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The Greater East Asia War was a term used by Japan's Imperial General
Headquarters to refer to the conflict that resulted from Japan's invasion of
other nations in eastern Asia and the Pacific in the 1930s and early 1940s.
The war is more commonly known simply as World War II.
Sanctions
The economic sanctions imposed by the United States, Great Britain, and
the Netherlands were weakening the Japanese economy. The leaders of Japan
were faced with a choice: End the war in China, so as to end the sanctions,
or obtain additional resources by some other means.
Attacking the Allies
The Japanese government decided to seize resources under the control of
Great Britain and the Netherlands, notably in Malaya and the Netherlands
Indies, with the Southern Expeditionary Army. As the United States was their
ally, it was decided to attack the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,
with carrier-based aircraft of the Combined Fleet. Following this attack,
the intended to seize the Philippines, as well as cut the US lines of
communication by seizing Guam and Wake. At the same time they intended to
attack Malaya and Hong Kong. This was to be followed by attacks against the
Bismarck Archipelago, Java, and Sumatra. The Japanese then intended to go on
the defensive and hold their newly acquired territory.
It is believed that the Imperial General Headquarters (Imperial GHQ)
began planning the Greater East Asia War in April or May of 1941, by
November their plans were essentially complete, modified only slightly over
the next month. Japanese military planners argued that the British (and
Russians should they decide to declare war) would be unable to effectively
respond to a Japanese attack, given the threat posed by the Third Reich.
Contingencies
There is no evidence that the Japanese planned to defeat the United
States, intending to negotiate for peace after its initial victories. The
Imperial GHQ noted that should acceptable negotiations be reached with the
Americans, than the attacks were to be canceled, even if the order to attack
had already been given. They also noted that should the US transfer its
Pacific Fleet to the Philippines, that they would intercept and attack this
fleet enroute, with the Combined Fleet. The plans further stipulated that
should the United States or Great Britain attack first, than the military
was to hold and wait for orders from GHQ. Even should such a preemptive
attack include Russia, the planners noted that attacking the Philippines and
Malaya still had possibilities of success.
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