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History essay Using these four passages and your own knowledge, asses the view that Japan was driven into war with the western powers in 1941 by American policies.

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History essay Using these four passages and your own knowledge, asses the view that Japan was driven into war with the western powers in 1941 by American policies. Both interpretations B and D prove that America was the only driving force that caused a war in the Pacific. The oil embargo that America enforced in 1940 was an incentive for Japan, a country very reliant on imports of which most primarily came from America feeding its daily usage of 12,000 tons of oil,to declare war on the country that was slowing its progress to conquer China. Interpretation B states that “moderates and militants alike saw American pressure as provocative” thus creating a tension in the Pacific, with the American foreign policy at the forefront of the …show more content…

However American concern for the safety of Asia would ultimately lead to a war in the Pacific and Japanese hostility was solely to blame. Interpretation D also shows Japan’s aggression being sparked by American decisions. For example “America, most of all, stood in the way stood in the way of this through their control of resources in South East Asia.” America’s grip on all vital resources in the Pacific would have driven Japan to war as it was the only alternative to stop America whilst still keeping control over China. The leading philosophies of the time, “assumed that acquiring an empire provided the basis of prosperity and future national security.” This on the other hand contradicts the interpretation as it presents Japan as an empire with clear instructions on how to achieve wealth through imperialism. This is shown throughout the passage where “by the time the war in China began in 1937 politicians favouring expansionism were in high offices of state.” America is no longer the only reason that war began as the views of the leaders in 1937 were evidently expansionist. Japan does not want any relations with America as “in the eyes of Japan’s leaders that would have entailed a colossal loss of prestige with incalculable internal consequences.” Japan and the US both operated with an imperialist mindset, but Japan government had mishandled the position they found themselves in Overall this proves that Japan had their own

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