal colonies, in Southeast Asia, and had become increasingly alarmed at Japan's military power and willingness to use it, which they saw as threats to their control in Asia.

4. False. In July 1939, the U.S. terminated the 1911 U.S.-Japan commercial treaty. These efforts failed to deter Japan from continuing the war in China nor from signing both the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany and the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy forming the Axis Powers.

5. True. On October 8, 1940, Admiral Richardson, commander of the U.S. fleet, had a confrontation with President Roosevelt. Richardson repeated what he had said in his letter to Admiral Stark and his memo to Secretary Knox (that Pearl Harbor was the wrong place for his ships). Roosevelt said he thought that having the fleet in Hawaii was a "restraining influence" on Japan. When Richardson asked the president whether the United States was going to war. "He replied," in Richardson's account, "that if the Japanese attacked Thailand, or the Kra Peninsula, or the Dutch East Indies we would not enter the war, that if they even attacked the Philippines he doubted whether we would enter the war." But the Japanese couldn't always avoid making mistakes, the president said, "Sooner or later they would make a mistake and we would enter the war."

6. False. The Tripartite Pact, war with China, increasing militarization and Japan's withdrawal from the League of Nations eventually led the U.S. to embargo scrap metal and gasoline shipments to Japan and to constrain its foreign policy actions and close the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping.

7. True. In 1941, Japan moved into northern IndoChina. The U.S. responded by freezing Japan's assets in the U.S. and embargoing all oil exports to Japan. Oil was Japan's most crucial imported resource. More than 80 percent of Japan's oil imports at the time came from the United States. To secure oil supplies, and other resources, Japanese planners had long been looking south, especially the Dutch East Indies. The Navy was certain any attempt to seize this region would bring the U.S. into the war and was reluctant to agree with other factions' plans for invasion.

8. True. The complete US oil embargo changed to the Naval view to support of expansion toward support for an invasion of the Dutch East Indies and seizure of its oil fields. In August 1941, Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe proposed a summit with President Roosevelt to discuss differences. Roosevelt replied Japan must leave China before a summit meeting could be held.

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