In the second part of a two-part series, the history of Japan from before this era is discussed to understand the context and let's call the national psyche of Japan during this time period. The episode also explores the reasons behind the attack on Pearl Harbor and the US decision to cut off Japan's supply of fuel and other raw materials that ultimately led to the outbreak of war.
In this episode, historian James McLean discusses the economic cold war the US waged against Japan in the years leading up to Pearl Harbor and the differing views among US government officials on whether economic sanctions could prevent war.
This episode discusses the concept of the ultimatum that the United States reportedly gave Japan, demanding that they leave China or the US would cut off their raw materials and oil, as well as the Japanese construct that created an artificial time deadline and the role it played in Japan's decision to go to war.