German-Japanese Alliance

The German-Japanese alliance during World War II was made official in September of 1940, a full year after the start of the war in Europe. However, the German Japan relationship dates back to 1936, when Hitler sent Joachim von Ribbentrop to sign the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan. The Anti-Comintern Pact was an agreement between Germany and Japan to thwart the spread of communism. This was the beginning of the Axis alliance, and Italy joined in late 1936. In case of an attack by the Soviet Union against Germany or Japan, these two countries would back each other. Germany ensures that it would have an ally in event of a Soviet attack, and Japan had Germany recognize its puppet regime in Manchuria. Hitler broke the terms of this pact in 1939 when he signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Soviet Union. At this point, Hitler was planning the invasion of Poland and wanted to ensure he would have to fight a two front war. By 1940, Hitler's glare had reached the Soviet Union again and his hatred for communism began to boil. He informed the Soviet Union that he will be joining the alliance with Japan and Italy, but was non- aggression towards the Soviet Union. (Fuller, pg. 201)

The three power pact was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan on September 27, 1940. The pact basically states that these three countries will work together to establish and maintain a new order of things to promote the mutual prosperity of its people. The pact included six articles, the first two states that Japan will respect the leadership of Germany and Italy in Europe, and Germany and Italy will respect Japan's control in East Asia. The sixth article also states that the pact will be in place for 10 years, at which time the parties could work towards a renewal.

This pact benefited both the Germans and the Japanese. Ever since the late 19th century, Japan has been trying to gain territory at the expanse of Russia and China on mainland Asia. It succeeded in gaining influence without ever defeating those two countries and in 1941, tried to do the same in East Asia. Japan's plan was first disarming the US pacific fleet before moving southward and eastward to occupy Malaya, the Netherlands Indies, the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, the Gilbert Islands, Thailand, and Burma. (Fuller, pg. 235) By occupying these strategic areas, Japan would hope it could create a defensive perimeter that the Allies would not be able to penetrate. This in itself was a strategic mistake as they grossly under estimated the resolve of the Americans. By 1942, the Japanese had established their intended perimeter and was remarkably successful in their military endeavors. However, their attack did not limit the US navy as they had hoped, and had not disheartened the American people. The Allies did not sought peace with the Japanese, but instead fought on a united front. The US created a line of communication from the Pacific to Australia, and bombers from the continent down-under harassed the Japanese base at Rabaul. Once the Allies were able to attack the Japanese perimeter from all sides, Japan could not perform enough means to defend and sustain all the key positions. The key turning point in the Pacific came at the battle of Midway, north of Hawaii. Perceiving that their position in the Pacific was threatened, the Japanese tried to extend their perimeter once again in the spring of 1942 and cut off the Allies south Pacific communication line. However, they were defeated by the US at the battle of Midway and lost a bulk of their best navel pilots and planes. After this point, Japan was never on the offensive again in terms of expanding their control, but concentrated on strengthening their perimeter defense. (Fuller, pg. 256)

Japanese involvement on mainland Asia began with the Sino-Japanese War. The small scale conflict began in July of 1937 but was made into a full scale war by the atrocious actions of the Kwantung army (the Japanese armed forces in Manchuria.) The Japanese forces succeeded in occupying almost the whole coast of China and committed severe war atrocities on the Chinese population, especially during the fall of the capital Nanking. This event came to be known as the Nanking massacre. Japanese soldiers rapped and murdered hundreds of thousands of the Chinese populous and made a sport out of executing the Chinese.

In Togo Shigenori's The Cause of Japan, the author states "Japan's professed purpose in entering into the alliance was "to facilitate the settlement of the China Affair." (Shigenori, pg. 41) The argument was that Japan was convinced that the United States is becoming more and more supportive of China, and for the China affair was to be won, the US has to be defeated. The Axis pact was a deterrent for the US to become involved in the battle for Asia, as the US would not only receive repercussion from Japan, but also Japan's allies. In March of 1941, Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke visited the Axis capitals to improve the relations between these three nations. The alliance with Germany was very popular in Japan, and many felt that the Axis pact would last forever. This sentiment was not only felt by the populous, but was very widely accepted in intellectual circles as well. This was a direct result of Japanese propaganda, but more astonishingly, of German propaganda. At this time, Germany was making great gains in Europe, and national morale was high. Many Japanese did not want to miss out on the massive gains Germany was making. Japan felt that by establishing an alliance with Germany, it could solve many of its international difficulties. It would gain ally against the Communist Soviet Union, restrain the United States by force, and through that, negotiate an end to the China Affair. In actuality, the pact was a division of the world into three. The Japanese at the time failed to realize that this would include hostility towards the United States, and negotiation over China would be impossible.

Germany's military advances during the early stages of the war were a key step to a successful alliance for the Axis. (Pelz, p.212) Germany's decisive defeat of France not only occupied the major armies of Europe, but occupied the British navy. By 1940, the Japanese navy's construction program was at full capacity and there was strong pressure in the Diet for southern advance. Even before the navy program was completed, many leaders in Japan raised a possible military alliance with Germany. Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke was sent to Germany to begin negotiations with the Germans. (Pelz, pg. 216) Hitler requested that Japan strike Britain's East Asian possessions immediately, but Japan's admirals did not feel they were ready. They used their leverage with the Axis to hold off the ally powers. Japan was