Why did Japan commit so many war crimes, and... (life, country, train)
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Why do the Japanese today continue to honor the war criminals? For example in 2013, anime creator Hayao Miyazaki made a film called The Wind Rises, which paints a designer of Japanese warplanes as a hero. Did the Japanese then (and still today?) think that they had to use torture to stop their country from being conquered by a foreign power during or after the war, whether it be the USA, USSR, or even Nazi Germany (who started out as their friend)?
Why do the Japanese today continue to honor the war criminals? For example in 2013, anime creator Hayao Miyazaki made a film called The Wind Rises, which paints a designer of Japanese warplanes as a hero. Did the Japanese then (and still today?) think that they had to use torture to stop their country from being conquered by a foreign power during or after the war, whether it be the USA, USSR, or even Nazi Germany (who started out as their friend)?
I've read some interesting books on Japan's mindset at the time...one of the more interesting ones I read...basically talked about how JAPAN looked at the West...and saw all of these European powers dividing and splitting up the world - England, France, Spain, Portugal, etc. Japan felt like it COULD and SHOULD be like that too, and it should start in their own backyard, before those countries took all of Asia. You have to remember back at that time, England and Portugal carved out parts of China, Philippines was Spain for a few hundred years, on and on.
So, Japan found itself in a position to show its might, as EXACTLY like one of those countries. However, suddenly the world had changed, and what was popular to do for 300-400 years - exterminating people, colonizing people, killing people, etc, was NO LONGER acceptable at all.
In short, they were a little too late, with their mindset and approach to a dying world order.
I've read some interesting books on Japan's mindset at the time...one of the more interesting ones I read...basically talked about how JAPAN looked at the West...and saw all of these European powers dividing and splitting up the world - England, France, Spain, Portugal, etc. Japan felt like it COULD and SHOULD be like that too, and it should start in their own backyard, before those countries took all of Asia. You have to remember back at that time, England and Portugal carved out parts of China, Philippines was Spain for a few hundred years, on and on.
So, Japan found itself in a position to show its might, as EXACTLY like one of those countries. However, suddenly the world had changed, and what was popular to do for 300-400 years - exterminating people, colonizing people, killing people, etc, was NO LONGER acceptable at all.
In short, they were a little too late, with their mindset and approach to a dying world order.
But why did they join forces with a WHITE country that promoted WHITE supremacy, to the point of exterminating Jews (who historically were not thought of as white, but the debate about that continues, and is complicated by the fact the Jews in Europe married Europeans) for not being white?
I do seem to remember learning in school that in a year starting with 18 (18??), the USA threatened war on Japan but I totally forget why. And I do remember the result being that Japan learned to adapt to Western inventions, including those used for war.
Regardless, why would a Japanese person in 2013 make a propaganda film to honor a person whose life's work was to aid the Japanese dictatorship, whose actions led to an American response that nearly ended in Japan being obliterated by weapons of mass destruction?
But why did they join forces with a WHITE country that promoted WHITE supremacy, to the point of exterminating Jews (who historically were not thought of as white, but the debate about that continues, and is complicated by the fact the Jews in Europe married Europeans) for not being white?
I do seem to remember learning in school that in a year starting with 18 (18??), the USA threatened war on Japan but I totally forget why. And I do remember the result being that Japan learned to adapt to Western inventions, including those used for war.
Regardless, why would a Japanese person in 2013 make a propaganda film to honor a person whose life's work was to aid the Japanese dictatorship, whose actions led to an American response that nearly ended in Japan being obliterated by weapons of mass destruction?
I'm not very skilled with why Germany and Japan ended up as allies, but the impression I got, was that it was ONLY because they wouldn't bother each other doing what they were doing. I don't think they had any shared interests at all.
I've also read some books that many Jewish people actually escaped to Japan, simply because Japan had no interest whatsoever in Jewish people. Then when Nazi Germany wanted to go after them in Japan, they simply let them move on to Shanghai and Manila and other parts that were a bit out of their jurisiction, but under Japan control at the time.
In short, I believe it was a VERY VERY loose relationship, simply based on a 'you do your thing, we'll do our thing, and let's agree not to go after each other' type of relationship.
But why did they join forces with a WHITE country that promoted WHITE supremacy, to the point of exterminating Jews (who historically were not thought of as white, but the debate about that continues, and is complicated by the fact the Jews in Europe married Europeans) for not being white?
I do seem to remember learning in school that in a year starting with 18 (18??), the USA threatened war on Japan but I totally forget why. And I do remember the result being that Japan learned to adapt to Western inventions, including those used for war.
Regardless, why would a Japanese person in 2013 make a propaganda film to honor a person whose life's work was to aid the Japanese dictatorship, whose actions led to an American response that nearly ended in Japan being obliterated by weapons of mass destruction?
At that time all "white" countries were racist and promoted white supremacy one way or another, probably only except Russia because communism was directly against racism (in theory). Germany was not the only country to persecute Jews either.
Japan was forced to open to the west, and their reform made them an industrialized country, and soon after that they turned imperialist to occupy lands of other people. Their slogan was "Good-bye Asia" 脱亜論, because they believe western culture will certainly defeat and replace eastern culture.
Many people in Japan still do not think they were wrong in WWII. Many of them also believe they are superior to other Asians. China and Korea certainly do not like that and always fight back,
I'm not very skilled with why Germany and Japan ended up as allies, but the impression I got, was that it was ONLY because they wouldn't bother each other doing what they were doing. I don't think they had any shared interests at all.
I've also read some books that many Jewish people actually escaped to Japan, simply because Japan had no interest whatsoever in Jewish people. Then when Nazi Germany wanted to go after them in Japan, they simply let them move on to Shanghai and Manila and other parts that were a bit out of their jurisiction, but under Japan control at the time.
In short, I believe it was a VERY VERY loose relationship, simply based on a 'you do your thing, we'll do our thing, and let's agree not to go after each other' type of relationship.
This all makes sense and yes, Germany and Japan had a common enemy (the USSR, and both Germany and Japan were enemies of the Russian Empire before that), and while the takeover by communists wasn't official until 1949, China had tensions with Japan before that. But from what I understand, there's no reason Japan couldn't have sided with America instead of Germany... except for perhaps the fact that Japan's culture of emperor worship was incompatible with the American belief in democracy?
I'm not very skilled with why Germany and Japan ended up as allies, but the impression I got, was that it was ONLY because they wouldn't bother each other doing what they were doing. I don't think they had any shared interests at all.
I've also read some books that many Jewish people actually escaped to Japan, simply because Japan had no interest whatsoever in Jewish people. Then when Nazi Germany wanted to go after them in Japan, they simply let them move on to Shanghai and Manila and other parts that were a bit out of their jurisiction, but under Japan control at the time.
In short, I believe it was a VERY VERY loose relationship, simply based on a 'you do your thing, we'll do our thing, and let's agree not to go after each other' type of relationship.
Hitler had a friendly relationship with China before 1938: Germans had helped train Chinese troops, sold weapons to China and so on. When Japan started to invade China, Germans were the biggest foreign donor to China government.
However, the Germans knew they would fight the Soviets sooner or later, and China had no capability or interest to attack the Soviets.
This all makes sense and yes, Germany and Japan had a common enemy (the USSR, and both Germany and Japan were enemies of the Russian Empire before that), and while the takeover by communists wasn't official until 1949, China had tensions with Japan before that. But from what I understand, there's no reason Japan couldn't have sided with America instead of Germany... except for perhaps the fact that Japan's culture of emperor worship was incompatible with the American belief in democracy?
Deleted (duplicated due to network problem)
Last edited by Bettafish; 04-06-2015 at 12:22 AM..
The amount of topics created, the questions asked...kinda reminds me of ThePage and
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