Many adults and students think that Japan only entered WW2 when they bombed Pearl Harbour. You may well think : why should I care, or so what. I often write that a knowledgeable person is interesting, as they can participate in conversations and add to it. Knowledge is power. Some say "I hate history". Why though? Today is tomorrow's history!! When speaking to friends now that we're a bit older they always wish they'd learnt more about history and geography. I would feel a right simpleton if I couldn't participate in discussions. Reading other's articles is most interesting and enlarge my general knowledge.
This utterly cruel dictatorship as mentioned was Japan. While the rest of the world was working towards peace, Japan was busy violating every treaty of peace deliberately. Their dictatorship runs almost parallel with Hitler's dictatorship. A military leader, Hashimoto said the following, addressing young men. "We are like a great crowd of people packed into a small, narrow room and there are only 3 possible escape routes. The first has been barred to us by the anti - Japanese immigration policies. The 2nd door is pushed shut by tarrif barriers. Japan should rush upon the last door of expansion of territory. " This door of expansion was China.
To get perspective here, we need to know more about China during this time. There were 450 million people China, the biggest country in the world other than Russia. What sort of people were they:
Never waged war against another country.
Developed their own printing presses.
Masters of astronomy and astrology.
Invented a mariners compass.
Porcelain. The cups we use for tea, plates for dinners etc.
Gunpowder for festivals.
The book of Confucius. One of his statements is : What you don't want for yourself, don't do to others. They sound like they were a good sort of people to me!
China was part of the Allies and had small areas of British, French and others to aid their policing. The problem with China was that they were not a nation, but a huge crossword puzzle. They managed to rid the country of warlords and communists. Mao Zedong and Chiang battled each other in 1931, but could not come to an agreement.
Japan had the Tanaka Plan, the blueprint of world domination. In order to conquer the world they first had to take China. First, Manchuria for all the raw material it held, then the 2nd phase, their manpower. China would be the back that Japan would ride on to world domination. How could a tiny island people like the Japanese seize a country so vast?
The answer lies in the fact that they were not a nation. Japan, on the other hand had a ferocious war machine. Well trained soldiers, armour, tanks, warships, fighter planes etc. They wanted China's coal, iron and tin. That's why they could attack a country 6 times their size. In 1931 they took Manchuria, not without a fight though. They next attacked Shanghai. Here the Japanese had to with draw, stopped by the Chinese armies, only for a while though. The Chinese knew that the great Wall would save them or untrained, unarmed people.
Japan counted on the fact that China was not a nation yet. When they attacked next they had an alibi. Apparently a Japanese soldier was kidnapped by a China man. That had to be avenged. So in 1937 the fighter plane bombings started. Their main aim, civilians. They would massacre 30,000at at a time. They raped, tortured and butchered innocents.
This was the time that China became a nation with a purpose to fight back. They took all they could on oxcarts, trains, boats etc. Then they burnt and destroyed everything behind as to leave nothing for the Japanese. They went upon their track for thousands of miles. At their destination, they had to build roads through mountains by hand, they cut out enormous Caves for the people and factories. Their only supply line was Burma. They built a road as to get their supplies. This was also bombed eventually.
At this time the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and became part of the Axis, Germany, Japan and Italy. With their attention diverted, China used all the time to build up a fine country. They built schools, hospitals and all other necessities to make for a well - run country and nation. We all know or should know the lot of Japan.
Sources : World History, YouTube, Own content, Pixabay, Google Images.