Countdown to War JAPAN - How Imperial Japan Prepared for WWII

Between Japan and the West, things were going to go sour. The only questions were, just how long would that take…and just how bad would it get?
→ Subscribe for new videos at least twice a week!
www.youtube.co...
Love content? Check out Simon's other KZbin Channels:
Biographics: / @biographics
Geographics: / @geographicstravel
MegaProjects: / @megaprojects9649
SideProjects: / @sideprojects
Casual Criminalist: / @thecasualcriminalist
TopTenz: / toptenznet
Today I Found Out: / todayifoundout
Highlight History: / @highlighthistory
XPLRD: / @simonstestchannel
Business Blaze: / @brainblaze6526
Simon's Social Media:
Twitter: / simonwhistler
Instagram: / simonwhistler

[@codidevlugt2153]

Yes please! I would love it if Warographics covered both Sino Japanese wars.

[@cdc6985]

Same

[@HyBr1dRaNg3r]

Yes!

[@KW-qd1bi]

Those videos should be followed by videos on the various wars in korea that happened in the same period

[@travismayes4547]

1 and 2

[@Hamzakhan-dt3gv]

Same here

[@jeddkeech259]

A two part series for each one of the sino japanese wars would be awesome

[@FckYourFeelingsYT]

It’s about time.. so much has been covered up.

[@pr0xZen]

@@FckYourFeelingsYT Ask, and you... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJa1oJttfLd1atU

[@moonlightalkemist]

I've watched several long format videos on this conflict period in Asia. This is the best for overall diplomatic and conquest mindsets I've seen so far! Great job all of you on the Warographic's team!

[@warographics643]

Thanks :)

[@TheAaronChand]

@@warographics643 can you cover the Chittagong Uprising campaign led by Surya Sen a school teacher and fellow Revolutionary during Indias independence movement against the Brtish Empire. and the Revolutionary movement against the Brtish Empire to free India from the Brtish Empire. People mistakenly believe that Indian independence movement was led by Ghandi and his non violence movement. And the armed uprising Revolutionary movement isn't covered thanks

[@yvindwestersund9720]

@@warographics643 please you can do so much better The videos are very good BUT YOU MUST CHECK YOUR FACTS CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE FACTS RIGHT in the video you stated that PEARL HARBOR was attacked on the 8 of December They were clearly attacked on the 7 of December Remember that Roosevelt stated in his speech to congress that December 7 a day that will live in infamy Please your making so many videos and they're all very good But you must have your facts right other wise people will spread falsehoods about important historical facts And I think that that's not your attention Just saying 🇧🇻

[@nathanaeld.striker7191]

​@@yvindwestersund9720You do know the morning of December 7th in Pearl Harbor was December 8th in Japan due to time zones, right?

[@yvindwestersund9720]

@@nathanaeld.striker7191 and correct me if I'm wrong We're talking about the attack on pearl harbor and not the Japanese home land

[@petestorz172]

One important industrial-technological shift was from coal to oil, in this context, especially for naval propulsion. Japan had coal available in Manchuria, but oil was almost entirely imported.

[@thorpeaaron1110]

We definitely need a video on the First Sino-Japanese War .

[@provixc]

this dude literally has a picture of a mass murderer as avatar... I thought the idea was to learn from megalomaniac murder dictators so we don't repeat it, not to idolize them.

[@pr0xZen]

Here it is : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJa1oJttfLd1atU

[@zacharyellison4189]

​@@provixc images can reinforce learning. Makes it more real and fascinating

[@アドルフヒトラ]

@@provixccry harder you are only making them even more popular

[@MR2Davjohn]

The 2 Sino-Japanese wars is a must-see, and absolutely must be at least a 2 part series.

[@501ststudios7]

Please do this “Countdown to War” format for the rest of the major nations in WWII!

[@mrbushi1062]

Yes please more Japanese content! I'd love covered of both Sino Japanese wars

[@ignitionfrn2223]

2:05 - Chapter 1 - Land of the rising sun 5:45 - Chapter 2 - Lessons from the great war 9:25 - Chapter 3 - Japan's core problem 13:55 - Chapter 4 - The growing empire 19:30 - Chapter 5 - National mobilization 25:00 - Chapter 6 - The moment 28:55 - Chapter 7 - Aftermath

[@kingjellybean9795]

You random table of contents posters are unsung heros of youtube

[@ambition112]

1:01: 💥 Japan's rapid modernization and desire for equality with Western nations led to its transformation and pursuit of regional hegemony. 4:15: 💡 The aftermath of Japan's conquest and arrangements with China and Russia, as well as the impact of the Russo-Japanese War, led to Japan's increased territorial holdings and expansionism. 7:40: 🌍 Japan's geopolitical standing shifted after World War I, leading to a need for a shift in military thinking and a focus on the Asian continent. 11:30: 🌍 Japan's expansion and mobilization efforts in the interwar period. 15:30: 🌏 Japan's plan for economic self-sufficiency and military expansion in the face of external threats. 19:44: ✍ The second Sino-Japanese war began in 1937, causing catastrophic consequences for China and leading to a mixed bag of outcomes for Japan's military leaders. 22:56: 🌍 Japan forms alliances with Nazi Germany and Italy, plans to seize territories in Southeast Asia, and faces resource shortages. 26:21: 🌍 Japan's preparations for World War II were driven by the desire for self-sufficiency and recognition as a legitimate power on the world stage. 29:55: 💥 Japan's pursuit of self-sufficiency led to escalation and ultimately war with the West. Recap by Tammy AI

[@thalmoragent9344]

Yep, it started as a wish to be recognized by greater powers, to be self sufficient, and ensure defense of its corner of South East Asia. And then eventually turned into a war of complete and utter annihilation.

[@MGood-ij1hi]

I once asked a history professor if the Pacific War could have been avoided; the response was "no" , given who the Japanese and the Americans were in the 1930s-1940s there was no way they would not go to war. I then asked if the Japanese could have won the war; the answer was again "no" for the same reason.

[@griffinsalmon5798]

I think there were certainly strategic decisions that Imperial Japan could have made to mitigate the chances of total war with the US. Could have seen containment and/or US backed insurgencies to destabilize japan's territorial holdings (that was if they didnt move on australia) The decision to attack pearl harbor is the most baffling and idiotic move in military history.

[@MaliVal]

Honestly japan lost for all the same reasons germany did. Fighting a newly invigorated china under mao and communist rebels while also trying to aid germany while also trying to defend its holding from the U.S. it was stretched too thin. But there’s a world where without the atomic bomb Japan could of posed a much more serious threat to the U.S. Obviously not much would happen since America is in north America and is therefore shielded from almost any external threat. But similar to vietnam, and some of the middle eastern wars. There’s a world where Americas involvement in a foreign war just isn’t worth it anymore and it forces them to lose the war via retreating

[@bradenglass4753]

Actually, he's right about the latter question, wrong about the first. FDR had zero motivation to intervene against Japan's conquering of European colonial holdings in the pacific, and it was the erroneous belief that we would attack that made the Warhawks in Japan prepare to destroy our fleet at pearl harbor

[@アドルフヒトラ]

@@MaliValThe occupied Chinese territory was way more useful/benefital than it ever was harmful to the japanese empire. What really cooked them was going so far out without establishing secured supply lines to their respective fronts like what happened in India. The japanese could have withdrawn all their forces to the mainland whenever they wanted to but instead they wasted their numbers/resources on failed invasions and overextending themselves. The Chinese only took advantage of the situation japan found itself in after that. Japans army never feared them in the slightest to begin with.

[@アドルフヒトラ]

⁠@@bradenglass4753In reality the opposite is true, if america would have not involved itself in japans affairs and remained neutral with regards to germany then it could have been easily avoided. There is truth I suppose in the argument that americas ruling class (not fdr but the ones who controlled him) would have never allowed this which makes sense. But if america had changed it's policy to being non-interventionist then yes it would have been avoided entirely. And if japan had destroyed more of americas navy at Pearl Harbor (mainly the aircraft carriers) then they would have had a great chance of winning since they would have dominance over the Pacific Ocean keeping america in a defensive posture for the entire war.

[@lordkesharq6884]

video on the sino-japanese war would be cool, keep up the amazing work!

[@Beryllahawk]

Excellently written script. And I too would welcome a set of videos on the Sino Japanese wars!

[@lubomirvardzik5625]

Listening to Simon its one of the best things here on YT . Good job.

[@andyyang3029]

Also, would like to add, as a long time viewer, these thumbnails are preferred to the ones with the faces. Having the title and an interesting photo is much more eye catching!

[@andyyang3029]

Yes, to answer the author's question - we would love to see an episode on the first sino japanese war! Any content is more than welcome!

[@j0njn]

Great video as always. And a general “yes please” from me regarding all the other topics that were suggested in the course of it.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Japan’s insanity was believing that the path to prosperity and importance was through imperial conquest. It didn’t work for Belgium, and Britain and France became important despite the amount of money and lives wasted in colonial conquests, not because of it.

[@hotzstGaming]

Having a video following the history over several decades is difficult to keep track of the years, especially for such a fast speaker for none native English viewers. Augmenting the video with blend in years/dates might help to keep track of the progression of events over time.

[@cheekydaminen5227]

Can we get one on the korean war? Also Iran-Iraq war, great video as always

[@ffwcarmelo]

I absolutely love all Simon’s videos. It would be great to see one on the “Pax Americana” and how the US enabled safe world trade allowing worldwide access to all resources following WWII.

[@victors-9711]

I love all these different channels and covering everything from water to war it's amazing what you're doing here

[@glenhayman8722]

I would love a video of the Sino Japanese wars, it is an era of history that is not well understood here in the west. Also thank you as always

[@jimtalbott9535]

Something I’ve said before, and it should be said here: the Japanese nation never experienced the ideas and changed that came with the Enlightenment. They went from near-medieval philosophies and technology to near-medieval philosophies and modern technology. It explains so much about their behavior and view of the outside world, prior to 1945.

[@BHuang92]

It's been argued that feudalism in Japan didn't really end by the Meiji Restoration but rather by the end of 1945.

[@moarminerals]

Would they benefit from those Enlightenment ideas that their contemporaries had acquired? If anything, it seems to me that they mimicked what the outside world was doing very well. They joined the ranks of the other imperialist powers, both in attitude and behavior.

[@jimtalbott9535]

@@moarminerals Colonialism wasn’t explicitly part of the Enlightenment, IMO. You’re correct that they were mimicking the Mercantilism and Autarky they saw in the surrounding empires - but the concept of the Constitutional Monarchy, the “Rights of Man”, etc., were rejected by the former Samurai class - it took generations for change from feudal to democratic structures to really “sink in” in European societies - I don’t see why it could be accelerated much in Japan, even assuming they were fully willing. Christian missionaries had visited and lived in Japan in the previous centuries also, starting in the Renaissance - this was eventually also rejected by Japan’s rulers - much of the human rights portion of the Enlightenment stems from elements of Christianity - so they left themselves with their existing Shinto teachings, but ALSO their existing interpretive structures for it - and of course, those in power cemented themselves and their requirements into the Code of Honor we saw produce the Kamikaze.

[@enricofermi8200]

@@jimtalbott9535 This reply is reasonable and well stated 👍

[@benflay6038]

Maji restoration in Japan would be interesting and good by you

[@dev2410]

Yes please cover those conflicts as well please

[@xza9662]

The vid omitts the full scale war between Japan and the URSS in mid 1939 that shocked Japan's military so heavily that swang the arrow in the southern direction.

[@EAWanderer]

03:30 - Yes Simon, Simons broadcast team - cover that particular battle if you plz! 👌 Also at some point can you cover the Battle of Britain ? 😁 The legendary battle of the skies over Britain in the face of overwhelming odds! 🇩🇪 Luftwaffe ⚔ RAF 🇬🇧 I remember watching it on a series in the 2000s By hosts Daniel Snow and his dad called - Battlefiled Britain on a channel called - UKTVHistory That channel had long since been changed to - Yesterday

[@olivierfontaine9020]

Simon, can you please cover some Canadian content? Suggestions include the battle of the Plaines of Abraham, the war of 1812, the Louis Riel Rebellion, the capture of Vimy Ridge, and the battle at Kapyong. You'd be a legend if covered even one of these.

[@theawesomeman9821]

never knew before that Canada had more history than the War of 1812

[@staytuned2L337]

Not sure if he's covered the Halifax Harbour tragedy on other channels but at least worth a mention in some way here 👍🏼

[@sgtpepper6654]

@Gabriel the Griffin martime horrors does an excellent video on that

[@wwx-lwj-ai-ni]

I'd love for someone to do a deep dive of the Battle of Hong Kong which ties into both this video and Canadian history. I feel like people generally don't realize that Canadians fought WW2 in places outside of Europe. I'd also love to hear more about soldiers pulled from then-colonies like India.

[@SEAZNDragon]

Love the video. As much as the chess piece battlefield gets the attention, it's important what led to wars in the first place.

[@adriangonzalez1665]

Great video! And yes, wargraphics of sino Japanese war. Also, is it possible to do a wargraphics of american 1812 war?

[@rubiconnn]

The war that most of us Americans don't even realize happened lol.

[@tomhenry897]

Japan actually started think about war with the US when Roosevelt set his great white fleet out. Japan noticed that they had enough coal to sail across the Pacific then had to refuel. This was still part of the Japanese war plan for WW2

[@stevefitt9538]

IMHO, nobody imagined that the US could build all 3 things necessary to push its power across the Pacific. These were: 1] build the army and air power sufficient, 2] build a navy sufficient, and 3] build a logistics tail sufficient to support the army and navy all at the same time. Most non-experts just look at the fighting ships and don't realize that the logistic ships and other things necessary require more effort than just the fighting ships and carrier planes take to build and crew. I've seen reports that Japan lacked the logistic tail to take and hold Midway Is., let alone the Hawaiian Is. Simon, can you confirm that during the invasion of Java an IJN ship torpedoed and sank with great loss of life the cargo ship that was carrying the invasion commander AND all or almost all the equipment to and trained men to get the oil wells back in service? I've seen confirmation for the commander, but not the oil well repair equipment.

[@jamesfermor425]

I would also like to see a video(s) covering the Sino-Japanese wars. I myself don’t know much about them

[@wesbrit630]

This was a fantastic watch. Well done i learnt a power. 10/10.

[@wwx-lwj-ai-ni]

There's an excellent movie in theatres now called Hidden Blade (English title) about spies and resistance fighters within the puppet government set up in Shanghai during WW2. It stars Tony Leung and Wang Yibo, and is playing in Chinese and North American theatres. It should be getting released in Australia, Europe, Thailand, and other parts of Asia soon too

[@hikosaemon]

This video was well done but it did gloss over some key inter-war elements - Japan was not happy with the Versailles arrangement. It got German possessions in the Pacific but the much more lucrative Chinese possessions were given to European powers who had been absent in Asia during the war. The continued treatment of Japan as an unequal partner by colonial western powers as well as the rejection of Japan's Racial Equality proposal for the League of Nations Charter fostered resentment against western nations Japan thought were its equal ally - The idea that during the interwar years Japan was under a mix of military and civilian control preparing for "total war" is a bit of a misnomer. As you point out yourself, the Japanese military was completely rogue (and itself fragmented with younger officers ignoring aristocratic military leadership) and more in opposition to the democratic civilian government than hand in hand with it. Political leaders opposed adventurism in Manchuria and China, and fought to maintain the alliance with the UK and USA. The government even cut funds to the military when it started invading China. The Taisho Democracy however was fragile - there were numerous military assassinations of civilian leaders, the military was built to work independent of civilian control (as the Prussians advised), and ultimately like in Germany, popular support went with the young Turks in the military than the impotent government trying to restrain it, and so in the 1930s the government started to follow the military. But all of that is not to say that Japan didn't have a proper constitutional democracy. It's just that it had weak institutions that couldn't control its military. As with all things, it's hard to sum up what "Japan" was planning during these years because it was slipping gradually into a state of chaos where political and even military leadership was not able to control what military factions started doing in Asia. And yes! Sino Japanese war vid please!

[@stevefitt9538]

As a life long wargamer and reader of military history, at 75 yo, IMHO, Japan's only hope was to find a Western Ally. This may not have been possible, and was only possible if it sucked it up and accepted racists insults. This was not possible because of the Japanese pride and honor would never allow it. Thus, it was in an impossible position. We can see that what happened was not that bad. [It would have been better to have avoided all the war crimes and it should have surrendered as soon as the Mariana Islands fell, because this put the B-29s in range to burn their cities to the ground.] Japan is now accepted by the West and is an economic powerhouse. But, it is doing what I said it had to do. It is doing whatever is necessary to stay allied with the US.

[@Tundraviper41]

Japan also had a problem with their navy being restricted by the Washington navel treaty. It limited their ships to a degree that they thought it was unfair that other nations could get more then they could. So during the " Washington Era" before japan let their signature expire, Japan designed many ships to accept future modernization and refits that could re-arm the ships. The mogami class "light" cruiser is a good example as the 5* weapons were replaced with 8* weapons after the japanese signature on the treaty expired, although they could not really upgrade the armor so the mogami class was under armored when compared to other heavy cruisers.

[@graceneilitz7661]

The British did that as well. Actually all of the signatories (Japan, US,UK, Italy, France) broke the treaty, which makes you wonder why they agreed to it.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

A wonderful historical coverage channel that sharing excellent quality historical coverage videos allot thanks

[@kiddlando8501]

Can we take a moment to appreciate that despite a brutal,bloody and hateful war against each other, that the USA and Japan managed to forge one of the most unexpectedly strong friendships both economically and militarily? Just shows we were never all that different from one another, we fielded some of the bravest warriors in modern history. Hell, I can’t help but think of my Great Uncle, who was a US marine on Iwo Jima when he told me that despite the horrors of the war, he came to respect the Japanese defenders on the islands as some of the bravest fighters to ever live. (I’m referring to the average field soldier, not the war criminals that took part in horrors such as Nanking). He told me he could never grasp how they managed to have such a strong fighting spirit despite having terrible logistics, going weeks without food, having to drink dirty water that made them sick, no significant air support, etc. until the day he died he held the Japanese in very high regard despite the traumatic experiences he went through fighting them. He was pen pals with a Japanese man that his unit had captured (one of the very few Japanese soldiers to come out alive) for around 60 years or so…They bonded over their mutual love for baseball, which the Japanese man had become enamored with when he first heard of it while studying abroad before the war. Realizing that the man he saw as his enemy was just like him; he loved sports, he had an infant son the same age as his own, they were both left handed and apparently shared jokes about the extra difficulty that provided operating right hand rifles. When my Uncle died, his Japanese friend sent our family an incredibly intricate and presumably very expensive flower arrangement and a baseball card from 1951 my uncle had mailed him during their years of correspondence…He held on to that card for over 60 years and wanted it to be buried with his lifelong friend that had at one time been his perceived mortal enemy. I’d like to think that he and my uncle are in Valhalla together as eternal brothers. Rest in peace, SSGT Robert P. and Corporal Hiroshi K.

[@Hillbilly001]

Brilliant channel! IMHO. Allegedly. Cheers

[@stonedtowel]

Damn this was a great one, amazing work. unreal this is free on yt.

[@sammonoball56]

Hi There ! Excellent vid as always, I’d really like to see a vid about the sino-japanese war ..

[@ericjohnson9468]

EXCELLENT Simon!… just EXCELLENT!…BRAVO!

[@IcedScorpio]

a video on the Sino-Japanese War is a must

[@mattarndt841]

The sino Japanese wars would be amazing to have good videos on. There is so much of a blind spot on that area of the world around both world wars unless it has british or American direct involvement

[@blankface5052]

I feel like this frames Japan as a victim of racism and ignores the fact it was a belligerent state. It’s less about racism than the ideology of the nation.

[@dbeast6667]

Could you do a short video on the Japanese and soviet border skirmishes before the war

[@georgemetcalf8763]

You know what could make for a good video? Blockades like those enforced on the Confederacy, Imperial Germany, and Imperial Japan. Like what it took to enforce it and their consequences.

[@danielmauricio8504]

Great content! I’m glad I just discovered it! :) bummed I didn’t sooner! Keep it up

[@leeroyloke8415]

Yes, I would definitely want to see multi-part videos covering both Sino-Japanese Wars. With a few exceptions, oth wars are often overlooked by Western-dominated media.

[@sethcourtney468]

Great video outside of the 8th of Dec reference. luckily it only threw me off in the final couple minutes 😝

[@rwarren58]

I know I'm late to this party but thanks for a great video! I can always depend on your channels for information and entertainment.

[@baronpen]

A video on the Sino-Japanese War would be interesting.

[@DonWan47]

Another great video.

[@markhough1027]

I love to see the Irish 1798 rebellion. Thank you. Love the vid

[@combatcat2472]

Is there a chance you cover the battle of the bulge soon? Or have I just overseen it when browsing through your content?

[@Erik_Ice_Fang]

The music was amazing for this video.

[@davidk1690]

Great video! Just a small correction: the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, not on December 8th.

[@MrTexasDan]

The narrative is from the Japanese perspective ... it was Dec 8 at that time in Japan.

[@tomhenry897]

Our time not theirs

[@jeast417]

@@MrTexasDan Japan lost the war so their narrative doesn't matter, it was Dec 7th

[@resileaf9501]

@@jeast417 What? So you can't tell a story from the perspective of Japan? Why should you get to decide that the date in Japan is wrong? Are you going to call time zones fake too?

[@ilajoie3]

In a list that included Guam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Pearl Harbor I think it would be appropriate to count it on the day that most of those places were in as opposed to one of them

[@0fficialdregs]

hey simon and team, 1. love the content across several channels, at this point should be its own streaming platform. 2. I have a video idea, if possibly done. What if Japan conquered China and never gave it up after the various treaties that affected many nations borders. thank you regardless, been a fan of your content since 2015

[@seanlander9321]

Japan did virtually nothing in WWI, it was Australia that captured most of the German colonies in the Pacific in 1914, and promptly them their colonies.

[@natecody3305]

Absolutely give us that video

[@BHuang92]

Japan was prepared for WW2 but was never ready for its consequences.........

[@kiska5947]

Suggestion: August 1945 there was a Japanese faction that wanted to continue fighting. Coup and tried to steal recording of what would be Hirohito's first ever speech to the people. Didn't really mention surrender but directed government to accept Allies joint declaration and ended the war. Little coverage but interesting.

[@TheJMBon]

Mark Felton covers this I think in his channel.

[@nah5011]

Simon, please make a Sino Japanese wars video! These have been awesome

[@robdon3472]

A war of ideologies, of generations, of greed and ancient feuds. A war imported from a far off land and fought in the heart of America, on the streets of the Empire City. A war that would lay the foundation for one of the most powerful entities in 20th Century America. An incubator for cultural icons and folk heroes that laid bare the inherent nature of man and capitalism right on the front pages. I suggested it a few times in your earlier videos and am once more nominating, for topic consideration, The Castellammarese War. THE factional Mafia war that acts as the basis for the very concept of gangland warfare.

[@cyrilio]

I voting for this! Hope they make it

[@sharonrigs7999]

2:56 ' BEER HORE ' That sign ( upper left) presents a lot of questions...

[@Dank-gb6jn]

It’s probably best covered on “Into the Shadows” but the Rape of Nanjing (aka Nanjing Massacre) should be covered. Truly one of the most horrific atrocities committed by Imperial Japan.

[@philrabe910]

It's only just recently occurred to me that it's the voice and delivery that makes hearing about horrid atrocities easier to handle. Somehow. Look forward to hearing about Nanking.

[@klaismith8747]

28:14 8th of December?? It was the 7th. Pearl Harbour was attacked on Sunday the 7th of December at 8:00am. ‘A Day that will live in infamy”

[@ragnarredbeard4652]

Learn to think internationally. It was the 8th in Japan.

[@gluedoo]

Really great video. Very interesting how easily you can see war with the west coming. Although Japan certainly faced significant racial discrimination on the international stage in the lead up to WW2, I think it is worth remembering just how racially fueled Japanese expansion was also, both towards other Asian nations and Western nations.

[@jesseaffiliate6328]

The most disturbing racially fueled massacres comes from acts of lovely bloody red faction. Im not saying acts imperial japan would be ok. Them are just tiny drops in the ocean (vs socialism/communism/democratic socialism etc factions of death)

[@Zaprozhan]

@@jesseaffiliate6328 Still what-about-ism. Stay on topic, please. If you have an axe to grind, do it elsewhere.

[@genericglass-8883]

@@Zaprozhan Doesn’t change tha fact on how absolutely fucked that system of a goverments is and the brainwashed idiots that are willfully ignorant of the past.

[@snicker576]

​@@Zaprozhan You know he's right, though

[@catking8039]

My favorite nerd. Keep up the great work Simon.

[@Idahoguy10157]

By attacking the USA was in a war it hadn’t the ability to win. So yes, Japan acted crazy in thinking they could force a peace of their own choosing

[@stevenaylor5163]

It’s interesting that he refers to Japan’s want for equality as one of race and not power and that Japanese aggression is expansionism, however European aggression is colonialism.

[@johnhallett5846]

Yeah I noticed that. It is not really obvious but there is a clear bias shown here

[@youwayo]

Would love to hear more wars that involve Korea (Imjin War, First Sino Japanese War, Korean War).

[@Aberrant17]

Not nearly enough is spoken about the Sino-Japanese War. Yes, please make a video on it.

[@Kuma-yu4jx]

Love the video, from a Japanese in US.

[@morganlewis2667]

I find the narrator's style of amplitude modulation and rhythm very challenging to my aural comprehension of his text. Up and down, up and down ....trailing off... I know many non-native English speakers here in Japan that are easier to understand. Over all pace like that of a professor rushing through to beat the bell.

[@anthonywenyon6705]

Excellent !!

[@Matixmer]

If the japanese had known that one of the worlds greatest oilfields was to be found below the island of Sachalin just north of Hokkaido. They would almost certainly have decided on the northern expansion. Which in all likelihood had resulted in the total defeat of the USSR in a two front war.

[@dulio12385]

Infighting is an understatement; The IJA and IJN hated each so much that the former built its own fleet of destroyers and transports operated by army sailors. Imagine how much better the IJN would've performed had the army not been sucking away vital fuel and dockyard space from the navy to support its ineffectual vanity fleet.

[@corgi42069]

Pearl harbor wasn't December 8th, it was December 7th

[@thetowndrunk988]

It was December 8th in Japan, which is the perspective of this video.

[@GrievousReborn]

Yes videos on both Sino Japanese wars please would like to learn more about them.

[@snorkey2462]

Love these videos ❤❤

[@gossettcd]

I would like to see one on Japan's failed attempt to invade Mongolia and Soviet Union and their subsequent loss. This would have a major impact on the Second World War.

[@JoanieAdamms]

Oh Please Simon and the Team, please oblige us with the video on the Sino-Japanese War.

[@travismayes4547]

Palau. Do a video on Palau.

[@nathanmince1389]

Yes please! Those were very important conflicts in world history!

[@GodzMunkie999]

that i would say is your best video reading yet. Good Job bro

[@zch7491]

This video was very good

[@wvang0013]

Yes please! No one is doing the Sino-Japanese wars. It would be awesome to learn more about it.

[@TerryCooperYT]

More please. I could happily sit for hours listening to Simon reading the phone book.

[@ffwcarmelo]

😂😂

[@billthecanuck]

a video about the sino-japanese wars would be interesting, i know a tonne about WW1 / ww2 but very little / nothing about that subject.

[@normanbraslow7902]

The Japanese economy was never quite as mobilized as indicated. There was significant zaibatsu, the big business organizations, opposition.

[@blakhorizon915]

Damn, you really have good writers bro. That conclusion was sobering.

[@robertjordan4755]

Yall should do a video on how Yamamoto came to power

[@Caleb1874ya]

Suggestion maybe cover when The Barbary Pirates owned the Mediterranean and the many attempts to rectify that…. Some of the pirate wars back in the day were just insane…. Fleets of ships with numbers larger than most countries navy’s

[@multiyapples]

Rest in peace to those that passed away.

[@ashleysimpkins8119]

Simon could you do the the battle of long tan or the kakoda trail as they mean so much to australia

[@honkeykong9592]

Do one about the ship Warspite!