Why Japan Joined the Axis - World War Animated DOCUMENTARY

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Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on Modern Warfare continues with another video on the reasons why Japan joined the Axis powers in the aftermath of the Great War and how it was influenced by the treaty of Versailles
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[@KingsandGenerals]

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[@johnbannon1859]

Amazing!!! that you can pack SO MUCH accurate information, into a 20 Min. Video!..WELL DONE!!! Yes there is MUCH more to this story, but again-for anyone that did not know about THIS part of history, is give a VERY GOOD outline of it!..Cheers!!. ....(PS I am subscribed and I have yet to watch a video of yours that I did NOT like!...Excellent work here!!!!-as usual!) .............JB-CANADA.

[@tocreatee5736]

the real reason japan gave up on western style of democracy is THIS. The Racial Equality Proposal (, Hepburn: Jinshutekisabetsu teppai teian, lit. "Proposal to abolish racial discrimination") was an amendment to the Treaty of Versailles that was considered at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Proposed by Japan, it was never intended to have any universal implications, but one was attached to it anyway, which caused its controversy.[1] Japanese Foreign Minister Uchida Kōsai stated in June 1919 that the proposal was intended not to demand the racial equality of all coloured peoples but only that of members of the League of Nations.[1]

[@maincoon6602]

Craved for vd

[@noahmpinto14]

Can u make evolution of Chiniese religion(taoism)?

[@juniortrump2887]

"allowing it to be exploited more brutally" is an utter lie. Actually, Koreans had been oppressed for centuries by its own dynasty. They were so poor and filthy, full of feces in the streets. Japan made it decent by spending huge tax money of Japanese for decades!

[@BlackSeaHangar]

so basically Japan got the "we grant you a seat at the council, but not the rank of master"

[@Shahiddish]

Aye, will grant the rank of person but not human

[@jaytoh4336]

Omg that’s true! It’s all Obi-wan’s fault

[@Emilechen]

even today, the position of Japan in G7 remains the same,

[@vonbalt4891]

And then Japan went full sith and started to slaughter the younglings in China..

[@labkone3921]

Nonetheless

[@JohnnyElRed]

And that's how the murder of Franz Ferdinand lead to the creation of Hentai.

[@KingsandGenerals]

Murder to Hentai pipeline

[@steffanyschwartz7801]

@@KingsandGenerals so we need to prevent Gavrilo Princep to not get a sandwich to stop hentai? I’m in

[@Walker-ow7vj]

Kings and Generals that’s how it goes yo

[@nowgoawayanddosomethinggoo8978]

Germany: behold our new ship, Bismarck! ...Japan? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! What are you doing!?

[@2x2leax]

Do we need a cringier comment here? I don't think so.

[@rossbrook5919]

The Washington naval treaty a few years later was arguably as more important. Britain was forced to end its alliance with Japan by the US. Japan was then placed in a position of a 2nd tier nation behind that of Britain and the US

[@bmc7434]

Japan was worried as UK and France were both under Pro Fascist Military Dictatorships, which controlled around 30% of the world which only gave citizenships pretty much to only Germanic ethnics folks. Both countries ran huge ubiquitous secret police and concentration camps against Asian and Africans ethic groups. Add the US to this group and Russia anger over Japan declaring War on them during Russia' from the Czar meant Japan was isolated from World Trade.

[@ThePacificWarChannel]

I think my History of the Pacific War Professor can now rest easy haha. He always argued to us that Treaty of Versailles alongside the other events made the Japanese Empire join the Axis

[@AdmiralKarlDonuts]

I guess they didn’t form the Co-Prosperity Sphere and the world tension was high enough.

[@steffanyschwartz7801]

That’s a good one

[@jesseg8374]

A man of culture I see… 😂

[@heh9392]

Hoi4 joke?

[@jtgd]

It was formed. The Co-prosperity sphere means “Cooperate with me for MY Prosperity, or die”

[@midlifeparty]

@@jtgd serve us or die?

[@dirkuhdirk5534]

This sounds like Anakin being granted a seat on the Jedi Counsil but being denied the rank of master, then becoming a Sith Lord.

[@strikeforce1500]

Russia/France/UK: *Proceeds to disrespect Japan numerous times, even before WW 1* Japan: *Joins the Axis side before WW 2* Russia/France/UK: Why would they do that?

[@birdstwin1186]

Strange you didnt include Germany in that list of countries that disrespected japan.

[@hallotag4891]

@@birdstwin1186 Typical western propaganda, i love you

[@aasemahsan]

2:03 Japanese Empire following Meiji restoration Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War Annexation of Korea 8:09 Japan in & after World War I Gaining formerly German territories 21 demands from China's Beiyang Government 14:04 Japan's *Racial Equality proposal*

[@babagandu]

Wow thanks sadeek

[@josephippolito1402]

The irony isn't lost on me.

[@apexnext]

Sweet, ty for the timestamps! 😁👍

[@lincolnhaldorsen5649]

@@josephippolito1402 United States and United Kingdom are the same way.

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

Goddamn Woodrow Wilson. That man did more damage the world than nearly anyone else in the next hundred years.

[@kuwaitisnotadeployment1373]

Very well researched and presented. I'm used to nothing but quality content from K&G but this is even a step above the norm. Well done

[@juniortrump2887]

"allowing it to be exploited more brutally" is an utter lie. Actually, Koreans had been oppressed for centuries by their own dynasty. They were so poor and filthy, full of feces in the streets. Japan made it decent by spending huge tax money of Japanese for decades!

[@denniscleary7580]

The Japanese did feel betrayed by the end of World War I by being excluded in a lot of the talks so I would say it started there and grew, thanks Kings

[@kyngo550]

@@TW7S95 They were, especially in the battle of Tsingtao. Japan also contributed to ship escort missions in the Mediterranean Ocean and Indian Ocean (if I remember correctly), the Pacific campaign, and of course, Southeast Asia as well. Japan even participated in the Siberian Intervention after WWI ended.

[@johnbox271]

Japan lost around 300 men in WW1, why would you include such a nation, who did very little towards victory, in all the talks?

[@johnbox271]

@@watchman835 If the US had suffered 200 personal dead, while the British lost over 500,000 dead (equating WW1 losses), what say would the US get? Japan didn't fight smarter... they didn't fight. The picked off the bodies of the dead, which while great as real politics, is not a testament to military power.

[@johnbox271]

@@watchman835 Lots of countries attended, not all voice were equal. Paris Peace Conference Delegates from 27 nations were assigned to 52 commissions, which held 1,646 sessions to prepare reports, with the help of many experts, on topics ranging from prisoners of war to undersea cables, to international aviation, to responsibility for the war.

[@PhatCunt]

it didnt start at the peace talks, they had already conquered and enslaved korea, they had planned to keep going no matter what anyone had said, they were just biding their time. the axis powers were the perfect tool for them to distract the major powers. they expected to be excluded in the talks because all they did was attack undefended german colonies in order to annex them, and they did

[@alfrancisbuada2591]

Thanks for sharing this with us again, Kings and Generals.

[@barbiquearea]

Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy weren't the only countries allied with Nazi Germany. Romania which had also turned fascist by the time of WWII also became a member of the Axis powers and they were quite instrumental in helping the Nazis during Operation Barbarossa as they provided Hitler with a great deal of oil, equipment and troops for his war against the Soviet Union.

[@vulcan20]

Well, then you could include Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, etc.

[@mrnygren2]

@@vulcan20 Bulgaria never joined Operation Barbarossa though. They were only allied against the Greeks and Yugoslavia.

[@vulcan20]

@@mrnygren2 Still, Bulgaria was part of the Axis.

[@grapeshott]

And Putin points out Ukrainian Nazis too

[@jesseberg3271]

They said the main countries, and honestly Italy is in that category as a courtesy. Really only Japan and Germany were on a similar level among the Axis powers.

[@ronb.8920]

This was super interesting. It actually connected all the dots from this period in history.

[@helloworld0609]

In 1925, US officially ended the immigration from Japan, which probably further angered Japan.

[@robbabcock_]

Wonderful video! When one digs down into history one finds many things most people don't realize.

[@Uzair_Of_Babylon465]

Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job

[@Primetiime32]

Thank you for the upload

[@ElBandito]

Keep up the good work, K&G!

[@13thravenpurple94]

Great work 🥳🥳🥳 Thank youuu 💜💜💜

[@ComradeCatpurrnicus]

Very informative video that provided some good insight.

[@bremnersghost948]

Quality as always K&G :)

[@richier5746]

Would be interesting to see a video on the Boxer Rebellion... Enjoyed the Falklands video essay, very entertaining!!

[@richier5746]

@@-VOR Yes thats another brilliant channel.

[@earlpainter2143]

Excellent video! Well written, concise.

[@alighahremani3656]

Great video K&G Can't wait to watch your video on Nader Shah

[@1988kcmo]

Wow, that was a really informative video! I thought I knew the subject pretty well, but I learned a lot. Thanks Kings and Generals!

[@juniortrump2887]

"allowing it to be exploited more brutally" is an utter lie. Actually, Koreans had been oppressed for centuries by their own dynasty. They were so poor and filthy, full of feces in the streets. Japan made it decent by spending huge tax money of Japanese for decades!

[@brianschwarz]

Excellent, Thank you.

[@rogersmith9535]

I don't blame Japan for joining the Triple Alliance, the Allies weren't exactly welcoming to them.

[@Emilechen]

the Fascists side with the Fascists, quite normal, for the first ans only time that Japan becomes a great power in History, what they do is not to helpp their Asian brothers, but to kill more Asians than the European colonial empires, Japan has lost forever the uniqueqchance to become a true leader of Asia,

[@kaltaron1284]

@@Emilechen I'm pretty sure the Brits hold that record. The Chinese and Mongols are also no slouches but not European of course.

[@birdstwin1186]

Yeah The Nazee sure were welcoming of them. Nazees viewed those asians as equal to the 'm@Sster race.' Fool.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@strongbrew9116 Exact numbers are difficult to come by but so far I've read that the Japanese probably killed 10-20 million. Are we talking the Bengal Famine of 1770 or 1943 (the latter the Japanese were part of the problem)? Over the years the British ramped up a death toll of 12 to 29 million from famine in India alone. Then there's the conquest of North America although I guess the USA later take that over. It's difficult to say how much damage they caused in Africa, South East Asia and Australia in total. So no, we don't know which one holds the record but the British are certainly a strong contender.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@strongbrew9116 1) yes? 2) I didn't include North America and the initial conquest was under British rule. Canada wholly later. Also this was about this comment from Emile Chen: "but to kill more Asians than the European colonial empires," So I don't see where I'm disingenuous. OK, didn't need to bring up the other colonies.

[@Spacemongerr]

Love your stuff. Do you think you could tone down the brown/sepia filter on your excellent Pacific War series? It makes it a bit hard to "read" the maps.

[@trooper1567]

Great video again!

[@marcospedrosa3050]

Japan 23:59: "Enough is enough. I'm done with european racists". Japan OO:OO: "Joined Adolph Hitler"

[@coolcat6544]

He treated Japan better than the British and US. If you study history, the British and US were just as or more racist than Germany.

[@issacfoster1113]

@@coolcat6544 so is the Japanese to fellow Asians

[@coolcat6544]

@@issacfoster1113 Yes. Japanese were very racist towards other Asians especially Koreans and Chinese. Japanese society is still a very racist society. However, the Europeans were the worst. Europe is a racist society even today.

[@KevinUchihaOG]

@@coolcat6544 well, not at that time. Racist yeah, but they didnt have a "final solution" or anything close to that.

[@edorn9972]

Listen to Dan Carlin's "Supernova in the East" if you want an extensive podcast on Japan in WW2.

[@Paris-xv9sj]

5 amazing free podcasts, what a pleasure.

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nicely informative video. It's pretty easy to see what led Japan down the road it would travel prior to WWII. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

[@johnbannon1859]

Yes! mine as well! This a a VERY good channel! I subscribe so that I get any new videos and wathch many of the ones they have done before.-they dont get old!!...Quite a selection!!!!!.......Cheers! From Canada!!

[@Cotswolds1913]

You just thanked Hideki Tojo.

[@HellenicWolf]

nice video thanks

[@jaimelannister7226]

One thing you got it wrong. The boxer rebellion wasn’t actually a rebellion. It started out as a rebellion, but then it was backed by Empress Dowager Cixi, tasked to attack European embassies, slaughter foreign missionaries and Chinese Christians. This radical move successfully appeased the publics resentment towards the government and diverted it to the foreigners. It was a common political trick amongst Chinese emperors, when you can’t solve an internal conflict, you shift it to other countries. And through centuries of war, dozens of countries/races were forced to become Chinas’ vassal state. Solving interior problems by starting wars, this is how China expanded to the boundaries it has today. But this time, is was strongly opposed by the Eastern and Southern provinces in China. Cause this time, they’re not facing Koreans, Mongolians, the Turks or Uyghurs anymore, this was an act of war against all European nations. Thus, these provinces formed “The Southeastern Mutual Insurance Alliance”, distancing themselves from the central government. To summarize, the 8 nations weren’t there to “help the Qing emperor to quell the uprising”, they were responding to Cixi’s act of war.

[@Emilechen]

the Korean war is quite similar to the Boxer rebellion, the difference is that the boxes get defeated by 8 nations alliance, and the communist volunteers in Korea managed to defeat rhe 17 narom alliance several times,

[@sleepyhead6468]

Solving internal problems by starting wars... East Asian region was one of the most peaceful regions on Earth in ancient times. In fact, it was the great stability between civilised nations created by the regional order established with China at the center that allowed East Asia to prosper for millenias. Starting wars to solve internal problems is more of a Western habit actually. In fact, a habit that is still going strong right this very moment to this day. The number of wars the US started? How many times have the American people been told that this war in some far flung place has to be started, this invasion has to be done, all these people dying died for a reason which is to keep American people safe and free. It's a propaganda and brainwashing tactic that has been used very frequently. As for why the Southern provinces were against it, it's due to Southern provinces being more anti-Qing than their Northern counterparts. Southern provinces were more against Manchu Qing rule and commonly called to restore the Ming.

[@jaimelannister7226]

@@sleepyhead6468 If you have any knowledge about Chinese history, you’ll know that China was never a peaceful country. In fact, it waged war with neighbors literally every dynasty. The Qin dynasty invaded Vietnam. The Hang dynasty destroyed the Huns. The Sui dynasty invaded Korea. The Ming dynasty waged war with mongols and Jurchen for centuries. The Qing dynasty conquered the Uyghurs. China didn’t establish regional order by peace and love, that’s not how geopolitics works, she became the dominant power in Eastern Asia though centuries of blood shed. Feel free to google what I said.

[@jaimelannister7226]

@@sleepyhead6468 Even if you exclude the wars between nations, China was constantly fighting civil wars. The 7 warring states, the three kingdoms, the yellow turban uprising, the red turban revolution, the white lotus rebellion, the Taiping rebellion, the Huang Chao rebellion, the An Lushan rebellion, the Wu Sangui rebellion, the Northern and Southern dynasties, etc. The Taiping rebellion itself caused 20-70 million deaths, bloodier than every European war ever fought, due to the scorched earth tactics applied by both sides (to simply put, the Qing government and the Taiping Kingdom slaughtered every city they took). I don’t know how did you get the impression that “Eastern Asia was one of the most peaceful regions on Earth”, but that is simply not true.

[@sleepyhead6468]

@@jaimelannister7226 Oh I am more than aware about all these wars that you mentioned. My point being that in ancient times, wars were a common fact of life. Those were much more brutal times. But comparatively and relatively, East Asian region has seen much less wars and far greater stability and peace.

[@CrashbandicootXO-ih2qc]

Can’t wait to watch this . God bless you guys . Much love and support .

[@jaybirdjargon]

Wilson....what a piece of work :(

[@christopherflack7629]

I haven't watched it yet but I've clicked the like button.

[@kilpatrickkirksimmons5016]

Had the Anglo-Saxon powers acted a little less high-handedly with the Italians and Japanese, history would've been potentially less bloody. Washington and London seemed to instinctively understand that Germany ceased hostilities expecting Wilson's Fourteen Points, and that the vengeful peace they got instead would only serve to enrage them and come back to haunt everyone. But they gave minimal concessions to Japanese and Italian senses of honor. Granted Germany was the most dangerous of the three, but it's still a big fuckup when two of your major allies in one world war side against you in the next.

[@xKinjax]

Your comment ignores the fact that Japan had had aspirations of empire before, their invasion of Korea after the Sengoku Jidai with further plans to invade China. A confrontation was inevitable unless the European world powers and the Americans stood aside and allowed them to freely create their desired empire.

[@balabanasireti]

I doubt it. Germamy, Italy and Japan were extremely militarisric and racist countries, even for their times. Sure, the UK, USA and France are also to blame but I doubt that they could've ever stopped these countries from starting wars

[@georgebrantley776]

@@xKinjax Realistically, a carving up of China into spheres of influence may have prevented war. No world war was fought over Africa.

[@flackstar007]

The undertone was racism was rampant on a global scale with basically every nation looking down at their neighbours. And the sadder part is the fact that racism existed to dehumanize others in order to make is sociably acceptable to commit crimes against those people. Even to this day the race card is played to justify harsh treatment of other human beings.

[@xKinjax]

@@georgebrantley776 I don't think it would have. If you consider the ever expanding sphere of US influence over the Pacific, the rising desire of subjugated nations to be free of colonial powers and the attempts of said powers to hold on to the bitter end I think conflict was inevitable. Beyond that you can't really compare Africa with China. Africa's inhabitants were devised mostly by tribal allegiances and did not have an overall national identity to unite under. They'd fight each other as much as they fought the whites. China, despite the original disunity during the age of warlords at the start of the century had mostly divided between two major factions. You could have never sold a division of China to these factions and they would have still fought to the bitter end. I don't think there would have been any sort of support at home for such a move, especially if it would have required sending troops in to force it on the Chinese.

[@chicagotypewriter2094]

I read a book from 1960 by Readers Digest titled “The Illustrated Story of WW2” or so. There was a chapter dedicated to Japan pre WW2 in depth and it was THE most confusing thing on Earth

[@alfrancisbuada2591]

How confusing?

[@youseftm7336]

Please elaborate

[@paulluka2029]

Am already confused by this comment

[@resentfuldragon]

probably because the war was not long before 1960, so they probably wanted to downplay any legitimate grievances they had. When you just lie about a people you tend to make mistakes if you write too much. Also I am not saying japan was right to cause the pacific war whatsoever, they were so bad they could be called worse than the nazis, its just that it seemed pretty avoidable had they been treated less like an inferior.

[@chicagotypewriter2094]

@@resentfuldragon Rather the opposite. The book mentioned how bad & how violent the movement of ultranationalization was & the rapid militarisation and such. It pointed out the routine rulebreaking & targeting of civilians and foreign interests and such. Tl;dr, it did the opposite of downplaying Japan being the sadistic PoS it was

[@banerjeesiddharth05]

Nice video

[@Jobe-13]

Geopolitics is definitely a very engaging and entertaining subject.

[@zoinks8297]

PLEASE Cover The Battle of Lund some day, it's the largest battle in Scandinavian history and it gets literally no attention at all!

[@martincoiner971]

Fascinating analysis, with some points that were new to me. What struck me especially is the rather glaring bit of hypocrisy about the Japanese indignation at how they were strong-armed by some Western powers into giving up some of their gains after the first Sino-Japanese war, while they were trying to do worse to the Chinese. Likewise about the racism thing. If they were all about all humans being equal, then why did they treat the Chinese so horridly? (Don't get me wrong, BTW: I really love Japan.)

[@PhatCunt]

@R they werent practicing colonialism they were outright attempting to annex all of asia. what they were practicing was genocide. and japan just like nazi germany believed themselves to be first among equals, the most superior of the superior asian race

[@jonirojonironin5353]

@R So you believe that if the Japanese didn't join the Axis in WW2 and invade Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Burma would have remained British territories?

[@Skibbi198]

I wouldn't call it hypocrisy. Their problem with colonisation was being colonised, not with colonising.

[@rikmuao4699]

Japan after WW1 always believed too much of Asia was in European hands. They wanted just as much right to Asia as Europe and Americans had. When the U.S cut off oil to the Japanese because they felt Japan was getting too powerful that angered the Japanese. They were either to power down and continue to allow the Europe/Americans to dominate Asia or go to war. They obviously chose war. Japan always felt they deserved to be considered an equal. They were not. Even though they had one of the most powerful militaries in the world. Would the U.S cut off the British Dutch or French? Probably not.

[@charles1964]

@@rikmuao4699 The U.S. Oil Embargo came on the heels of Japan's invasion of Hainan and Tonkin. The U.S. refused to supply Japan's War efforts after witnessing IJA Massacre's in places like Shanghai and Nanking - atrocities Japan committed in the name of their own r*c1al superiority....Wikipedia has Tokyo newspaper stories/photos glorifying the R*p3 of Nanking

[@davidjensen1221]

I once had the Versailles treaty described to me as the treaty of the victors, victims, and the voiceless. The Japanese certainly qualify for that given that despite being a full ally, their gains were decided for them.

[@gilbert8162]

@@actin9294 You sound like one of those big bullies.

[@ZolaMagic25]

@@actin9294 it is 'special' when you consider what it led to.

[@ZolaMagic25]

@@actin9294 but did it say they don't have to fight another war in the next twenty years?

[@PhatCunt]

for a treaty it was actually very leniant compared to what would usually happen. and the japanese were neither voiceless nor victims, they were bullies too just not as big. they joined the war purely for territorial expansion and they got it. let me remind you the japanese empire had enslaved and massacred koreans years before ww2, they had always planned on expanding regardless of who stood in their way

[@messithegoat7178]

@@actin9294 yeah look at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to see what actual bullying looks like, the treaty of versailles was like a slap in wrist compared to that.

[@armaaniftikhar5609]

Please do a video on the indo pak war of 1965- love your content 😁

[@Raptor828]

the comments will be amazing xD

[@escribopapelitos]

You're basically asking for the worst kind of trolls to come over lol

[@razasayyed382]

@@escribopapelitos completely agreed.

[@armaaniftikhar5609]

@@escribopapelitos 😆

[@sidjoosin6549]

actually axis is not alliance as we know, nor defensive pact. when Britain and France declared war to Germany, it was not clear on which side Italy will be, and first year of war Italy supplied France with lethal weapons, aviation equipment and other goods. Only in 1940, after British and French troops crushed Italy decided to enter, just after fall of Paris or just before it. And Japan also for example have no war with USSR at all, pursuing own goals.

[@stischer47]

Japan tried to attack the Soviet Union (Battles of Khalkhin Gol) in 1939 but were so badly beaten that they signed a treaty. Germany was quite upset that the Japanese wouldn't attack the USSR after Germany declared war on the US in support of Japan after Pearl Harbor.

[@sidjoosin6549]

@@stischer47 yes, they fought USSR in 39, when relationship between USSR and Germany was in their highest point, and never attack nor threatened USSR after war with Germany has begun, more than that they guaranteed not to invade, and armies from far east came to defend Moscow in critical moment in winter 41. as you said despite Hitler declared war on US, Japan don't make similar move on USSR. And in diplomatic arena Germany was very critique about atrocities and war crimes of Japan. am not saying Germany Italy Japan were enemies, no, they cooperated, on different levels different point of time, example Germany-Italy were not allies at all in 39, but to 44 - full allies like Antantante or Central powers in WW1. but "axis" at general most of time far from such coordination and cooperation as in Ww1

[@crispianchealuks2024]

league of nations to japan: you are on this council but we do not grant you the rank of master

[@Harshhaze]

It would be weird if Japan joined the Allies and Russia and Germany didn't try destroying each other and created an Axis superalliance

[@GeneralGrievousCIS]

The Soviets actually tried negotiating to join the Axis even with Japan as a member. Stalin, apparently, was actually pretty relaxed/generous with his offers (only wanting a guarantee of no German bases in Finland in exchange for a promise he wouldn't invade it again, joint bases in Bulgaria, a sphere of influence in Iraq/Iran, joint influence over Turkey and the Japense to acknowledge Sakhalin as Russian in exchange for proportionate financial compensation paid to Japan). Ribbentrop and the German diplomats likes the arrangement, but couldn't convince Hitler (who was caught up in wild conspiracy theories about Churchill only refusing to surrender because he expected Stalin to join on his side... making Hitler think Stalin was just lying to buy time). If Hitler had been convinced, accepted the Soviet proposals, the Axis would've certainly won the war... at least on the Eurasian supercontinent and in North Africa. Eventually they'd also have won the crucial technological race around rocketry ( Von Braun still in Nazi Germany while Russia still has Korolev means either the Soviets, as historically, or the Germans get ICBMs first and the US is nowhere close). US can't nuke anything meaningful in the Axis due to range limitations and by the time the Axis gets nukes they eventually break the deadlock with the ICBM and glass the east coast. This all of course assumes the alliance holds... but if had, the world would've become a fascist/stalinist totalitarian haven. Scary how close that came to being possible.

[@chinawealth8108]

It’s not a slight to say to Japan who saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of European Allies during WW1 at the expense of their own sailors that they are not equal. Imagine if you jumped in a raging river to save a child and then the family tells you later you are beneath them. You would be enraged too.

[@AkiKii519]

An important historical lesson in this video. As all other such lessons it was not learned.

[@khairulhelmihashim2510]

As many resource rich Asian territories were under British, Dutch, France and American colonialism, it is a logical course of action by Japan to side with Axis powers to give some sort of balancing act to protect Japan's interests.

[@tianshi2006]

Great video as always ay yiu nailed wei hai wei. However @09:14 qing dao is pronounced ching dao

[@inspiredme7030]

As Asian myself, I had mix feeling about Japan. I felt proud that finally after thousand years an Asian nation can standup among the European but in the other hand, I have bitten feeling as my ancestors was a victim of Japanese occupation

[@JBXyooj]

Same.

[@noah4822]

what japan did to china during WWII was truly horiffic. Entire complexes dedicated to testing bio-weapons and disease on millions.

[@alphagamer9505]

It didn't take thousands of year for a Asian nation to stand among Europeans, only like 500 years I think

[@alphagamer9505]

@@LetsPlay.DifferentGames don't forget The Ming Dinasty as well

[@arwahsapi]

Ottoman was part of Asia

[@dataportdoll]

5:55 heck I didn't expect Superman to show up.

[@Real7419]

16:56 WILSON!!!!! Could you not be yourself for 5 minutes. Just 5 MINUTES!!!

[@paulceglinski3087]

Excellent video again, K&G. Should have put this one as a precursor to the Pacific War series. Interesting that American racism and European complicity led to WW2 in Asia. Talk about an unfortunate series of events. Salutations from Tennessee.

[@hermitcard4494]

Almost everyone was racist back then. Duh.

[@doomsdave3321]

So feeling were hurt over race yet their empire building had nothing to do with "reason's why" Japan started WW2. Poor ending to a good video.

[@jeffreyestahl]

@@doomsdave3321 It was complex. It can be argued that while Japan pulled the proverbial trigger to start the Pacific War, the US and Britain gave them the gun and bullets. Like I said, complex.

[@CartoonHistory]

Interesting video. I used to live i Japan and WW2 is a very very tricky subject to navigate for a foreigner and I suppose the Japanese themselves.

[@JBXyooj]

Could Japan been the Hero country that Asia needed had they help their Asian neighbor's develop to resist western incursion? They could have. Sun Yat Sen did say Japan had that choice between helping their Asian brothers or you know doing what Imperial Japan does best *cough* go on a murderous conquest* Shame they chose to be conquerors instead.

[@giorgijioshvili9713]

they Didn't, and became one of the most hated Empire in Asia

[@JBXyooj]

@@giorgijioshvili9713 that the unfortunate part... they chose to Conquer Asia instead and they reap what they sow.

[@paulceglinski3087]

A very interesting hypothesis, sir. I think that's called tribalism. Pitiable it is.

[@mikkovaittinen3835]

There were thoughts to aid and advice neighbors, but this way lost to more aggressive way.

[@steffanyschwartz7801]

They could have easily made the East Asian co prosperity sphere like it was originally meant to be. Independent Korea, Siam, Nepal, Bhutan all industrializing with help from Japan

[@mwmx4783]

can you summaries ww1 and ww2 from start to finish ?

[@revolver_84]

Excellent video. Accurate, understandable, states facts instead of inserting political messaging.

[@Master-AGN]

might find that you’re mistaken about the breadbasket comment. As far as I know Manchuria was just sheep farmers until Japan moved in and started cultivating soy and then exporting it to China. Turning at once rural Backwater into a booming economy. Otherwise, very accurate.

[@user-user129]

There are many mistakes, but you are correct about the Paris Peace Conference.

[@Musefan891]

Ehh idk about that opening background music. It felt really Chinese-influenced and it was odd to see that juxtaposed with Tojo of all people lol

[@johnbox271]

Why did Japan join the Axis... timing/opportunity. Japan, in the early 1930's faced arguably six powers in the area they wanted to control: China, The Soviet Union, Netherlands, France, Britain and the USA. By the late 1940's, France and the Netherlands were crushed by Germany, a neutrality pack was negotiated with The Soviet Union, and Britain was using most of there resources to confront the Germans. Japanese had only two powers to worry China and the US; and Japan was already at war with China. Japan facing the US by itself was one thing, Japan with it's allies of Germany and Italy was a different: instead of US vs Japan it would be US vs Japan, Germany, and Italy. The timing couldn't have been better for a Japan determined on war and conquest.

[@resentfuldragon]

their problem is they didn't prepare for long enough beforehand, and they screwed up their missions against the usa. They failed to target the oil depots, and only temporarily damaged the pacific fleet of the usa. Furthermore it was dumb for them to fight the usa and multiple european powers simultaneously before they won against china.

[@dominicguye8058]

12:02 -- 12:20 holy cow I've never seen a political allegory like that

[@theawesomeman9821]

What's so weird about the Japanese-German alliance was that Germany was also an ally of China under the Kumingdon Nationalist Party. Germany sent weapons and military advisors to help the Chinese fight the Communists, Japanese and the Soviets. Even during the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war, German officers lead Chinese troops against the Japanese. After Germany invaded Poland, Hitler decided to let Japan have its way with China though hundreds of his German officers were already fighting. When the Japanese asked Hitler if he wanted amnesty for his own officers in China, he basically told the Japanese it wasn't worth bringing his officers back to Germany safely and that Japanese could treat his officers no differently than the Chinese. Most of Hitler's officers in China were brutally murdered or worked to death by the Japanese.

[@Golmar_227]

Hate to be that guy but... Kuomintang*

[@arwahsapi]

In one of K&G past videos, if I'm not mistaken, German had a port and warehouses settled in China

[@tomriley5790]

Britain and Japan were also allies up until the US insisted on ending that pact.

[@theawesomeman9821]

@@arwahsapi correct.

[@theawesomeman9821]

@@Golmar_227 well, at least you know who I meant.

[@theironcup]

Not the best video here, this is just a list of the origins of some grievances. It doesn't go into the specifics of exactly *how* Japan joined the Axis pack, what that was, and how the IJN and IJA came very close to open hosilities over the question of joining the Axis pact.

[@kuwaitisnotadeployment1373]

This video is just one video in a series. Watch the other ones too if you want to hear the whole story

[@Brugar18]

For the first time in history: asian power has defeated european power Mongol empire: am i a joke to you?

[@omarbradley6807]

"modern" history

[@g-1393]

@@omarbradley6807 modern history means the history after 1453 Ottoman empire pretty much dominated for another 2 centuries... they were asians

[@omarbradley6807]

@@g-1393 1789. It speaks about the current period or Contemporary Age, not "modern" one thing is the modern age another is the modern times.

[@ricky1231]

Pact of steel by the three nations lacking iron ore & fuel on their territory. How ironic

[@istvansipos9940]

all hail the Kings, the Generals, and the algorithm.

[@dieptattho8860]

Why Wilson always came into this and screwed up everything again?

[@temosalayaia1006]

sacrifice of algorithm god

[@songkok7hitam]

Japan unhinge the old world order by being reckless in December 1941. Or else we would have see a different Southeast Asia demography and forms of government today especially with regards to Indochina, Malaya and Indonesia.

[@mitchellhawkes22]

Hey, something new here. The history presented here has never been discussed in detail in the hundreds of popular WW2 documentaries. Those other docs never succeeded in explaining Japan's nasty temperament in the 1930s that led to the horrific Pacific and Asian battles of WW2. Now we understand Japan's attitude a little better.

[@markmierzejewski9534]

The hand shake was that Japanese would get islands north of the equator and that England would get any islands south of the equator for its Colonial possession's

[@mohammedsapeeh8110]

What about making a video about the Iraqi war against ISIS from the beginning of the war to end

[@odyssey2548]

Great video, but the Qing were actively supporting the boxers as they were laying siege to the embassies

[@adebowaleadebiyi5998]

The racism of the western countries which is the denial of Japanese citizens migrating to western countries and Australia with full human rights is what hitherto in part amongst other contributing factors led Japan in seeking redress for the slight, joining the axis powers in the second global war. A terrible war was fought due to injustice and contempt.

[@adebowaleadebiyi5998]

I for one believe in equality of the races. Despite the outcome of this war and the many catastrophic wars that has been fought after the second world war, i do not believe humans have fully learnt to respect one another.

[@rikmuao4699]

Don't try to explain the truth to those who have been tough ignorance and refuse to hear anything but lies.

[@al27290]

I agree with you the white powers think Japan is low life sub humans that yellow peril propaganda is one of the reason why they entered worldwar 2 and commit brutal war crimes. They underestimate asian people. Until japanese start kicking white asses. If they treated the japanese equally to them. I can assure you japan will not enter worldwar 2. Equality is one of the purpose why japan upgraded their military. Japan will not attack for no reason. Only b0neheads will start a war without any reasons.

[@zerosuitsamus2340]

Why Japan join Axis? Because they just finish "The Tripartite Pact" on their national focus as a Histroical AI enable

[@xozneenzox8485]

this is how anime was born

[@madmanpete]

thank you Woodrow Wilson

[@rozelseanallencasimsiman599]

A great man once said: WIILLLLLLSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@omarbradley6807]

Federal Reserve, Segregation, Broken Promises, "Red Scare", Wall street, that man was the embodiment of everything who sucks from the US.

[@crossline7]

What sound track is playing around 4:40? Great content as always!

[@crossline7]

and at 17:00?

[@minoru5760]

THANK YOU K&G!! Even if the direct cause of Japanese militarism in politics was economic turmoil caused by the Great Depression, the incident at the Versailles was certainly a distant cause for them. Japan felt betrayed and was convinced to had better use ruthless imperialism for survival just like her white seniors, and China also betrayed the Japanese by ostensibly accepting 21 demands then banning all the contents by domestic law. These were some of the reasons that leads to the Manchurian Incident. So as you know, this little nation spread more tragedies following them. Only one thing I must say is, although it's very clear as a sign of Imperial Japan, the Rising Sun flag isn't Japanese national flag but army/navy flag.

[@omarbradley6807]

That is today's flag, back then the Rising Sun was the war and international flag, while the home and peace flag was the one used today

[@minoru5760]

@@omarbradley6807 Many alled people say so but in fact Rising Sun wasn't been international flag all time. Clearly Sun flag without beams displayed through constitutional, fascist, war and postwar regime internationally.

[@pewnaosoba3673]

Mrs Hilter's here

[@saidtoshimaru1832]

Wilsoooooooooooon!!!!!!

[@victorsforza5578]

Japan fancied itself as an Asian Prussia..

[@-JA-]

👍👏

[@MB-ub1qi]

PLeease do depictions of U.S. Civil War Battles.

[@Mysterialic]

Woodrow - more like Wood bro, why did you do that smh

[@savagestrat6012]

Can you do a video about Sicily and their culture language war etc

[@jamessnee7171]

So no question the Treaty of Versailles had an influence on the Second World War. The question is was it the cause, just one of the many reasons for or was it just used as a convenient excuse.

[@catriona_drummond]

I'd say it was one of the main causes. Especially the fresh German democracy was completely overencumbered with the sole morale guilt that the added note to the Versailles treaty had given Germany. Never before had a peace treaty declared one party morally evil. Imagine Napoleonic France being treated the same for ravaging half of Europe. Even the SPD-Politicians who signed the treaty did this under protest and said: "What hand would not have to wither and shrivel from putting itself and us into such bondage." Some of the signees got murdered later. The treaty was not just unpopular in Germany it was hated with seething rage, for that (undeserved and uncalled for) sole moral blame and the democratic politician who who had to sell it to the people had a massive popularity problem. There were several right wing coup attempts, and and populist right wing parties lustfully exploited the subject. It's actually a bit of a miracle that Germany made it past the 1923 hyperinflation without another revolution. The economic boom of the Golden twenties actually stabilized it a bit but when the Great recession hit the country massively, that was gone again. Hitler actually campaigned extensively on the promise to "tear apart the treaty of disgrace" if he would be elected. Got him a lot of votes from people who were otherwise quite sceptical of his fanatical antisemitism. And Germany was for sure the most wronged by the treaty, but by far not the only one. Hungary turned right wing and joined the Axis too. Many other countries had grievances. Or peoples like Kurds who had been promised but never given their own state. It was basically a peace entirely dictated by French desire for bloody revenge on the arch enemy and British imperialist interest. The Americans just wanted their money back so they played along. All other players had basically no say, not even Italy. So it was probably not the only cause for World War two, but a main one. Marechal Foch of the French Army commented on it in 1919: "This is not a peace treaty, this is a 20 year truce." He was off by less than one year.

[@omarbradley6807]

@@catriona_drummond Well, at the end of the Napoleonic wars, (wars who were not Napoleon's or France fault but European Monarchists faults) France got a Bourbon Regime, who established medieval laws. Marshal Foch also was pretty right about Versailles, because he wanted to punish Germany harder, instead the dumbs in government, do nothing against Germany, they ravaged Austria, the Ottomans, but Germany remained territorialy intact, (Alsace and Lorraine stolen from France was the only consecion, and Poland a sovereign nation freed) but if those Warmongers of Berlin Mecklemburg Silesia Konigsberg Saxony would have been separated from the more civilized and industrialized Western Germany, that would have make the Nazis the rulers of their waste land in the east alone and could have never remilitarizate again.

[@winterfellyt]

Short answer: Because EMPIRE.

[@sasa-dv7zz]

Japan was so upset on how the europe and US treat them racially but they terrorized and committed unspeakable atrocities on its conquest in asia. How ironic.

[@seanm241]

8:35 jerma

[@sakaimachi9860]

Thank you for taking up the proposal to abolish racial discrimination in the Paris peace conference.

[@thelordakira]

There as been 8 Treaty of Versailles.

[@jinnishlanguage]

10:25 Xinhai rebellion based

[@fandyvall6378]

"Japan felt betrayed by the United States", I laughed at this part. It should not be a surprise by now.