Re: Why / Why-not 1941 Japan Vs. Russia?

Steven Schmid wrote:
On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:21:30 -0400, waltbj01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote
(in article <1156363415.391851.34640@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>):

Odd part about the decision to go South was that the IJN wanted to go
North (Russia) but the Army wanted to go South. Army had more pull in
the Cabinet so South it was. Oops.
Walt BJ


I think this is close. The Navy wanted to go against the US so they
could enact their war plan (capture select locations, then fight the
Grand Battle on their terms as the US fleet, already decimated, had
to cross a whole ocean to encounter the IJN and land based air
forces). The Army wanted to keep up and expand the war in China.

I don't think either branch wanted a war with Russia. There was
nothing in Siberia that interested them. Partially this is because
they got the good parts of "Russian" territory in the Russo-Japanese
war. Those territories were safe from Russian reconquest by the
Russian-German monumental clash, so the Japanese were free to do
something.

The navy won the argument. In a way, of course. ;)

Best Regards,

Steven Schmid
From what I recall from Avin Coox in "Nomonohan", Manchuko was quite a prize
and the Army was pushing for northward movement to secure the territory and
it's resources as well as securing Japans lodgement in China against Russian
intervention.

It wasn't until after Japan's defeat at Nomonohan that the IJN plan for
southern expansion was adopted. Even then, the largest groups of IJA troops
were kept in Manchuria. The troops facing the Russians were gradually drawn
down throughout the war for assignment to other fronts until only a shell
was left, but it took years.

--
dp

.

Relevant Pages

  • South Ossetia: The perfect wrong war
    ... South Ossetia: The perfect wrong war ... Ossetia and Russian units counter attacked across the breaking away ... Caucasus where it would have to commit a ground support. ...
    (alt.politics.bush)
  • Re: Westernization of of Islam
    ... Russia is one country which has carried a war into the enemy?s home, ... Then they harassed his retreating army. ... Chechen Jihadi terrorists) is a challenge to the Russian spirit. ...
    (alt.religion.islam)
  • Re: Where are all the Democrats?
    ... forces versus the Red Army you might have a case. ... The T34/85 was the best tank of the war, ... Soviets had no real strategic air forces. ... So there's two Russian generals sitting in a bar in Paris. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Where are all the Democrats?
    ... U.S. forces versus the Red Army you might have a case. ... It would have been tougher for the Soviets to beat the combined ... war, and the Russians had a lot more of them than any tank we had. ... So there's two Russian generals sitting in a bar in Paris. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Where are all the Democrats?
    ... forces versus the Red Army you might have a case. ... The T34/85 was the best tank of the war, ... Soviets had no real strategic air forces. ... So there's two Russian generals sitting in a bar in Paris. ...
    (talk.origins)