What was the underlying cause of the war between the US and japan 1941 to 1945?

Answer 1

The main event was the surprise military attack carried out by the Japanese military against Pearl Harbor naval base in 1941. This forced the United States to enter the Second World War and caused many conflicts between Japan and USA.

Second Answer:

The Japanese attacked the United States on December 7, 1941 (east of International Date Line) or on December 8th west of the date Line.

The primary reason for Japan's attack (on the US, the British Empire & the Dutch) was the Japanese Army's obsession with their on-going brutal conquest of China. The United States had been taking diplomatic and economic steps against Japan for several years to convince (or force) the Japanese to end their war of conquest in Asia. The Japanese Army actually controlled the Japanese Government since the early 1930's. The Japanese Army refused to end its war of conquest & extreme brutality in China.

Beyond China, the Japanese Army had plans to take advantage of the weakness of the British, French, Dutch & Soviet Union in Asia because of Hitler's conquests in Europe. The Japanese wanted to be free of American interference, and create a vast Asian empire that would have eventually included China, eastern Siberia, Mongolia, Korea, Formosa, Indo-China, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, & New Guinea; and possibly India.

The Japanese military thought that the best way to keep the United States from interfering in their plans in Asia, was to deliver a surprise attack on various US bases throughout the Pacific to do as much damage to the US Military capability in the Pacific. At Pearl Harbor, they intended to sink as many battleships, cruisers & aircraft carriers as possible. At Manila they intended to follow-up with an invasion and capture of the Philippines. At Wake Island they intended to seize the island. The Japanese also attacked the bases, ships & troops of the British Empire. All this was intended to persuade the United States & Britain to negotiate a settlement giving the Japanese most of the western Pacific territories, and most of Asia. They hoped that the US & Britain would not want to fight a prolonged & costly war in Asia to liberate what territory the Japanese could capture in the first six months of the war.

Answer 2

The cause of the U.S-Japanese war was that the Japanese bombed the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor.

They attacked when no one was suspecting, thinking that the United States would not be able to retaliate. The U.S did retaliate, creating the Pacific Front in World War II.

Answer 3

Japanese expansion into the Pacific