Why was japan so desperate for oil? (what did it use oil for?)

After Hitler invaded Russia in June 1941, Japan moved into southern Indochina. FDR ordered all Japanese assets frozen. But FDR did not want to cut off oil. As he told his Cabinet on July 18, an embargo meant war, for that would force oil-starved Japan to seize the oil fields of the Dutch East Indies.(oil and gas are used widely in modern life. Oil fuels the cars, trucks and planes that underpin modern economies and lifestyles. ... Nearly all pesticides and many fertilisers are made from oil or oil byproducts. Gas provides electricity and is also used for cooking, heating houses and buildings, and heating water.)

1. ford: gerald ford´s presidency, from 1974 to 1977, faced high inflation, named it public enemy nº1, and created the win program (whip inflation now).

2. carter: president from 1977 to 1981, carter had controversial poitions over abortion, but yet, he enforce the roe vs wade decision, which had pro-choice content.

3. reagan. for his eloquency and powerful speeches in his mandates, from 1981 to 1989, reagan earned this nickname, “the great communicator” .

4. george h w bush: despite many presidents had important roles in managing and trying to end the cold war, it was in bush sr's mandate that the berlin wall was materially destroyed, and he was visited by gorbachev in the uspresident from 1989 to 1993.

5. clinton: defense of marriage act. clinton signed this controvesial act, which defined marriage and spouses in strict heterosexual perspective, that was later declard unconstitutional by the us supreme court.

6. george w bush: in the begining of his presidency, which lasted until 2009, bush jr faced the greatest terrorist attacks in us and probably the worlds history, in september, 11 of 2001.

7. obama: in attempts to cease a great economical crisis, barack obama signed the controversial recovery act in february 2009, which handled 780-billion dollars.