Posted on 10/06/2022 10:29:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Manchukuo, Chinese Manzhouguo, puppet state created in 1932 by Japan out of the three historic provinces of Manchuria (northeastern China). After the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), Japan gained control of the Russian-built South Manchurian Railway, and its army established a presence in the region; expansion there was seen as necessary for Japan’s status as an emerging world power. In 1931 the Japanese army created an excuse to attack Chinese troops there, and in 1932 Manchukuo was proclaimed an “independent” state. The last Qing emperor was brought out of retirement and made Manchukuo’s ruler, but the state was actually rigidly controlled by the Japanese, who used it as their base for expansion into Asia. An underground guerrilla movement composed of Manchurian soldiers, armed civilians, and Chinese communists opposed the occupying Japanese, many of whom had come over to settle in the new colony. After Japan’s defeat in 1945 the settlers were repatriated.
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Japan definitely got its nose bloodied by the bear in 1939.
Quite often in reading of this era, I’ve wondered, “What were they thinking!?” with regard to the northern strategy. You can’t just eat China. Korea, sure. China...nope. It’s a dog chasing a truck scenario.
However, their soldiers and pilots got a lot of practice out of it, and a few years later they were able to mop the floor with the British and Dutch in Malaysia, not to mention the natives.
What they needed to wage war was always in the south. To this day, the shipping lanes are potentially very problematic for China, and that’s in spite of pipeline technology.
I guess a lot of the military were suffering from the Maginot Line fallacy, looking backward to yesterday’s problems to guide them with today’s challenges.
But heck, they hadn’t even the people needed to take over any substantial piece of China. There were half a billion Chinese at the time, iirc. What were they thinking!
What the navy needed was in the south. Army leadership was rabidly anti communist and wanted to take after the USSR until their ardor was dampened and credibility reduced by Khalkhin Gol.
Anyway, Japan defeating China was about as likely as was Japan defeating the US. What were they thinking, indeed.
Zhukov! The guy who titled his memoirs, “Memoirs,” when “How I Worked for Stalin & Lived to a Ripe Old Age” was available.
And what the army needed was the navy!
The more tanks, trucks and planes Japan churned out for war in China, the sooner they'd be jonesing for oil. Where's the oil coming from? Without it, how many paperweights do they need?
If you recall the link, I'd like to see that.
I tend to agree.
I’ve been trying to find it. Thought I’d posted it here back at the time, but have yet to find it.
Thanks!
IJA required about a quarter to a third of what the navy used, and Manchukuo produced about a million tons of oil in ‘41.
I have no idea if this would’ve been enough, I suspect not.
They needed about 20x that, before Pearl Harbor. After Pearl, probably 40 million would have been necessary. And what they had in Manchuria wasn't exactly Texas tea.
Their ships were burning Borneo crude oil right out of the ground by 1944.
At least they gave Pu Yi something to do with his spare time.
ah, it was on Prime.
Kanji Ishiwara: The Man Who Triggered the War
52min
2018
https://www.amazon.com/Kanji-Ishiwara-Man-Who-Triggered/dp/B07P7YBJQB
That sounds great. Thanks for remembering and sending the link!
My pleasure. I stumbled across it in my viewing history, which cleared it up, I’d thought it had been on YT and hadn’t been able to find it.
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