1. What was the main reason for Japan's military expansion in Southeast Asia before World War II? 2. What led the United States to enforce a trade embargo on Japan in 1941? 3. What crucial resources did Japan aim to access by invading Southeast Asian countries? 4. Who was the main architect of the plan to attack Pearl Harbor? 5. Why did Admiral Yamamoto believe it was crucial to attack the American fleet at Pearl Harbor? 6. What deceptive tactic did Japan use to maintain the element of surprise in the attack on Pearl Harbor? 7. How many U.S . Navy ships were at Pearl Harbor during the attack, and how many were battleships? 8. What significant American military resource was not present at Pearl Harbor during the attack?

1. Japan's military expansion in Southeast Asia before World War II was primarily driven by the need for **resources**. Japan lacked crucial natural resources like oil, rubber, and tin, essential for industrialization and military power. Southeast Asia was rich in these resources, and Japan aimed to secure them through conquest and colonization.<br /><br />2. The United States enforced a trade embargo on Japan in 1941 primarily in response to **Japan's continued aggression in Asia**, particularly its occupation of French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). This occupation threatened American interests in the region and was seen as a further step towards Japanese domination of Asia. The embargo targeted vital resources like oil and scrap metal, intending to pressure Japan to withdraw.<br /><br />3. Japan aimed to access crucial resources like **oil, rubber, and tin** by invading Southeast Asian countries. These resources were vital for sustaining Japan's war machine and industrial economy.<br /><br />4. The main architect of the plan to attack Pearl Harbor was **Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto**, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.<br /><br />5. Admiral Yamamoto believed it was crucial to attack the American fleet at Pearl Harbor to **cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet**. He hoped this surprise attack would give Japan time to consolidate its gains in Southeast Asia and deter the United States from intervening in the war. He knew that Japan could not win a protracted war against the U.S. and hoped a decisive blow would force a negotiated peace favorable to Japan.<br /><br />6. Japan used **diplomatic negotiations** as a deceptive tactic to maintain the element of surprise in the attack on Pearl Harbor. While Japanese diplomats were engaged in talks with the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., the attack fleet was already steaming towards Hawaii. This created a false sense of security and delayed the American response.<br /><br />7. There were **96 U.S. Navy ships** at Pearl Harbor during the attack, including **8 battleships**.<br /><br />8. The significant American military resource not present at Pearl Harbor during the attack were the **U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers**. Their absence proved to be a crucial factor in the longer-term course of the Pacific War.<br />