In September, 1939, the Japanese high command was divided into two clan.
The officers of the land forces wished the affontement against the Soviet and had chosen the north strike.
- they wanted their revenges after the defeat of august.
- Russia was the traditional enemy.
The navy wanted to attack in the South.
- They tought their navy was stronger than Royal Navy and US Navy.
- Put the hand on the oil in Asia.
- Cut the supplying of China by attacking Burma and Indo-China.
After a week of debates, Yosuke ( foreign secretaries) and the clan of the Imperial Navy won their point about the south strike and a cease of fire was signed September 15th, 1939.
The Imperial high command thus studied the plan for the north strike.
Yes, it was a risk.
Yes, red army had the advantage of the number.
Yes, the Japanese generals missed spirit of iniative.
But Staline didn’t want the war with Japan because even if he had signed a pact with Germany, he didn’t trust Hitler. Stalin didn’t want to fight on two front because he knows tahnt his army was not ready for a total war.
In april 13th, 1941, Japan and the USSR signs a non-aggression pact but when Germany attacked the USSR in juner 1941, Imperial high command Imperial was again divided about the strategy has to follow…The North or the South?
The embargo of the oil by US goverment and Great Britain in august 1941 was going to seal the debate.
The Imperial staff had decided for a south strike.
Yes, an attack in the South was also very risky.
In fact, the Japanese strategy was to destroy US navy and Royal Navy in the pacfic in a short war to force the US goverment to negociate.
Their purpose was not to invade Washinton or Los Angeles!
In the North, the strategy was not to invading all USSR territories or march over Moscow!
The goal was to force Staline to negociate as the victory of Japan over Russia in 1905.
And as i told you like 6 times already, this game starts AFTER the point of which they made this decision.
Like i didn’t cover the possibility that Hitler might have been assassinated before Sept 1st
Or that Hitler and Stalin didn’t conclude any treaty
Or that FDR was not elected president
Or that Japan didn’t get wiped out fighting Zhukov in the summer of 1939, and decided it was too risky
The truth is what you wrote is covered on wikpedia already.
And you still have not complained about the rules limiting the Russians to attack Germany until turn 3, or USA can’t attack the axis till turn 4. Why?
There are reasons why some things are not possible and why decisions were made otherwise. These decisions are based on very important influences and you completely missed the point regarding how Japan was influenced by their drubbing at the Mongolian border in the summer of 1939. This was the key factor over all others in their decision to avoid a repeat performance.
It exposed the total inadequacy of japanese logistics, which was is very poor shape and the very limited mechanization in their army. And Stalin only took this force away when his spy’s told him that Japan was committed to attack USA.
My game reflects the actual possibilities presented to its players. Japan was bogged down in China and not really making any headway. Russia on the other hand was much better prepared and defending in much better terrain.
In my game Japan can of course start her war against USA on turn 1, but that would also be stupid. The reason why this is allowed is because Japan didn’t undertake any discussions against fighting USA in 1939 before the start date. But relative to Soviet Union they did make these decisions and it was not to engage them because they were not prepared. The only other time they considered this again was near the end of 1941, which in my game allows them to attack.
So my game in only concerned with realistic possibility and not speculative ‘what if’ because anybody can extrapolate anything from the latter… including NAZI flying saucers, death rays, Godzilla, etc.
I don’t do Fantasy
