On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, abruptly changing the course of history. The assault on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was a major military victory for Japan, forcing the United States to enter World War II.

Only 23 years had passed since the end of World War I until Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, during which time U.S. politics, culture, and traditions had undergone significant changes. In the 1920s, Americans elected Republican Warren G. Harding as president, reflecting widespread fatigue with Democratic President Wilson’s progressive policies. Congress rejected Wilson’s proposals for the U.S. to join the League of Nations and play a leading role in international affairs.

In 1941, Japan demanded that Britain close the Burma Road. In July of the same year, Japan took over French Indochina, violating British and American interests in South Asia. In response, the U.S. imposed a comprehensive embargo on Japan and demanded that Japan withdraw from the territories it had occupied in China since 1931. Because Japan relied on the U.S. for 80% of its oil, it gambled on attacking the United States, sparking the Pacific War.