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Blackships open japan
The "black ships," as the Japanese described them at the time, had come to open trade with other nations. Threatened by the big warships, Japan signed a trade treaty with the U.S. Within five years of Perry's visit, Japan signed trade treaties with Great Britain, Russia, France, and Holland. Japan's long isolation was finally at an end. -
Period: to
bombing of pearl harbor
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Japan a strong independent nation
Japan understood that being a strong and prosperous nation was the only way to preserve its independence. European nations had seized huge territories all across Asia, which they ruled as colonies. The once-mighty empire of China was forced to offer European powers special trade privileges. Japan's rulers were determined to keep their country from becoming a colony of the West. The best way to do this, they believed, was to adopt Western culture and technology and to make Japan strong. -
America becomes a pacific power
Also in 1898, the U.S. took the islands of Hawaii as an American territory. Hawaii was especially prized by the U.S. Navy for a fine natural port on the Island of Oahu. Its name was Pearl Harbor.
As the nineteenth century came to a close, the stars and stripes flew on islands scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean. -
The great depression
As Japan's economy grew worse, the country became more aggressive. One way Japan could gain greater access to raw materials and markets was to increase the amount of territory under Japanese control. Generals and admirals, working together with leading industrialists and financiers, dreamed of a Japanese empire that would bring "the eight corners of the world under one roof." They campaigned against politicians who stood in their way. -
China in flames
In 1937, China and Japan went to war. Although Chinese forces resisted, Japan advanced farther and farther into China. The conflict brought great suffering to the Chinese people.In the month that followed, they massacred as many as 300,000 Chinese civilians. Nanking caused worldwide anger against Japan. -
The tripartite pact
the Pacific empire its military rulers craved. The nation would have to go to war to seize these resources. But war against whom? The army wanted to attack the Soviet Union, which was fighting a war against Nazi Germany. The navy favored seizing the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), British Malaysia, and the American Philippines. For the navy's plan to succeed, however, it would first have to destroy the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, which was based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. -
war warning
American military intelligence broke several important Japanese naval and diplomatic communications codes. From decoded documents, it became obvious that Japan was planning a major military strike somewhere in the Pacific. Still, it wasn't clear when or where the attack would come. The Philippines seemed the most likely target. No one thought the Japanese would be bold enough to strike all the way to Hawaii. -
The day of infamy
The U.S. was now aware that Japan might strike somewhere in the Pacific, but a warning did not reach Pearl Harbor until nearly 8:00 a.m., Hawaii time. By then, Nomura and Kurusu were in Secretary Hull's office, and Japanese bombs were falling onto the neat lines of U.S. warships in Pearl Harbor's
