The oil embargos and the move of the Pacific Fleet to Pearl Harbor were in direct response to the Japanese occupation of French Indo-China. In addition to Japan’s ongoing invasion of China.
That act surrounded the Commonwealth of the Philippines (American territory) on three sides with Japanese controlled territory.
America would have been at war with Japan with the first bomb landing in the Philippines, Guam, or Wake. Pearl Harbor was not needed, and almost didn’t happen, since it was a supporting act to the invasion of Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines.
FDR provoked nothing, he responded appropriately to defend our nation.
You can criticize his domestic policies all you want, but he was right on the money in dealing with Germany and Japan.
“FDR provoked nothing, he responded appropriately to defend our nation.”
And it worked. If they fleet had not been there Japan could’ve simply invaded Hawaii and held it. And then their fleets would be hanging out off the west coast and the panama canal and the US would’ve been Effed.
It was the right move, and I doubt it was FDR’s idea anyway.