Question

What were the objectives in European colonization?

Answer 1

Japan had long been the major force in the pacific region, had fought wars with russia and china over it and by the 1920s occupied large parts of china and manchuria. By now the usa was an emerging industrial giant and with the opening of the Panama had grown very fast with rapid transit from east to west coasts.The usa began to flex its small but growing military muscle and began to build naval bases in Honolulu and the philipines. It was obvious that both Japan and the US had designs on control of the pacific. Japan was very worried at the speed of US naval growth. When this industrial colossus turned its resources to building weapons of war it was staggering. Japan could wait no longer,every day the US military was growing. Japan occupied the Philipines and forced the US [ GEN. D. McArthur ] to withdraw with the intent to reduce US expansion in the Pacific. Japanese envoys were in the US trying to work out a plan to find some common ground to settle the pacific matter when Japan struck again, without warning or prior declaration of war. This time with devastating results. The US Pacific Fleet was destroyed in Pearl Harbour.

Answer 2

Eric, your last two dates are confused. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and invaded the Phillipines the next day, 8 December. The US forces there, under General MacArthur, and allied Filipino forces resisted fiercely, and the fight lasted until the Battle of Corregidor in May 1942. MacArthur was ordered out by FDR in March of 1942 as the situation became hopeless.