December 7, 1941 was a date that lived in infamy; it’s a date on which 2,400 Americans lost their lives needlessly. Several military ships were destroyed and millions of dollars in military equipment were lost. It is a date that this great nation has not yet forgotten. No one could have imagined that something so horrible would happen that day on American soil. The United States of America was a neutral party in the war at the time. This attack caused a turning point in the war. The decisions made that day by President Franklin D. Roosevelt could be considered one of the most critical moments in presidential history. The first 24 hours following that day's attack were crucial, and President Roosevelt responded that day with calm, deliberate, and decisive decisions. The United States declared war on the Empire of Japan and joined the fight in Europe against Nazi Germany and the Axis Alliance. The American people mobilized with a vengeance and united to defend themselves. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the path to war with Japan began in the 1930s. The Empire of Japan was attempting to expand its empire across the Pacific and into China. In 1931, Japan conquered Manchuria, which was part of China, and launched an unsuccessful campaign to capture the rest of China. Japan allied itself with Nazi Germany in 1940. At that time, the United States had economic and political interests in East Asia. The United States has added financial and military aid to China, while strengthening its own military presence in the Pacific. They cut off shipments of raw materials and oil to Japan. Japan was very limited in its natural remedies and perceived the US oil embargo and aid to China as a threat. Japan's response was to conquer the resources...... middle of paper ......r Clash", 2014) Works Cited Naval History and Heritage. (1991). Retrieved from http://www. history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htmWeather played a role in the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 2011). -cloudy-skies-during-pea/58654Pearl Harbor clash the untold story history channel documentary [Web] (2014). Pearl Harbor (December 6, 2013). Retrieved from http://assolutatranquillita.blogspot.com/2012/12/eleanor-roosevelt-and-pearl-harbour.htmlRemembering Pearl Harbor Histroy (2001). www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/history/pearlharbor_timeline.html This reporter (February 2, 2007)./513/