I know the story and what happened following, but someone asked me today what the reason for the Japanese attacking was in the first place and I didn't know. All I know is the attacked knowing the Americans would be unaware but could someone give me details about WHY they did it?

It was a war over natural resources. After we stopped supplying them oil and steel, they got all butt hurt about it. This was after they attacked French Indochina (which later became Vietnam).

So they wanted to continually expand and thought we'd be in their way. They thought the attack could take us out once in for all. They were wrong, and a lot of them knew in advance that they'd be "waking a sleeping giant."

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I think Zombie's statement is right.

They wanted Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, under their "sphere of influence", mainly for their raw materials.

They thought if they took out the US Navy, Britain and the other European countries in one swift blow that they would be solidly entrenched before anyone could replace their lost military.

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If they had continued onto California, they just might have succedded in beating us. Their mistake (in my view) was stopping at Hawaii.
(I am glad they did though.)

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