What if the US never embargoed oil exports to Japan?

On July 26th 1941, to weaken the Japanese military in their bloody rampage in Southeast Asia, Franklin D Roosevelt signed into a law a embargo which froze all Japanese assets, including 88% of it's oil, significantly weakening the Japanese economy, but not stopping the bloodshed.

In December, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour. Some believe that this was in retaliation for the oil embargo.

So what would've happened had the US never cut off it's oil to Japan?
 
Supply Japan with oil and Japan is still eventually going to bite the hand that feeds them, just like the Nazis did with the USSR in the lead up to Operation Barbarossa.

It might have delayed the outbreak of WWII in the Asia-Pacific, but if Japan is able to subjugate China, their plan was to dominate East Asia, so war was probably inevitable - just like Hitler was always going to invade the USSR regardless of the circumstances.

Denying Japan oil forced them to attack sooner than what they would've liked to.
 
That's an interesting scenario in itself, without the oil embargo what if all the resources OTL earmarked for the Pacific campaign are thrown against China in 1941-1942?
 
The question is what makes the change? Easy POD is a different, more isolationist President. This means Japan's navy gets lets emphasis and the army gets most the resources. China is the ultimate prize. Is Japan able to throw everything they have into China and win it by 43?
 
Well if this delays Japan attacking the US, then the defenses of the Philippines, Wake, and Hawaii will be a lot higher. The US Navy will have more advanced planes and trained pilots, and the Army will have more time to get tanks, planes, and men into out bases. It might also help the UK to have more time to get Singapore and Burma stocked up.
 
Top