American officials wanted concrete concessions as proof of good faith, while Japanese leaders needed to avoid appearing to yield before talks began. Tokyo was prepared to send its prime minister to meet Roosevelt, but announcing concessions first could display weakness and dishonor the emperor. Memories of the Washington Naval Treaty sharpened that sensitivity because preliminary restraint had been interpreted domestically as surrender before bargaining began. The resulting impasse shows why diplomatic signals that appeared reasonable in Washington could be politically lethal in Tokyo.
Chapter · 19:30-25:48
The diplomatic trap of demanding concessions before talks
Japanese and American expectations for August 1941 negotiations clashed over whether concessions had to come before a leaders' meeting.