I blame the Vichy French for letting the Japs have their bases in Indochina, which made it possible for them to strike The Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, which was the main reason for them attacking Pearl, to head off the US from intervening.
Yes, indeed. There is a scene in the excellent movie about Pu Yi’s life (well worth the time, with Peter O’Toole in it as a teacher)— “The Last Emperor of China”. In the scene a dyke type chinese court “fast girl” running around Manchuquo with Jap officers and smoking piles of opium— from French Indochina. Often not spoken about— the Golden Triangle existed before during and after WWII and the Japanese milked the cash from it in their conquest— and after China wanted it to and so did the Soviets. So a proxy civil war the US could not stay out of developed. The Soviets won, because the ancient traditional enemy of Vietnam-— is now and was then... China. Some stray thoughts but this came to mind about the Vichy French (who were in that trade up to their necks).