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Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer
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Originally Posted by CCIP
Yea, good point.
One often wonders, though, why Japan refused to attack the USSR. They could have really messed up the situation in Europe had they gone for Siberia then...
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I think that they had decided on that question several years earlier, that it was in their best interest to stick to a doctrine to pacify Russia and concentrate on Asia.
For sure an attack on Russia would have played into Hitlers hands, but I am not sure that the Japanese Army would have been able to make any impact on Russia as the Navy could against the US. Just look at Russian and Japanese tanks of the era to see what I mean. |
Yea, the 'doctrine' thing again. Khalkin Gol must have made up their mind.
Certainly a direct confrontation with the main Russian forces would not play into their favour, you're right about the tanks and in general, the Soviets were far superior at modern, mobile warfare compared to the Japanese. In late 1941, on the other hand (and again in mid-1942), the Soviets were hanging on by their teeth against the German advance, and having to divert any amount of frontline forces to Siberia could have seriously damaged their defense; otherwise, the Japanese would have an open road into Siberia and the indistrial centres there...
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Originally Posted by Ostfriese
Battle of Lake Khasan (1938), Battle of Khalkin Gol (1939), Russian-Japanese Neutrality Pact...
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Pacts never stopped anyone :p
You're right about the battles though.