Speaking of the Kwantung Army
- Zhang Zuolin bombing case
- Carry out the Manchurian Incident at your own discretion
- Battle of Khalkhin
It is known that he was involved in the incident that led to the Sino-Japanese War.
This time, I will investigate World War II as seen through the Kwantung Army.
What is the Kwantung Army? ??
The Kwantung Army is one of the general army of the Imperial Japanese Army (it became the general army in 1942), and its predecessor is the Government-General of Kwantung.
Kanto here refers to the concession land after the Russo-Japanese War, the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and the South Manchuria Railway Zone (=Kanto) in present-day China.
Kanto
The Kanto Government-General was created in 1905 to govern the Kanto region.
In 1919, the Government-General of Kwantung was changed to the Kwantung Government, and the military sector was separated. The original army, which was separated by one of the dispatched troops to the outside land, was small.
What was the situation when the Kwantung Army was formed?
After the end of World War I from 1914 to 18 and the division of the Kwantung Army from the Government-General of Kwantung, the global post-war crisis began.
Furthermore, in 1921, the Four-Power Treaty was signed, and the expiration of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance that had been concluded until then became decisive, and the isolation gradually deepened. Moreover, in Japan, the Great Kanto Earthquake overlapped and post-treatment failed, so it became an air that Manchuria was necessary to seek economic stability.
On the other hand, the civil war continued in the Kwantung Army garrison and the neighboring Republic of China. Warlord Era that began in 1916 is. It was an era when several warlords lined up side by side, with Japan, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union behind each other.
Meanwhile, when the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were established in the Republic of China, they cooperated to move northward (= Northern Expedition ) with the aim of unifying China. ) I will continue.
↑ Modified wikipedia "Warlord Era" At this point, Communist Party members have joined the Kuomintang as individuals.
Looking a little further into the world, in 1917 Soviet Lenin ' Self-determination ” Suggested. The following year, the United States self-determination In his speech, he asserts 14 peace principles, including his rights.
This self-determination The idea of spurred the independence movement of China and Korea .. Some people are associated with socialist ideas, and the Soviet Union can be seen and hidden behind them. It was a headache for the Kwantung Army, whose main task was to defend the Kanto region.
* Socialist thought was an idea that it should be an equal society without class and exploitation, and it was unacceptable for Japan because it denied the emperor system and private property.
An incident caused by the Kwantung Army as a response to Northern Expedition
Northern Expedition is not an acceptable situation for Japan and needs to be dealt with.
Therefore, the Cabinet at that time was Zhang Zuolin's support for the top Fengtian clique . Is selected as a remedy for Northern Expedition.
However, Zhang Zuolin As his warlords began to grow stronger, he began accepting support not only from Japan but also from Europe and the United States, especially from the United States, which was late for China.
Under such circumstances, the Kwantung Army will eventually reach its limit of control through the warlords . It seems that he was thinking. The gap between the Cabinet and the Kwantung Army will gradually increase.
During that time, Zhang Zuolin The Fengtian clique was defeated by the Northern Expedition and withdrew from Beijing. Part of the Kwantung Army Zhang Zuolin To steer to the murder.
This happened on June 4, 1928, when the train was blown up on the way back from Beijing to Mukden (Manchuria in Japan) Zhang Zuolin bombing . is.
Zhang Zuolin Bombing Case-From Wikipedia
What is the result of the Zhang Zuolin bombing incident?
It was Zhang Zuolin who succeeded Manchuria after the death of the Fengtian clique. Son Chang Hsueh ..
Chang Hsueh-liang who learned the truth about his father's death Was a hostile force Chiang Kai-shek Will join hands with the Kuomintang and change to a policy to counter Japan. On the other hand, instead of going down to the Kuomintang, he allowed military and political non-interference in Manchuria.
Japan will reduce its influence on Manchuria, and this trend is Manchurian Incident Will lead to.
Outbreak of Manchurian Incident
Zhang Zuolin Two years after his death, the conflict between Japan and China continues. Finally, on September 8, 1931, the Kwantung Army blows up the (Japanese-owned) railroad track of the South Manchuria Railway in the suburbs of Mukden. Manchurian Incident The famous Liutiaohu Incident is.
In the Liutiaohu Incident, the Kwantung Army claimed to be the work of the Northeastern Army, including Chang Hsueh-liang, and began military operations. After that, the Kwantung Army will occupy Manchuria for five months.
- To regain influence on Manchuria (including interests)
- Buffer zone with the Soviet Union
- Preparing for a clash with the United States over the interests of the Republic of China
For the above reasons, Japan wanted to get Manchuria, and in the occupied territory, the abandoned emperor of the Qing dynasty, Puyi Puyi Manchuria was founded I was allowed to.
Puyi Puyi – from Wikipedia
What is the country that will hurt the founding of Manchuria?
The independent Republic of China is natural, but the country that has been particularly hurt is the United States. Since he has been investing since the Zhang Zuolin era and has been behind him, the establishment of Manchuria becomes a troublesome problem from the standpoint of the United States. Of course, the same is true for the United Kingdom, which had a concession right to the Republic of China, and I think it is understandable that the wind on Japan will become stronger.
After the China Incident (Sino-Japanese War), Britain and the United States will support the Kuomintang through the French colony, but it seems that the above circumstances were behind the scenes.
Outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War
Operation Hiratsu – from Wikipedia. The Japanese Army entered the castle after the occupation of Hokudaira
1937 The battle with the Republic of China, which has been skirmishing for a long time, is finally in full swing (although we are not in a situation where we can declare war on both Japan and China, so we call each other "incidents").
The beginning was a clash between the Chinese Garrison Army (one of the armies of the Imperial Japanese Army) and the National Revolutionary Army, but after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident that started the Sino-Japanese War, the military organization was changed and finally the Chinese Garrison Army Is abolished. On the contrary, the Kwantung Army expanded its scale and was promoted from the army to the general army in 1942.
After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, it was the Kwantung Army that was trying to expand the front line in China, and the Chinese Garrison Army was actively trying to ceasefire and make peace.
What is the Nomonhan Incident? ??
As the conflict between Japan and China intensifies, conflicts with the Soviet Union also occur.
- Soviet Union ... Japan and Germany are the biggest potential enemies
- Japan ... The destination of communism is the dismantling of the national polity and the denial of the emperor system
The Battle of Khalkhin broke out from May to September 1939 while skirmishes were occurring for this reason. Japan and the Soviet Union clash over the border between Manchuria and the People's Republic of Mongolian I did.
* The People's Republic of Mongolia was born in 1924 and was a one-party dictatorship socialist country supported by the Soviet Union.
Impact of the Battle of Khalkhin
In the Nomonhan incident, the equipment on the Japanese side was delayed, and the Kwantung Army suffered great damage (one Soviet Union was also severely damaged, but it was cleverly hidden, and Japan thought that it was defeated in the war against the Soviet Union. that's right).
Furthermore, Germany, which was recognized as a hypothetical enemy of the Soviet Union and had an anti-comintern pact with Japan, Germany-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty on August 23. Tie.
For Japan, Germany was considered to be an ally for the purpose of anti-comintern, so it was a shocking event with the news of water in my ears (the saying "Western circumstances are complicated and mysterious" is a word after the German-Soviet non-invasion treaty).
Japan was a big defeat while expanding the front line in the China incident (=later Sino-Japanese War), and the Soviet side was hurt by the occurrence of World War II in Europe and the Battle of Khalkhin. From that, we started to seek a ceasefire with each other and actually signed a ceasefire agreement in September.
This recognition on the Japanese side that they were "greatly defeated by the Soviet Union" later promoted an alliance with Germany , who won consecutive battles in World War II. , The crack with the United States has become decisive There seems to be some indication. In addition, the "Hokushin-ron" in the Army hides the sound, and "Nanshin-ron" becomes a widespread opportunity . It also became.
Conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty
It will be signed between Japan and the Soviet Union in April 1941. The content is
- Mutual non-aggression
- Neutrality of the other when one becomes the target of a third country's military action
- Conservation and mutual inviolability of the territories of Manchuria and the People's Republic of Mongolia Etc.
The treaty is valid for five years and should last until 1946, and with the conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty, the number of people who support "Hokushin-ron" has become a complete minority.
Pacific War and the abolition of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty
In order to solve the stalemate of the Sino-Japanese War, Japan chose to go south after seeing Germany's breakthrough in World War II and the surrender of the Netherlands and France, which have colonies in Southeast Asia. The French Indochina territory was a support route for the Anglo-American Kuomintang, and Japan was stationed in September 1940 (=Northern French Indochina).
The following year, in June 1941, Germany broke the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty and invaded the Soviet Union. In this situation, there was an opportunity to review the policy because there was a Hokushin-ron that Japan should abandon the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty and invade the Soviet Union again, but in the end, I chose the Nanshin-ron theory with priority on securing resources.
When Japan extended its territory to the south as well as the north, the United States embargoed on an embargo on Japan and entered the Pacific War in December 1942.
I will omit the Pacific War, but Japan gradually became inferior due to being overwhelmed by the United States, which is superior in quantity, and the labor shortage became serious at the end of the war. The troops that belonged to the Kwantung Army also turned south and had to mobilize soldiers locally, weakening them Was progressing.
The Soviet Union, which abandoned the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Declaration on August 8, 1945, declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria when the mainland of Japan was gradually in dire straits. The military intelligence unit was informed that the Soviet Union would attack soon, but it is said that it did not have a sense of crisis except for some.
Even a unit with a sense of crisis cannot increase its logistics due to the situation in Japan, and the evacuation of residents may also trigger an invasion of the Soviet Union, so many tragedy will occur without doing anything. .. It seems that there was a pioneer group that did not retreat due to the trust in the Kwantung Army even after the withdrawal order was issued.
When the battle actually begins and you pull back and try to prepare yourself, the residents near the border will be left behind. As a result, there is a story that "the Kwantung Army left civilians and ran away."
Looking at the subsequent battles of the Kwantung Army, I personally feel that there is a strong theory that they are in a good position, but depending on their perspective, I think it can't be helped to be regarded as an escape. If I wanted to, I could give an evacuation order to the residents ...
After that,
- August 14, 1945 Japan accepts the Potsdam Declaration
- August 16, 1945:Stop order for combat activities other than the self-defense war
- August 18, 1945:Stop order for all combat activities
Was sent to the Japanese army, but the war against the Soviet Union will continue for a while. Manchuria, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, Sakhalin, and the four northern islands are under control, and the fighting action will finally end on September 5.
Many Kwantung Army soldiers captured during this war were sent to Siberia for forced labor (= Siberian detention ). ).
On the other hand, indirect rule by GHQ will begin in Japan. Naturally, a scalpel can be put in the Japanese army. In 1945, the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy were dismantled, and in March 1946, the Imperial Police Guard and the Imperial Japanese Army, which had been set up to retain the elite of the former Army, were ordered to disband. It was closed.