S. retaliated by freezing Japanese assets and imposed a complete embargo on oil exports to Japan and delivered the 'Hull Note' -- an ultimatum demanding a complete withdrawal from China. Japan considered the act unacceptable and opted for all-out war by attacking Pearl Harbor. (Ibid.) Major Issues of the War:

Fight against Fascism: Fascism gained strength after the WWI. Totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan looked to dominate their neighbors and threatened military occupation. The democratic countries and the Soviet Union fought to stop them.

Resources: The struggle to capture natural resources such as oil, considered necessary for development in an...

Hitler looked to capture the resource rich areas to the east as well as to create Lebensraum ("living space") for the expanding German population. A resource-poor Japan led by militarists had also adopted a policy of expansionism in the Pacific, which was opposed by the U.S.
The Jewish question: Hitler's ideology of exterminating or expelling the Jewish population from Europe was another major issue of World War II.

References

Arima, Y. (2003). "The Way to Pearl Harbor: U.S. v Japan." ICE Case Studies.

December, 2003. Retrieved on November 18, 2006 at http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/japan-oil.htm