Talk:Tone/@comment-129.96.80.134-20150212015555/@comment-5380363-20150803200541

Sorry for the necromancy, but I just had to answer that last comment...

To 180.191.19.63:

History Lesson time~

The true goal of the Japanese War Ministry was to secure enough resources to prevent Russia from regaining foothold in Asia (See: the Russo-Japanese War, culminating in the Battle of Tsushima). The Japanese military sought to use China as a buffer state to prevent Russian expansionism. Back around 1900, Russia wanted a warm water seaport that could be used all year round. Their own closest seaport in the Pacific is Vladivostok, which is only accessible during the summer. Port Arthur (leased to Russia by China) and after the Boxer Rebellion, Russian troops continued to occupy the city while all the other coalition forces withdrew. Japan realized they had to retake the port, or face down Russian troops literally at their doorsteps.

To do that, they needed oil, bauxite and steel. Most of their interwar supplies came from USA (as they were with the Allied Power back then), some of their ships and weaponry were even ordered from England (see: the English Returnee). Japan needed China as a buffer state, so they staged the breakout of hostilities in China (see: The Mukden Incident) as a ruse to invade China and use it as a buffer state. Because of that, USA placed an embargo on resources to Japan because at the time, China was under US protection. Now, Japan doesn't have enough resources to supply the shipbuilders and weapon foundries to equip the fleet and army.

Thus, they plan to strike the US while it still has its guard down, in the meanwhile invade SE Asia to secure a supply of resources (such as oil from Singapore and Brunei) that they could use to resupply their fleet, then sue for peace once the USA is back on its feet while retaining as much land as possible. The need to occupy the Philippines (US territory back then) and the Dutch East Indies was a necessity that they know the Allies weren't going to be happy with. The plan was to sue for peace, return a few countries back to their old owners and keep some with good resources so they could build up their army as a measure of security in dealing with Russia.

Not to say that you were wrong - there were plenty of ultranationalists among the Japanese armed forces back then. To call them all wanting "world domination" is, however, a gross flanderization.