August, 1939.
The world was on the edge of its metaphorical seat. The Reich was rising faster than anyone thought possible, and with complete disregard of the treaties put in place to prevent them from doing so. With the rearmament of the Rhineland, the Anschluss, the annexation of Czechoslovakia, all eyes were on The Reich. These were also thought to be the major preludes to the war, even more so than any Italian aggression in Africa. And keep in mind: this was a war which even the major powers didn't want. However, the Reich knew it needed a war for 'Lebensraum'- Living Space.
The Reich was also eying the countries unfortunate enough to share its boarder. The main one being Poland, as The Reich placed more and more demands on it and localized and mobilized troops near and around the boarder.
However, the UK, a vast colony and the victor of the Great War, had warned that if Germany had attacked any more of its neighbors, it meant another all-out war. Even The Prime Minister himself had talked with the Führer, Adolf Hitler, to speak to him about the aforementioned Poland. They were told not to have any major involvement with Poland military-wise. No invasions or anything of the sort. The Führer promised he wouldn't. Hell, the man might as well had swore on it.
The Prime Minister came back to the UK stating that war had been avoided.
The Germans meanwhile had signed a Non-Aggression pact with the Soviets. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. It stated that both countries would not interfere with any of their military expositions for the next ten years.
Did I mention the Soviets also had their eyes on Poland?
However, it wouldn't involve the war if only Europe was involved. Across the globe, to the Land of the Rising Sun, the Empire of Japan was also making moves. Japan had proven themselves to great European powers after defeating the mighty Tsar in war- twice. Still high off the victories, with a thirst for an empire, and confident in success they expanded their territories across Eastern Asia using their grand military. They invaded multiple small islands across the Pacific. Korea and Manchuria was under their grand thumb, taken with a swiftness unexpected from an Asian country. The split, still civil-warring China seemed to be next, an invasion already hitting deep in their lands. They punched all the way to their capitol, Nanking, at which war crimes of an unimaginable scale were carried out. Babies on pikes, mass graves, execution of POWs, Rapes measuring in the hundreds of thousands. "Asia for Asians!" They screamed, saying they were freeing them from oppressive European control. In fact, they were just putting them under a new, far worse type of control.
Japan had as well crested a vast, modern Navy which was the greatest where they lived. This made even the Kriegsmarine blush. However, one nation across the sea at which the Empire expanded into didn't like what they were doing. The United States. Just out of a terrible economic depression, they did not like one bit the expansion. Previously, the League of Nations asked Japan to stop. The main country asking for this was the United States. Japan's response was simple: they'd just leave the League of Nations. You can't listen to what you can't hear.
Japan thought the United States couldn't do anything about it, either. They knew war with them was suicide, but that was if they went to war. The US's military wasn't much spectacular. A good military but had a lot to improve upon. This was made no better by budget cuts made during the Depression. At that time, the US couldn't even afford a good Military.
The US did have one Ace up its sleeve. Japan got over 90 percent of its oil from the US. If that was cut off, the Japanese military wouldn't have enough to last no longer than maybe 5 years.
The US threatened this several times but then again, oil was a big and money making export. Cutting it off also meant it would hurt the US economically. So, they hesitated. They needed money, after all. Why throw it away?
As you know, the German peace and Japanese oil would soon change.