World War II, along with its many battles, caused great tensions between two of the most powerful countries during the 1940s: the United States and Japan. The conflict between these two countries began with Japan pushing beyond China's borders into Manchuria in search of the natural resources Japan lacked. At first, the United States avoided military action against Japan by waging economic warfare. This economic pressure included the passage of the Neutrality Act, which prohibited the sale of arms to nations at war (Nash 513). Additionally, the United States imposed an oil embargo on Japan in the hope that it would force the latter to end its military operations in China. Japan, at a critical moment, decided to bomb the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. At 6 a.m. on December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor, destroying America's most powerful battleships, killing thousands, and destroying hundreds of aircraft (Sherman). The day after Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan. Over the next few years, the United States and Japan fought fierce battles for dominance of the Pacific Ocean. One of the most important battles of the United States-Japanese War was the Battle of Midway. Japan was destroying the United States at sea, until the Battle of Midway gave the American Pacific Fleet an advantage over Japanese forces. The Battle of Midway was the most important naval engagement of World War II: it was a decisive battle that established the United States as the dominant naval power in the Pacific and marked a turning point in World War II for the United States. The motive for Japan's plan to attack Midway Island was to claim a dominant power over the Pacific Ocean and to...... middle of paper ......ary B. American Odyssey: The United States United in the 20th century. New York, 2002. 513. Print Newark, Timothy. Turning the Tide of War: 50 Battles That Changed the Course of Modern History. London: Hamlyn, 2001. 112-15. Print.Nicholas, Walter. Interviewed by Lewis G. Schmidt. Interview with Walter Nicolas. October 10, 1989. the web. March 14, 2014. “From now on, it is the Japanese who will remember Pearl Harbor.” Daily Boston Globe June 7, 1942: D1 ProQuest. Internet. March 13, 2014. “Pacific Situation Declared Facilitated by Battle of Midway.” Los Angeles Times June 10, 1942: 2 ProQuest. Internet. March 13, 2014.Sherman, Frederick “Sherman Tells the Inside Story of the Battle of Midway.” » Historical newspaper. ProQuest Historical Journal. ICON. Internet. March 17, 2014. Symonds, Craig. “Mitscher and the Midway Mystery.” June 2012: 46. Historical reference center. EBSCO host. Internet. March 18 2014.