[dfwgator]

I supposed not handing over Hawaii to the Japanese could have been considered to be a “provocation” in some people’s eyes.

[GeronL]

The whole Pacific, not just Hawaii

[muawiyah]

The die was cast when the US cut off oil to Japan. They had about a month's worth to keep their industry going. With no other choice than pulling out of China (no small matter BTW) they used their oil to OPEN THE ROUTE TO INDONESIA which had the oil they needed.

Pearl Harbor was intended to keep the US from doing anything about it.

Boy did they screw up.

Now, let's say that didn't happen and we kept feeding them oil. They had an atom bomb program under way ~ not many results at the time but they understood the concepts behind several different possible atom bombs.

It was just a matter of time and it could have been the Japanese making sure we did not achieve hegemony over the Pacific ocean through adroit threats to use atom bombs on us.

Should I say it ~ naw, wouldn't be fair, naw, go ahead, say it anyway ~ the East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere would have included China, Siberia, Yakutia, Manchuria, SE Asia and probably everything East of the Ganges.

You'd seen Harry Truman signing a START treaty with Japan that would make the US a Nuclear Free Zone.