Before the outbreak of the Second World War, if we looked around Asia, we found an interesting but somewhat poignant phenomenon: very few countries in the whole of Asia had independent sovereignty.
Meiji Restoration
At that time, there were only China, Japan, and Siam (because the name of the country was changed during World War II, we will collectively call it "Siam").
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan's national strength increased greatly, followed by the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War and the victory of the Russo-Japanese War, which also made Japan jump into the ranks of the world's great powers. As the leading power in Asia at that time, Japan's independent sovereignty "gold content" was still very high.
China has a long history, but since the end of the Qing Dynasty, it has gradually become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country. However, the old China was also a victorious power in the First World War, at least on the surface, a country with independent sovereignty, but it was not "autonomous" and had to be marked with a question mark (there were still many "concessions" in old China at that time).
Aside from China and Japan, one of the most incomprehensible sovereign states is Siam (Thailand).
In the early years, he survived in the "cracks" of the British and French colonies, and his life was not bad.
Beginning with the establishment of the Sukhothai Dynasty in 1238 AD, Siam went through the Sukhothai Dynasty, the Ayutthaya Dynasty, the Thonburi Dynasty, and the Bangkok Dynasty, and gradually evolved into a Southeast Asian power with its own unique culture and history.
But from the 16th century onwards, colonialists such as Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, and France invaded Southeast Asia, and Siam was not able to "stand alone" in that environment.
But by the end of the 19th century, the fifth king of the Bangkok Dynasty, Chulalongkorn, felt that it was not a matter of continuing like this, and that sooner or later his militaryly weak country would be "eaten away" by the Western powers. As a result, the king began to absorb a lot of advanced experience from the West and began a series of social reforms in Siam, as in Japan.
At the same time, in order to divide the interests of the colonies in Southeast Asia, Britain and France have been making "chickens and dogs restless"! But this gave Siam some room to live.
In 1896, Britain and France formally signed a treaty in which Siam, as a buffer state between British Burma and French Indochina, was not allowed to touch either country. In this way, Siam was fortunate to become the only country in Southeast Asia that did not become a colony at that time.
Therefore, although Siam's surroundings have always been full of crises, siam's identity as a "British and French colonial buffer country" has made this Southeast Asian country popular. Although Britain and France wanted to capture this Siam into their own hands, but who could not defeat the other, in this case, Siam's own attitude became very important.
As a result, Siam began the road of "swinging" between Britain and France, and practiced a good kung fu of "stepping on two boats". One day the British were a little angry with themselves, and Siam went to make friends with france and killed the British. If the French had a bad temper again, Siam would come back to the British to deal with the French.
The small country of Siam (a large country in Southeast Asia) survived in this way in the face of the two Western powers, Britain and France, and the small life was not bad. However, Siam actually understood that this was not a long-term solution, and he was tired of "running around"!
So, they began to look for an Asian big brother to "hug a thigh" in order to completely end this "life on the tip of the knife" day.
After the outbreak of World War II, the Siamese government of Luang Phibun began to "throw a flattering eye" at Japan.
After Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the Japanese victory made Siam's eyes light up: Isn't this the "big brother" that he thinks about day and night? And everyone was yellow-skinned and black-haired, and they actually defeated the "yellow-haired and white-skinned" Russians.
Japanese general in the Russo-Japanese War
Since then, Siam has deliberately and indecisively thrown a "wink" at Japan to show his "reverence" for Japan. As for the "flattery" of this small Southeast Asian country, the Japanese people also feel very comfortable in their hearts and accept it completely.
In the 1930s, at the instigation of the Japanese, Siam launched an armed invasion of the French colony of Cambodia at the time, once occupying Battambang Province, including present-day Siem Reap. After Siam successfully recovered some of its territory, both the government and the people felt good about Japan.
The Siamese government even openly declared: What forces will be used to maintain peace in East Asia? It depends on the "friendly relations" between Japan and Thailand. (Really speechless)
Luan Phibun Songkan
In June 1932, the Siamese People's Party staged a coup d'état to establish a "constitutional monarchy" government. In 1938, Luang Phibun Songkham became Prime Minister of Siam. In June 1939, Siam changed its name to Thailand, meaning "Land of Freedom".
The artillery-turned-Luan Phibun had studied in Europe, so he was deeply influenced by European fascist ideas. After he came to power, Siam became a "loyal fan" of Japan. In Luang Phibun's view, the idea of "expelling white skin and expanding Thailand" actually coincides with the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" proposed by the Japanese.
In addition, many Siamese at that time believed that the imperialist countries that posed the greatest threat to themselves were Britain and France, and Japan, which was also an Asian country, would be their friends. (Speechless again)
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese army attacked Pearl Harbor and declared war on both Britain and the United States at the same time, and the Pacific War officially broke out! On December 8 of the same year, the Japanese prepared a military operation in Siam against the British forces in Southeast Asia.
At 3:30 a.m. on December 8, Japan issued an "ultimatum" to Siam, after which the Japanese landed on the coastline south of Siam. At first, the resistance of the Siamese army was extremely fierce, and another "anti-aggression war" seemed to be about to be staged.
However, after only a few hours, the exchange of fire between the two sides came to an abrupt end! It turned out that Luan Phibun was very crisp after learning of the Japanese landing, and he immediately issued an order to the border troops: do everything possible to facilitate the Japanese army.
Subsequently, the Government of Siam Luang Phibun publicly stated: "Welcome the Japanese army to attack the British army of Burma and Malaysia through the way of the country." This statement and "god assist" of Siam in the war surprised the Japanese people, and even had a hint of "touching".
The Luang Phibun government was willing to be Japan's "little brother," but it couldn't help at all.
But who were the Japanese troops during World War II?
They are not good stubble, and they can do anything for their own strategic interests.
If the Japanese wanted to control Malacca and thus all of Southeast Asia, Siam had to take it, not "borrow the road." As a result, Japan soon treacherously said to Siam: "We will garrison troops in your country."
At that time, the positive cooperation attitude of the Siamese Luang Phibun government surprised the Japanese!
The Siamese Government agreed to Japan's terms, and in this case Japan dismissed the idea of a full-scale occupation of Siam. They believed that the country could be "co-opted", so soon after the Japanese army entered Siam, the Luan Phibun government signed an "alliance treaty" with Japan "half pushed and half done":
On January 25, 1942, Siam followed Japan in declaring war on Britain and the United States, and announced that the country had joined the Axis camp.
However, this act of the Siamese Luang Phibun government was destined to be "unpopular": at that time, many elites in Siam actually knew that Luang Phibun was "digging its own grave"! As a result, they have said they want to distance themselves from the Siamese "pro-Japanese faction" one after another.
Luang Phibun (Middle)
For example, Siam's ambassador to the United States at the time: Sheni Bammo, refused to convey Siam's "declaration of war" against the United States. A press conference was held in Washington on December 12, 1941: Ambassador Soni announced that he and the pro-Japanese government of Siam Luang Phibun had since severed ties.
To tell the truth, at that time, Japan did maintain a kind of "friendliness" to Siam out of its own long-term interests. The relationship between Japan and Siam was actually very similar to the "Nazi Germany and Italy" in Europe at that time.
Luang Phibun was overjoyed and decided to send troops to support Japan in the Pacific War. However, the Siamese soldiers were shocked: we could not even fight the French army that had surrendered, but now we were going to fight Britain and the United States, and this was not pushing us into the fire pit?
Chinese anti-Japanese soldiers
Therefore, the Japanese army later let these Siamese troops fight the Chinese army nearby. But as a result, they did not take a few steps after they set out, and they were beaten back by the Chinese army, and some Siamese soldiers were even too scared to take their guns during the battle.
At this time, the Japanese army also knew that its so-called "little brother" had no combat effectiveness at all. Therefore, the Japanese army later let them do a model on the front line, which means that it is enough.
When Japan was about to be defeated, Siam let the world see: What is "seeing the wind and making the rudder"?
In May 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered in defeat and Hitler committed suicide. At this time, the Japanese army's life in the Pacific Theater was not good! The Japanese mainland, including Tokyo, was also constantly bombarded by U.S. bombers.
In this case, Siam also smelled the crisis around him: Japan's defeat was almost a foregone conclusion, and it was necessary to quickly draw a line with Japan, otherwise the consequences would be very serious. Soon after, Luang Phibun was impeached by the Siamese Parliament, and Luan Phibun quickly announced his resignation by "falling down the donkey".
In fact, all this is just a means for Luang Phibun and the Siamese high-level to play.
Subsequently, Siam declared "in a clear sense of the times" that it would abandon the northern Malay and Shan states that Japan had allocated to itself, and was willing to repay the loss of interests suffered by Britain and the United States in Siam during the war.
And Siam suddenly engaged in such a hand, so that the Japanese were caught off guard: I am not "dead" yet? A good brother who once suffered together, I didn't expect that when the great disaster came, you flew the fastest and the highest!
But at this time in Japan, because "mud bodhisattvas cross the river, it is difficult to protect themselves", even if they hate it and grit their teeth, they are helpless!
Subsequently, Siam vigorously "threw a flattering eye" at the United States, and immediately changed the new government, changing the name of the country "Thailand" back to Siam. The new government then blamed the old government in Luang Phibun. The meaning is very clear: I am now a newborn country, and I can be regarded as a victim of Japanese fascism.
The United States also needed a Siam who had a deep sense of itself and could balance the British and French colonial areas. In this way, under the protection of the United States, Siam was transformed from a defeated country into a victorious power. (had to serve)
Japan's surrender was signed
On August 16, 1945, the day after Japan announced its unconditional surrender, the Siamese government also issued a ridiculous statement: on January 25, 1942, the Siamese government declared war on Britain and the United States null and void.
In May 1949, Siam changed the name of the country back to "Thailand", and more interestingly, in 1955, Japan and Thailand signed a "Japan-Thailand Special Yen Settlement Agreement".
The agreement was that Thailand would demand 15 billion yen from Japan as war reparations in the form of reparations and non-reimbursable financial assistance. It can be seen that Thailand's hand "seeing the wind and making the rudder" play is quite "pure fire".
It is precisely by relying on this "clever" word that the country has been able to "take a safe corner" in the flames of World War II that swept the world, and also avoided the fate of being liquidated after the war.
But then again, before and after the war, some Siamese people liked the Japanese in their hearts. Although the Japanese do not necessarily look up to the Siamese in their bones, on the surface they are still relatively "friendly" to the Thais. Perhaps, this is as much a mystery as Hitler was "obsessed" with the Italians during the war!
Image source network, invasion and deletion!
"History Station, Harbor of The Heart" "History Miscellaneous Station"