Who were the Japanese really fighting before the Americans in WW2?

Question:

Answer:

The Japanese invasion of China - the real beginning of WW2 - was to establish a base for the invasion of Russia, and the seizing of the Russian oil-fields. They DID invade Russia, but were heavily defeated at Nomohan, which meant that, to acquire the vitally-important oil supplies - America now had imposed an embargo too - they had to strike at the Dutch and British East Indies - the other "local" source of oil.. The possibility of American intervention meant that a "premptive strike" against the USA was necessary, at the same time as the landings in Malaya, Sumatra, Java etc.