The Imperial Military Looking for Resources
During WWII, the Empire of Japan sent its troops and fleets to Southeast Asia. But why?
It was not to kill or wound local people there. It was to take natural resources in Southeast Asia that was colonized by the UK, France, the Netherlands, the US and other Western powers.
So, Southeast Asians did not make war against invading Imperial troops and fleets. But armed forces of the UK and other Western powers fought the war.
Before WWII, there was only one independent country in Southeast Asia which was Thailand. And Thailand did not engage in warfare with the Empire of Japan. Only European troops and their allies fought the Empire of Japan only to be defeated.
But why did the Empire of Japan have to occupy Southeast Asia with armed forces? It is because the US and Western powers stopped exporting crude oil and other natural resources to the Empire.
As the Empire of Japan set up Manchukuo in the northeast region of China and was engaged in war with China, the US and other Western powers were afraid that the Empire would take control of whole East Asia. So, they supplied military equipment for China. The US also sent voluntary air squadrons to China to fight Imperial fighter planes. The Empire of Japan became a virtual enemy of the US and other Western powers due to its war against China.
But why did the Empire have to fight China? It is because it had to secure Manchuria in the nominal form of an independent empire called Manchukuo.
But why did the Empire need Manchukou? It was to prepare war against Russia. Russians from the era of the Russian Empire to that of the Soviet Union continued to put pressure on the Empire of Japan. In the Japanese-Russo War (1904-1905), Manchuria was the main place of land engagements. The Empire had to stop invasion of East Asia by Russians at Manchuria. But the Qing Dynasty of China was originally from Manchuria. After the fall of Qin, the new Chinese government also tried to take control of Manchuria by rights. So, Chinese troops sometimes launched attacks on Imperial troops stationed in Manchukuo. The Imperial Army was aggravated so much. It was eventually determined to take on Chinese troops once and for all. The Imperial Army decided to pursue and chase Chinese troops no matter how deep it had to advance in China.
So, from the beginning the Imperial Army of Japan was not prepared for war against the US.
But, the Imperial Navy that relied on American crude oil for fuel of its fleets had to get crude oil in Indonesia if it could not get it from the US. So, the Pearl Harbor Attack was planned to prevent US armed forces from stopping Japanese advancement to Indonesia and other resource-rich regions in Southeast Asia. In the Pacific region, only the US had strong navy that could match the Imperial Navy at the time.
The Empire of Japan and its troops had no intention to kill or wound local people in Southeast Asia during WWII, since it needed natural resources in the regions which were colonized by the UK and other Western powers for centuries.
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Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: