Imperial Japan in WW2

**Axeman** · February 02, 2008, 12:51 AM

Ok, I realize the Japs where lacking manpower, but they certainly had an excellent navy and airforce, and all thier soldiers where fanatical and well trained, so I have a question....

Why did they strike america, I mean by the time they attacked Peral Harbor they could have invaded Sibiera, destroying alot of Soviet Tank factories in the east, not to mention forcing Russia into a 2 front war due to a split front......

Lets also mention why they didn't fully destroy Nationalist China, or move onto India later
(since alot of the Indian Garisons where transported to the Middle East or North Africa.

EDIT_ OOH I just realize I posted this in the wrong forum, please move it!

**boofhead** · February 02, 2008, 02:25 AM

I think they were stupid. They short-sightedly saw Nazi Germany as a victor. Just as the West had difficulty understanding them, they had a problem the other way. When racialism becomes national policy you can bet major errors will be made.

The West thought of Japanese as myopic buck-toothed monkeys, while the Japs thought of Westerners as fat white hairy pigs waiting to be stuck with a prong.

Both were wrong, and unfortunately the matter had to be slogged out in the battlefield. The Japs were stupid enough to start it. The US finished it.

**jankren** · February 02, 2008, 02:25 AM

Because America was embargoing Japan for attacking China.

**boofhead** · February 02, 2008, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by jankren

Because America was embargoing Japan for attacking China.

America's fault?:hmmm:

**jankren** · February 02, 2008, 03:56 AM

Originally Posted by boofhead

America's fault?:hmmm:

If you think so.

**Medicus** · February 02, 2008, 06:03 AM

Japan needed oil.

They could have just gone ahead and attacked the Dutch East Indies, but no, they had to go for Hawaii.

**boofhead** · February 02, 2008, 06:19 AM

Doc which life are you living now?

The Japanese were being racist and very wicked.

Or what does PC say these days?

**Syron** · February 02, 2008, 08:43 AM

As said, the Japanese wanted to create the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere i.e Japanese empire for a number of reasons. Mainly access to Chinese markets and to the oil which was on Japans doorstep.

The thing is America wasn't exactly going to give up lucrative trade in China, and the US fleet could quite quickly sail across the pacific and give any Japanese empire-building a massive headache, hence pearl harbour.

Though yeh they joined the Nazi's they were really fighting for their own interests, acceptable to the Nazi's because they were helping to take the heat off Germany.

**Lawrence of Arabia** · February 02, 2008, 12:12 PM

The Japanese didn't foresee a long war. They felt that if they destroyed the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, they could force the Americans to sign a treaty that would keep them from interfering with Japan's conquest of Eastern Asia.