It is estimated that many friends have this doubt: Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor in World War II? The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the mighty United States to change its attitude from neutrality and declare war on the Axis powers, thus breaking the balance of power in World War II and leading to a favorable situation for the Allies.
The tiger's ass can't be touched, doesn't the Japanese government understand, why is it so confused, just because the US embargo on Japanese oil has caused Japanese gamblers to gamble psychologically? Because if there is no sneak attack, the Japanese will fight this great East Asian war for nothing.
U.S. appeasement
We need to add a little knowledge here that at the end of the 30s of the 20th century, Japan's energy mix was like this: 80% of the oil came from the United States, 10% of the oil came from the East Indies (that is, Southeast Asia), and only about 7% of the oil could be self-sufficient. So the question is, has Japan found an alternative to the United States' oil production from 918 to 40 years?
No.
Not only is oil highly dependent on the United States, but iron and all kinds of military supplies are heavily dependent on the United States, and it can even be said that without these materials provided by the Americans, Japan's war of aggression against China would not have been able to start at all.
In 1937, the total value of US exports to Japan was $289 million, of which the four strategic materials of petroleum, refined oil, scrap steel, and raw cotton amounted to $14.2 billion, accounting for about one-half. In the case of oil, Japan's share of oil needs came from the United States, which accounted for 80% in 1937 and 85% in 1939. According to statistics, in 1937-1938, Japan's imports of military supplies from the United States accounted for 55% of its total imports of military supplies.
In 1937, the United States exported 40 times as much scrap steel to Japan as it did in 1931. From 1937 to 1938, Japan imported 77.53% and 82.71% of ferroalloys from the United States, the proportion of copper was as high as 95.18% and 90.89%, kerosene and its products were 6.271% and 65.57%, automobiles and parts were 9.241% and 64%, aircraft and parts were 70.19% and 7.692%, and metal working engines were 69.53% and 67.09%.
This is the irony of World War II, where Americans were the main source of oil for the Japanese in the early years of World War II, and there was no one. The Japanese felt that they could not let Lao Mei pinch their necks like this, so in 1934 the "Petroleum Industry Law" was promulgated to strengthen the construction of their own oil industry, and the effect was average;
Then, in 1937, a "Synthetic Oil Act" was introduced, indicating that the advanced scientific and technological means of the Empire of Japan would be used to change coal to oil, and the effect was more general. Considering that Japan's fiscal revenue in 1937 was only 4.7 billion yen, and at the exchange rate at that time, about 3 yen was equivalent to 1 US dollar, you can feel what it means to import hundreds of millions of dollars between Japan and the United States every year.
What is even more unfortunate is that although the Japanese army has progressed extremely smoothly since the beginning of the war of aggression against China, China is a poor agricultural country, the heavy industry base is extremely weak, and industrial construction is a time-consuming and money-burning job.
So the Japanese were very depressed to find that the battle was getting bigger and bigger, but the money went into the pockets of the Americans.
That's one of the reasons why the Japanese bombed American ships on the Yangtze River in 1937, and Roosevelt pushed it down.
By the way, the Japanese took out $2,214,007.36 for peace, two million dollars in 1937 ah... The Japanese even engaged in a farce of "boycotting American goods" in the occupied areas, but the Americans did not care about this: you have the ability to boycott my oil...
At this time, the antipathy of the masses in the United States towards the Japanese was already very strong, and even hundreds of student representatives participated in the burning of Japanese silk.
By 1938, the U.S. government felt that it could no longer tolerate the Japanese so much! It's time to get some means! So the government wrote to the hundred factories: it was recommended not to do business with the Japanese.
This is the famous "moral embargo".
On June 11, 1938, Cordell Hull (then U.S. Secretary of State) publicly condemned the bombing of peaceful residents at a press conference;
He then wrote to 148 U.S. manufacturers registered to export aircraft and aircraft parts: The government strongly opposes the sale of aircraft and aviation equipment to any country in the world that bombs peaceful residents.
The effect of the moral embargo ... The United States is still saying one thing and doing another at this time. Japanese imports of aircraft and parts from the United States reached $2.484 million in 1937 and $17.454 million in 1938, a sevenfold increase.
Such a drag dragged on until the bombing of Chongqing in 1939, the United States saw Emma, this is too miserable, we really can't sell oil to the Japanese anymore .....
Roosevelt said that it can't be done, you don't sell him oil, what if his dog jumps off the wall to fight the Anglo-Dutch East Indies? In order to avoid the expansion of the war, let's continue to do business
Chongqing bombing
Why did Roosevelt care so much about Southeast Asia?
There are three reasons for this:
First, at that time, the isolationist sentiment in the United States was still very serious (although it was rapidly reversed), everyone thought that World War I was an unjust war fought by evil capitalists usurping the government, and our American industrial strength was the first in the world, why can't we quietly watch them fight you and I live, we will sell arms to make money?
Second, until the outbreak of Pearl Harbor, the basic strategic concept of the United States was to put Europe first and then Asia, and sacrificing a little Chinese interests for this is not a matter at all;
Third, Southeast Asia is an important producer of natural rubber, and although the United States was one of the largest industrial countries in the world at that time, there was no reliable natural rubber production area on hand, and it was highly dependent on Southeast Asian rubber.
But the embarrassing problem is that you want to continue to do business with the Japanese, the Japanese... There is no money.
One of the main reasons why Japan was able to make rapid progress in the early stage of the war of aggression against China was that the Japanese army and government had been preparing for this for many years, and a wave broke out after accumulating together.
Judging from the post-war recovery, Japan's national power reached its peak level in 1937 and then began to decline.
Here we need to briefly talk about Japan's strange industrial structure, and the primary and secondary industries of normal countries complement each other:
That is, my primary industry provides raw materials, the secondary industry processes raw materials, scissors complete the original accumulation and slowly climb the industrial technology tree, and finally feed back.
However, the problem was that after the Sino-Japanese War, Japan received huge reparations from the Qing Dynasty, and obtained three colonies of Korea, Manchuria and Taiwan, which allowed Japan to start a military industry without drastic reform of the social base.
Finally, Japan's industrial structure presents a very abnormal state:
1. Japan's basic plate is a parasitic landlord system, production relations are extremely backward, ordinary peasants bear extremely heavy land rent, and class contradictions are very serious.
2. Due to the existence of the first point, there is a large number of cheap labor in Japan, which makes Japan's light industry (mainly the textile industry) very developed.
3. The large amount of reparations obtained after the Sino-Japanese War enabled Japan to establish a developed military industry that did not match its national strength, but it lacked the corresponding manufacturing base, and a large number of industrial mother machines had to rely on imports.
So you say that the Japanese military industry is not strong? Quite strong.
But this "strong" is not "strong" in our usual sense, it is strong with dependence, scrap steel to be imported, industrial mother machine to be imported, rubber to be imported, oil that is not to mention, must be imported.
Therefore, if Japan wants to expand production capacity, it must expand imports, and the more it expands, the more it imports, the key is that at that time, international trade required real money.
Japan issues military tickets in the occupied territories, OK! Over-issuing currency in the country, no problem! But you want to buy American oil and machinery, you want to buy rice and rubber from Southeast Asia, excuse me, take gold pounds and dollars!
So now the question is, where to get hard currency?
Chinese robbery? No problem! But China was an agricultural country at that time, poorer than Japan!
Import and export trade?
This is reliable, Japan's largest source of foreign exchange before World War II was the textile trade we mentioned above, plus a little raw silk.
However, the textile industry is a labor-intensive industry, after the expansion of the war of aggression against China, Japan's population resources quickly bottomed out, a large number of production capacity turned to the military industry, the consequence of the great development of the military industry is that imported materials should be tilted towards military materials.
In September 1937, the Japanese government implemented the "Grade Temporary Measures Law" to restrict the export of cotton and wool--- and other products were not staffed, production capacity was not enough, and raw materials were gone.
Therefore, it is said well in the discussion of protracted war: "Japan is a relatively small country, and its human, military, financial, and material resources are all lacking, and it cannot withstand a long-term war." The Japanese ruler who wants to solve this difficult problem from the war will likewise achieve the opposite of what he wants, that is, if he launches a war to solve this difficult problem, the result will be increased by the war, and the war will consume even what it is. "--- talk about protracted war
The claws of the devil reach out to Southeast Asia
Pacific War
Therefore, after thinking about it, the Japanese finally extended their claws to Southeast Asia.
In February 1939, Japan occupied Hainan Island;
In March, the Japanese acquired the Spratly Islands, 700 miles from Manila;
In June, it sent troops to blockade the British Concession in Tianjin;
In July, the British, who were forced to join them in building a "new order in East Asia," hardly hesitated to sign the Arita-Craigi Agreement with the Japanese on July 24, recognizing Japan's "special needs" in China.
On July 26, 1939, the U.S. government officially notified Japan that the U.S.-Japan business contract was about to be abolished in six months--- and for half a year.
The Japanese finally found that they couldn't bear it! Hurry up and talk to the Americans, so on September 25, 1939, Admiral Yoshizaburo Nomura, a moderate naval faction who was familiar with the internal trends of the United States and Britain, became a full-time foreign minister and began negotiations with the United States;
The Americans say that this is easy to do, you open the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, respect our rights in China, and everyone who has money will earn together! As long as you are willing to give up China's interests a little, we can still sign this commercial agreement.
Unsuccessful.
The situation during this period was very interesting, the Japanese suffered a great defeat at Nomenkan, and completely dispelled the idea of advancing north;
Large-scale sweeping, sweeping, and sweeping behind enemy lines, the eighth road is not clean;
The frontal battlefield entered a state of stalemate, the Battle of Changsha and the Battle of Suijube failed to achieve the predetermined strategic goals, and Japan's domestic economy began to be unable to suffer.
For the Japanese, things are very embarrassing--- if you want to continue to get supplies from the Americans, you must control the scale of the war according to the Americans' wishes;
And you want to control the scale of the war but can't control it, the Sino-Japanese war is protracted, China is a backward agricultural country, and the fragile natural economy has become worse after the outbreak of war;
The Nationalist government retreated and did not surrender, the Eighth Route Army blossomed everywhere behind enemy lines, and grain production in North China was not very normal after the Japanese invasion of China.
Finally, in 1940, in order to maintain their rule in North China, the Japanese even had to import grain and transport it to North China to fill Chinese stomachs--- what am I here for?
"At the beginning of 1940, there was a phenomenon of citizens surrounding grain stores in Beijing and Tianjin, and people feared that riots would occur... Later, the local military and political authorities also gradually felt that it was necessary to ensure a minimum standard of living for the people in the occupied areas, so they used valuable foreign exchange to import Australian wheat as a sign of determination to stabilize local life. However, the good times did not last long, and in the autumn of the same year, due to the shortage of foreign exchange, it was no longer possible to import grain into northern China. ”
The Americans were more restrained at this time, and because Roosevelt feared that "going further would anger Japan", trade between the two countries continued strangely after the expiration of the Japan-US treaty in January 1940...
However, no one knows how long such days will last. Japan's foreign exchange reserves are rapidly depleting, and for them, they must make a choice.
In March 1940, Japan drew up a plan for self-sufficiency in military supplies and devoted more energy to Southeast Asia
"The Japanese Government is deeply concerned about any state of affairs that would change the status quo in the Dutch East Indies," Foreign Minister ---Hachiro Arita said on April 15, 1940
The Japanese are moving faster and faster in Southeast Asia, while the Americans are scrambling to sell their last piece of oil.
So on the one hand, there was growing tension, and on the other hand, the rising oil trade, Mobil Oil reported to the State Department on July 18, 1940, that the Japanese offered to buy all their production!
Roosevelt received reports that if we did not restrict the Japanese from buying aviation gasoline, our own army might run out of gasoline for 6 to 9 months!
Under great pressure, Roosevelt finally decided to impose an embargo on Japan!
After a long period of wrangling and wrangling, government officials finally agreed on July 26, 1940, to declare export controls on aero-engine fuels and lubricants and No. 1 high-melt scrap steel.
Chiang Kai-shek, Roosevelt, Churchill at the Cairo Conference
Chiang Kai-shek trembled with excitement and said to the American ambassador Emma that you are so interesting!
The great and brilliant actions of the president and secretary of state have alleviated the most serious crisis that China has faced since its involvement in the conflict. --- Chiang Kai-shek
In this embargo restriction, which was later praised by countless people, the State Department said that aviation gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher must be banned!
The United States continues to play tricks .....
Japanese: Explain and explain, what is "aviation gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher must be banned"? State Department: Don't you understand what an embargo is? Japanese: I want you to explain and explain, what the fuck is called "aviation gasoline above octane 87 must be banned"? Oil company: The embargo above 87 means that fucking below 87 is not! Prohibit! Fortune! Also, adding lead to aviation gasoline No. 86 can fucking increase octane! Do you get it!? Japanese: Oh big brother, it turns out that this is a fucking embargo! Little brother understood!
As a result, from July to December 1940, Japan's imports of No. 86 aviation gasoline from the United States increased by 550% year-on-year.
By this time, Japan's economy had begun to dwell on the brink of collapse, and almost all the provisions of the National Mobilization Act had been implemented, and as a result, western Japan and Korea had suffered from drought in 40 years, and the grain harvest was not good, and many people even had problems eating rice.
The point is that at this time, Japan's foreign exchange reserves are also close to depletion, and it will not take long for you to buy if you want to buy it!
In the end, the top management reached an agreement that if we don't start in Southeast Asia, we will have to finish first.
So on July 2, 1941, the imperial council finally formulated the "Outline of Imperial National Policy to Adapt to Changes in the Situation", saying that even if we start a war with the United States and Britain, we must go south!
On July 24, 1941, Japan sent troops to southern Indochina.
Then Roosevelt blew up: Lao Tzu did not embargo your oil just so that you would not hit that side, don't you have points in your own heart?
As a result, on the 26th of 1941, all Japanese assets in the United States were frozen;
The British said we also embargoed and then cut off Japan's oil supplies in Borneo.
On 27 December 1941, the Dutch followed suit and froze Japanese assets.
There is no turning back.
In August 1941, Roosevelt issued a direct warning to the Japanese and offered a price for peace: Japan stopped its southward advance, withdrew its troops from China and stopped interfering in China's internal affairs, equal opportunities for all countries in China, and Japan changed the Triple Alliance, a condition that the Japanese refused without hesitation.
Roosevelt issued a war warning on August 14, just after the talks: If Japan continues to advance south, it will inevitably lead to war... Japan is completely surrounded by the United States, Britain, China and the Netherlands, and strategic materials cannot be obtained from abroad in the future. Through the mediation of Thailand and French Indochina in February 1941, rice and salt were expected to obtain 10% of the amount I needed, and even with mixed grains, rice and other materials that maintained combat capability not only did not increase, but their valuable limited reserves dwindled day by day. ”
Japan is actively preparing for war
In November 1941, two Japanese tankers returned empty from the waters near Los Angeles. Furious Japanese ... Cut off the supply of heating oil to the British and American embassies. (I have never understood the Japanese brain circuitry)
Prior to this, on September 6, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Council had approved the "Points for the Implementation of Imperial National Policy", pointing out that in early October, there was still no progress in diplomacy, and it was ready to go to war.
The initial plan of the Japanese was to quickly occupy territory in Southeast Asia, and then establish a defensive circle--- considering that there is also a US Philippines in Southeast Asia, then the Americans are going to fight with us, and when the time comes, our fleet will fight a decisive battle, fight you to the death!
Then the commander of the combined fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto, disagreed with this:
What industrial capacity do Americans have? What industrial capacity do we have? Don't you have points in mind? Since it was already expected to fight, then why not take advantage of the fact that the Americans have not yet fully mobilized?
You know, if the Navy wants to rebuild, it is much more difficult than the Army. It is very reasonable for us to destroy the Pacific Sea Power of the United States, and then take advantage of the fact that the Americans are rebuilding their navy and flawless to force him to submit, and recognize the hegemony of our Great Japanese Empire in Asia!
Isoroku Yamamoto
On November 20, 1941, Japan proposed a final negotiation plan to the United States, and the Japanese said that this was definitely their last bottom line, as follows:
(1) Both the Government of Japan and the Government of the United States undertake not to carry out any armed advance anywhere in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, except in French Indochina, where Japanese troops are currently stationed.
(2) The Government of Japan undertakes to withdraw its troops currently stationed in French Indochina as soon as peace between Japan and China is restored or a just peace is established in the Pacific region. At the same time, the Japanese government announced its intention to transfer the troops currently stationed in southern French Indochina to the northern part of the region when this agreement (which will later be included in the final agreement) is concluded.
3. The governments of Japan and the United States will cooperate to ensure that both countries obtain the goods and commodities they need in the Dutch East Indies.
4. The Government of Japan and the United States mutually pledge to restore trade relations to the status quo ante before the freezing of Japanese funds. The U.S. government will supply the oil in the quantities Japan needs.
5- The U.S. Government pledges not to take any measures or actions that would be detrimental to efforts to find a comprehensive peace between Japan and China.
The Americans expressed disbelief and replied to a memorandum drafted by the secretary of state, essentially reiterating their own demands in August.
What the Americans didn't know was that before they made this reply, an unprecedented fleet had assembled in Shan Crown Bay, and the pilots on it had repeatedly practiced how to drop torpedoes and bombs at low altitudes.
Single Crown Bay location
Roosevelt was still hesitant to make overtures to Japan in order to restore relations between the two countries, and on November 22 the Far East Division of the U.S. Department of State was ordered to draft a new draft to restore limited supplies of oil, food, and medicine to Japan. However, due to strong opposition from China and the United Kingdom, the draft was ultimately not implemented.
On December 1, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Council made a decision: to go to war with the United States.
On December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor broke out, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet was severely damaged.
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
In 1942, Japanese troops approached the Balikpapan refinery in the East Indies, and in the first quarter of 1943, Japan's oil crisis was greatly alleviated. "The oil problem has been basically solved" --- Hideki Tojo 1943
Painted eggshell:
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, 98% of the supply of natural rubber in the United States was cut off, and the angry US government launched the "American Synthetic Rubber Research Program", Bell Labs, University of Chicago, Goodyear, DuPont... and other industry elites to gather; Roosevelt directly smashed down $2 billion, built 51 new factories, and began to engage in synthetic rubber.
In 1943, the production of synthetic rubber in the United States reached 230,000 tons, which was basically the same as the global natural rubber production in the same period; In 1945, the production of synthetic rubber in the United States reached nearly one million tons, far exceeding the production of natural rubber. During the same period, Japan had little normal access to oil and rubber from Southeast Asia due to the sinking of a large number of Japanese ships by U.S. submarines.
On September 11, 1945, war criminal Hideki Tojo shot himself in a suicide attempt, and it took the U.S. military two hours to find a fueled ambulance and take Tojo to the hospital.
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