US President Donald Trump on Thursday startled Japan's prime minister by mentioning the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, a seemingly light-hearted remark sure to elicit unease in a country now a firm US…
Pretty sure it was still going to be a surprise, just not zero warning. Iirc their goal was delivering the declaration minutes before the first planes arrived.
It was never a surprise.
The US, that never tolerates economic competition froze Japanese assets and subsequently imposed a total oil embargo in response to Japan’s occupation of French Indochina, cutting off roughly 88–94% of Japan’s oil supply.
That was almost a declaration of war.
They wanted war with Japan.
Moving the fleet to a remote place in the middle of the ocean was seen as insanity since it was a sitting duck.
Pretty sure it was still going to be a surprise, just not zero warning. Iirc their goal was delivering the declaration minutes before the first planes arrived.
It was never a surprise.
The US, that never tolerates economic competition froze Japanese assets and subsequently imposed a total oil embargo in response to Japan’s occupation of French Indochina, cutting off roughly 88–94% of Japan’s oil supply.
That was almost a declaration of war.
They wanted war with Japan.
Moving the fleet to a remote place in the middle of the ocean was seen as insanity since it was a sitting duck.