This eased Washington's position: Japan and Germany were supposed to crush the Soviet project and the USSR, but inevitably weakened their positions, suffered losses, were forced to disperse forces over a vast territory and to threaten their rear communications. And the United States was given the opportunity to eventually defeat or force Germany and Japan to capitulate. Especially considering the secret atomic program.
Hence the position of Washington, which encouraged Japan’s aggression in China, the consolidation of the Japanese on the southeastern frontiers of the Soviet Union, and the preparation of a strike by the Kwantung Army on the USSR. The United States took the position of "non-intervention" in Japan’s aggression against the Chinese people, carefully supplied the Japanese with strategic materials while they fought in China and organized armed provocations on the Soviet border. Obviously, the owners of Washington were waiting for Japan to strike the USSR. They pushed Japan to the north. The Anti-Comintern Pact 1936-1937, directed against the USSR, said that Japan was attacking the Soviet Far East and would do so simultaneously with the “crusade” of Germany and Italy, together with other European countries, against the USSR from the west.
But the problem for Washington was that Tokyo did not want to bind itself with military obligations - to fight in any case, that is, even if a war begins with England or France. Japanese Foreign Ministry and Command objected to this fleet. The intransigence of the sailors caused anger in the army command, the fleet was even called "the enemy of the country No. 1". To defend themselves against extremists, the naval command took special measures to strengthen its security, up to putting machine guns in the building of the ministry.
The army command, especially in the Kwantung Army, decided to make a massive provocation. In May, 1939, the Japanese troops began fighting against Mongolia, trying to seize a stretch of Mongolian territory near the river Khalkin-Gol. The Soviet Union came to the aid of the allied Mongolian People's Republic. The scale of the fighting expanded rapidly, which was the goal of the command of the Kwantung Army. The Japanese militarists believed that if the battle at Khalkin-Gol was successful, then one could proceed to capture the Soviet Far East. It was planned to invade the Ussuri and Amur regions, the Khabarovsk region and the seizure of the entire Primorsky Territory. However, the aggressors miscalculated. The Soviet army received reinforcements and showed high combat capability. The 1-I Soviet army group under the leadership of G. K. Zhukov inflicted a decisive defeat on the 6-th Japanese army. And in the ensuing fierce air battle, Soviet pilots scored upward over the Japanese. The Japanese lost tens of thousands of people, a lot of equipment, some 660 aircraft, about two times more than it took to defeat the American Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese losses in the Halkin-Golsky battle exceeded all losses of the Japanese army in manpower and equipment in the first year of the war in China. The Red Army showed its power, technical superiority over the Japanese troops.
The disaster of 6 of the Japanese army in the Mongolian steppes forced Berlin and Tokyo to change their strategic plans. In the Third Reich they understood that it was impossible to fight on two fronts, leaving France and England in the rear. Hitler offered Moscow a non-aggression pact and the Soviet government won precious time for the further development of heavy industry, the military-industrial complex and the modernization and transformation of the army. The Soviet Union was able to push the borders in the western strategic direction for hundreds of kilometers, to return the territory belonging to the Russian Empire. Moscow for some time led the country out of the immediate threat of war in Europe. Hitler led his troops first to Poland and then to France.
The Hiranuma government has declared Tokyo’s willingness to sign a treaty with Berlin and Rome that the Empire of the Rising Sun will enter the war, but only when it deems possible. But Berlin at that time went to meet Moscow. When in Tokyo they learned about the non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR, they were very annoyed there. The Hiranum government resigned. After Germany attacked Poland and World War II began, Japan took a wait. The Japanese militarists got a good lesson from Halkin-Gol and did not want to repeat. The war in China was dragging on. The northern direction of expansion no longer seemed as attractive as before. The eyes of the Japanese military-political leadership are turning towards the South Seas. Thus, the Red Army on Khalkin-Gol and Soviet diplomacy with the help of the pact with Germany brought discord to the camp of the Allies on the Anti-Comintern Pact. Moscow frustrated the simultaneous performance of Germany and Japan against the USSR.
The link of Soviet fighters I-16 in the sky during the fighting at Khalkhin Gol
Japan turn to the south
The war in Europe promised Japan more benefits than a fight with a powerful Soviet power. In the summer of 1940, France suffered a crushing defeat, Belgium and Holland were occupied, and British troops fled to their island. Britain faced the threat of a sea and air blockade, and even an enemy landing. It turned out that the extensive colonial possessions of the Western powers turned out to be "ownerless". There was no one to defend them or the defenders' forces were small and could not count on outside support. Japan could gain vast and resource-rich ownership without serious effort.
The new government of Konoe launched an offensive to the south. Under the pretext that China should be deprived of assistance from the south, emphasis was placed on solving the “southern problems”. Japan began to put pressure on the authorities of French Indochina and Dutch India, forcing them to make far-reaching concessions. The French were forced to close the road from Hanoi to China. Then came the turn of England. Tokyo insisted that the British close the Hong Kong border and the Burmese Road. London temporarily closed the road. Then Japan intervened in the conflict between Thailand and French Indochina. She assumed the role of mediator in establishing a truce and conducted an impressive demonstration of naval power in Southeast Asia. In London, they realized that Singapore, Malaya and Burma were under threat. But England at that time did not have sufficient land and naval forces in Southeast Asia and, being engaged in a war in the European theater, could not send sufficient reinforcements there. Only the United States could stop Japan.
In the meantime, Washington continued to follow the course towards Japan, which was adopted in the 1930s. The USA encouraged Japanese aggression. Japan’s war economy depended on American supplies, especially metal and oil. Many in the States themselves understood this well. In the spring of 1941, Congressman J. Kifi (from Washington State) said: “Arming Japan, the United States became its partner in aggression. For these crimes, we, like Japan, must answer before the justice of the world. History will not justify us. Retribution may overtake us soon. " Another congressman, C. Andersen (from the state of Minnesota), noted several months later: “We all know that the chances of 50 on 50, that our fleet will meet in a deadly fight with the Japanese fleet. He will probably have to fight with ships built from scrap metal imported from our country, whose vehicles will run on our oil. ”
The United States not only supplied Japan with strategic materials, but also helped pay for them. During the 1944 election campaign of the year, Senator G. Shipsted, returning to the events of the eve of World War II, noted: “The United States launched a revaluation policy in 1933 that ... entailed purchasing gold and silver at prices significantly higher than they had existed at the time of entry. -on Roosevelt in the post ... The Treasury purchased at inflated prices the gold stolen in Manchuria, and silver exported from China. We showered them with so many military and industrial equipment, for which the Japanese were not able to pay. We ourselves paid for it, financing and providing bonuses for the sale of precious metals and, of course, buying Japanese goods in large quantities, which gave Japan more currency. ”
Thus, the USA financed the beginning of the Japanese aggression, gave Japan strategic materials and equipment for waging war. American politics provided material support for Japan’s war in China. As the American publicist J. Flynn noted about the actions of Washington before Pearl Harbor: “In fact, we provided more assistance to Japan than to China. In 1939, US exports to China amounted to 56 600 000 dollars, to Japan - 232 000 000 dollars. The same picture was in 1940. We sold Japan an enormous amount of steel and scrap metal, oil and other materials with which it waged war in China and prepared for war with us. The US government sent its sympathy to China, and the metal to Japan. ” Moreover, in the 30s, Washington had every opportunity to stop Japan when it began aggression in China. However, the United States took the position of "non-intervention", encouraging the aggression of Tokyo in the Far East. The masters of the West held a similar position in Europe, step by step encouraging the Third Reich, when it destroyed the Versailles system, began to create full-fledged armed forces, captured Austria, the Sudetes, and then the whole of Czechoslovakia, etc.
At the same time, the owners of the USA understood well that a fight with Japan was inevitable. The question was whether it would happen sooner or later. Washington wanted this to happen later, when the major powers, including Allied Britain, were already draining their strength in the world massacre. In January - March, 1941 in the United States underwent secret negotiations with the British military. At the talks, the ABC-1 US-English plan was adopted, which envisaged the participation of the United States and England in the war with the Axis powers. The essence of it was that first of all it was necessary to break the Third Reich, and then take up Japan. Until victory at the European Theater, fighting was limited to strategic defense, a war of attrition. These considerations were taken as the basis for the revised action plan of the American armed forces - “Rainbow 5”. The ABC-1 plan was not approved by Roosevelt, who did not want to lose his freedom in choosing the most appropriate moment to enter the war. But the training of the American forces from that time was carried out in accordance with the tasks set in this regard.
The principle of concentration of armed forces against the German Empire, the main force of the Axis powers was logical from a military point of view. In Europe, the center of gravity of the whole world war lay. The axiom of military strategy is that in a war it is necessary to beat the main link of the enemy alliance. The ABC-1 plan also responded to the special interests of the owners of the USA - to wage the war mainly with someone else’s hands and resources. The main burden of the war, especially at the initial stage, was imposed on the United States by England. London, who also preferred to fight by proxy, had nowhere to go. Washington gradually took the place of the "senior partner" in the Anglo-Saxon tandem.
Japan, to finally turn to the south, it was necessary to settle relations with the USSR. After Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR, Tokyo increasingly tended to think that it was time to normalize relations with Moscow. 13 April 1941 in Moscow signed a neutrality pact between the Soviet Union and Japan for five years.
In London and Washington were amazed by the "ingratitude" of the Japanese. Japan brazenly deceived the expectations of the owners of the United States and Britain, who, expecting the Japanese to attack the Russians, have long created ideal conditions for Japanese aggression in the Far East. Instead of going to the Soviet Union, as they shouted loudly in Tokyo for many years, Japan signed a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union. In this way, Moscow won an important victory. The center of gravity of world war remained in Europe. It was clear that it was impossible to completely trust Japan, and the USSR was forced to hold significant forces in the Far East. but The Neutrality Pact provided an opportunity to focus on the western strategic direction, to focus on the threat posed by the Third Reich.
Washington still believed that the war in the Pacific could be averted by some sophisticated diplomatic maneuver. In the perspective of a thaw between Tokyo and Washington believed in the armed forces and the political elite of America. American politicians left no hope that they could ward off the threat from the United States, prompting Japan to elect the object of an attack by the USSR. Washington acted in the best traditions of the former metropolis - England, trying to extract maximum benefits for itself from the wars in Europe and Asia. It was largely based on the well-being of the United States. America was in no hurry to enter into major military conflicts, waiting for the belligerents to weaken each other in order to join the fight at a crucial moment and get as much benefit and gain as possible.
Hence the policy of the United States during the Second World War. From the very beginning of the conflict, the United States supported England, since they could not allow the victory of the Third Reich. However, the US government was in no hurry to go to war. At the same time, in Washington they understood that entry into the war was inevitable and they carried out comprehensive military and economic preparations for the war (including the atomic project). The States pursued a corresponding foreign policy. This and the promotion of Japanese aggression against China and the USSR; and the plan "ABC-1"; lend-lease; gradual deepening of the American-English Union. In the spring of 1941, of the major world powers, except for the USA, only the USSR and Japan were outside the world massacre (except for the bloody fuss of the Japanese in the Middle Kingdom). This prompted Washington to be even more cautious. The United States wanted to wait for the USSR and Japan to be involved in a world war, and only after that to enter into a global conflict, already on its own terms.
The implementation of this strategy opened up exciting prospects for America. The United States could remain the only superpower with a steadily developing economy that was not subjected to military influence, with a full-fledged army and navy, not exhausted by long-term confrontation. The forces of France, Germany, Italy, the USSR, Japan and even part of England were to destroy the conflagration of world war. The world massacre was approaching the onset of the “American Century” - the world domination of the owners of the USA, the “golden elite” parasitizing over all of humanity.
Japanese fighters A6M2 "Zero" from the composition of the second wave of air strikes on the American base Pearl Harbor take off from the deck of the aircraft carrier "Akagi"