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Chapter 2: Introduction to Japanese History - 1905 to 1936
(Author's note: All of this is real history. The point of divergence is on January 1, 1936 when the game starts.)
As a result of the 1st Sino-Japanese War, Korea was free of Chinese influence and no longer a vassal state to the Qing Emperor. Instead Korea was an autonomous nation under the protection of Japan, which was the first step towards achieving Japan's dreams of empire and join the Western nations in carving up Asia into spheres of influence. On November 17, 1905 Japan and Korea signed the Eulsa Treaty, which placed Japan in charge of Korea's diplomatic policy. Two years later the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907 was signed, giving Japan control over Korea's internal matters. Formal annexation occurred on August 20, 1910 when the Emperor of Korea ceded all of his holdings to the Emperor of Japan.
Japanese troops landing near German Qingdao
The outbreak of World War I gave Japan a great opportunity to expand its influence in China and in the Pacific. On August 23, 1914 Japan declared war on the German Empire and seized Germany's Pacific holdings as well as its leased territories in Shandong, including the city of Qingdao. Japan assisted the UK during the war in several ways, such as basing 2 cruisers in Cape Town, suppressing an Indian rebellion, and sending 8 destroyers and the cruiser Akashi to Malta. Japan's intention was to aid the Entente in return for them turning a blind eye to Japan's actions in China, which culminated in Japan's Twenty-One Demands. While the Europeans were too distracted by the war at home to object to Japan's aggressive expansionist policies, the USA was highly concerned due to the massive American economic interests in China. The US would repeatedly protest and actively attempt to thwart Japanese imperial aspirations in China up to Japan's entrance into World War 2, and was China's most vehement defender. The 21 Demands prompted a large-scale American boycott of Japanese goods, for example.
Japan's involvement in WW1 led to the so-called Big Four Great Powers (the UK, the US, France, and Italy) being expanded to the Big Five and Japan receiving a permanent Council seat of the League of Nations. The period between 1918 and 1931 was highlighted at first by rising communist influence as a result of the creation of the Soviet Union, leading to a ban on new parties and a ban on abolishing private property, resulting in Japanese society becoming much more militant. Immediately after WW1 the UK, USA, France, Italy, and Japan began to rearm and expand their navies, which as a result of war debts and cooling economies would have bankrupted all nations involved in the new naval arms race, leading to the creation of the Washington Naval Treaty, which would have a profound impact on the size and quality of the navies that would participate in WW2. The fact that Japan was forced to limit its total capital ship tonnage to 3/5 of the tonnage allowed for the US and UK was considered by the Japanese public to be further Western denial of Japan's right to form a colonial empire. The London Naval Treaty, which kept in place the capital ship tonnage ratios despite Japan's attempts to raise the ratios from 5:5:3 to 10:10:7 (US:UK:Japan), was also viewed as a Western mechanism to keep Japan's status below that of the West. Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi was shot by a Japanese ultra-nationalist for having been unable to negotiate terms more favorable to Japan.
Japanese troops entering Mukden
The era of calm that existed throughout the 1920s ended on September 18, 1931, when officers of the Imperial Japanese Army destroyed a Japanese-operated railroad near Mukden, starting a short war with China. The fighting would last until February 18, 1932. The immediate result of the war was the creation of Manchukuo, the refusal of the League of Nations to recognize Manchukuo and Japan's subsequent departure from the League. Later, on May 31, 1933 the Tanggu Truce formalized the cease-fire from February 18, 1932 and led to the creation of the East Hebei Autonomous Council in 1935.
(Author's note: All of this is real history. The point of divergence is on January 1, 1936 when the game starts.)
As a result of the 1st Sino-Japanese War, Korea was free of Chinese influence and no longer a vassal state to the Qing Emperor. Instead Korea was an autonomous nation under the protection of Japan, which was the first step towards achieving Japan's dreams of empire and join the Western nations in carving up Asia into spheres of influence. On November 17, 1905 Japan and Korea signed the Eulsa Treaty, which placed Japan in charge of Korea's diplomatic policy. Two years later the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907 was signed, giving Japan control over Korea's internal matters. Formal annexation occurred on August 20, 1910 when the Emperor of Korea ceded all of his holdings to the Emperor of Japan.
Japanese troops landing near German Qingdao
The outbreak of World War I gave Japan a great opportunity to expand its influence in China and in the Pacific. On August 23, 1914 Japan declared war on the German Empire and seized Germany's Pacific holdings as well as its leased territories in Shandong, including the city of Qingdao. Japan assisted the UK during the war in several ways, such as basing 2 cruisers in Cape Town, suppressing an Indian rebellion, and sending 8 destroyers and the cruiser Akashi to Malta. Japan's intention was to aid the Entente in return for them turning a blind eye to Japan's actions in China, which culminated in Japan's Twenty-One Demands. While the Europeans were too distracted by the war at home to object to Japan's aggressive expansionist policies, the USA was highly concerned due to the massive American economic interests in China. The US would repeatedly protest and actively attempt to thwart Japanese imperial aspirations in China up to Japan's entrance into World War 2, and was China's most vehement defender. The 21 Demands prompted a large-scale American boycott of Japanese goods, for example.
Japan's involvement in WW1 led to the so-called Big Four Great Powers (the UK, the US, France, and Italy) being expanded to the Big Five and Japan receiving a permanent Council seat of the League of Nations. The period between 1918 and 1931 was highlighted at first by rising communist influence as a result of the creation of the Soviet Union, leading to a ban on new parties and a ban on abolishing private property, resulting in Japanese society becoming much more militant. Immediately after WW1 the UK, USA, France, Italy, and Japan began to rearm and expand their navies, which as a result of war debts and cooling economies would have bankrupted all nations involved in the new naval arms race, leading to the creation of the Washington Naval Treaty, which would have a profound impact on the size and quality of the navies that would participate in WW2. The fact that Japan was forced to limit its total capital ship tonnage to 3/5 of the tonnage allowed for the US and UK was considered by the Japanese public to be further Western denial of Japan's right to form a colonial empire. The London Naval Treaty, which kept in place the capital ship tonnage ratios despite Japan's attempts to raise the ratios from 5:5:3 to 10:10:7 (US:UK:Japan), was also viewed as a Western mechanism to keep Japan's status below that of the West. Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi was shot by a Japanese ultra-nationalist for having been unable to negotiate terms more favorable to Japan.
Japanese troops entering Mukden
The era of calm that existed throughout the 1920s ended on September 18, 1931, when officers of the Imperial Japanese Army destroyed a Japanese-operated railroad near Mukden, starting a short war with China. The fighting would last until February 18, 1932. The immediate result of the war was the creation of Manchukuo, the refusal of the League of Nations to recognize Manchukuo and Japan's subsequent departure from the League. Later, on May 31, 1933 the Tanggu Truce formalized the cease-fire from February 18, 1932 and led to the creation of the East Hebei Autonomous Council in 1935.
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And since this is a game, I might be able to turn that rumored weapon test into a real oneHowever doing so carries substantial risk, as I would be giving up 65 IC for at least half a year and would need to build 3 or 4 such sites. That's a lot of units I won't be able to build, and Japan needs to build up a massive fleet and army if it wants to defeat its enemies.
Maybe I will build a test site, but maybe I won't. You guys will find out later
Given the large IC investment required to build nuclear bombs, and the massive IC demands of trying to build a force to defeat the Allies, any more hints as to your strategic planning thought process before you start?
I think a nuclear armed Japan could be very interesting subject for an AAR but you would have to skimp either on your Navy or Army wouldn't you? If that were the case you could conquer China but avoid war with the Allies until later on, or try to contain China and face up to the Allies.
If you do engage in Naval warfare with the US and the UK in the Pacific do you have any plans to give the AI a fighting chance given it still seems to struggle with intelligent naval positioning and operations?
Looking forward to the start of this AAR
Given the large IC investment required to build nuclear bombs, and the massive IC demands of trying to build a force to defeat the Allies, any more hints as to your strategic planning thought process before you start?
I think a nuclear armed Japan could be very interesting subject for an AAR but you would have to skimp either on your Navy or Army wouldn't you? If that were the case you could conquer China but avoid war with the Allies until later on, or try to contain China and face up to the Allies.
You're absolutely right. A nuclear Japan would be very interesting, but "skimping" out on the Navy or Army would be an understatement
In reality, what I'll probably do is put off the nuclear site until after the war with China is over or stable. The only real reason to go for nukes is if I need to take out the US. Invading the US is next to impossible for Japan, because my army won't be big enough. That means I'll need to use nukes to drop American national unity to force a surrender. However, if the US remains neutral then there won't be a need for such a weapon.If you do engage in Naval warfare with the US and the UK in the Pacific do you have any plans to give the AI a fighting chance given it still seems to struggle with intelligent naval positioning and operations?
Looking forward to the start of this AAR
Well, since those two navies are both far bigger than my own I'll have to take advantage of any situation I find. If the US places carriers in Guam or the UK puts battleships in Singapore then I'll definitely take advantage of that to sink those ships in port.
I just discovered that one of Japan's disadvantages in HoI3, the lowish national unit, is no longer a problem in 3.06b. The spy mission "Raise National Unity" actually works as the tool tip describes. So you should be able to switch to heavy industry.
The low NU is a bit funny, because RL Japan is the last country which comes to mind when you say the words "low national unity". Political instability is sth different and it's sth which should be represented by party popularity/organisation, dissent and random events. I guess that the devs wanted to make Japan more vulnerable to nukes, but it doesn't really make that much sense.
However, in HPP the "Raise National Unity" mission is stronger than in Vanilla even in the SF version, so you can actually increase your NU a bit, although don't expect miracles.
However, in HPP the "Raise National Unity" mission is stronger than in Vanilla even in the SF version, so you can actually increase your NU a bit, although don't expect miracles.
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Welcome! I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks! There will be one more intro post coming up. It will focus on what Japan starts with in 1936, so it will mainly be OOB and tech screenshots to show where I start as well as the main tech differences between the mod and original game. The real story will start on chapter 4.
Thanks!
I just upped Japan's NU in the mod since you brought this up. I never looked at it before, since most of the starting unity and neutrality stats weren't changed from vanilla HOI3 1.4 values. Thanks for pointing this out
Didn't think you'd be launching this while HPP was still in alpha, but it should prove an excellent opportunity to see how far it's come along.
Since you haven't really got going yet, are you going to update to the latest version?
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Since you haven't really got going yet, are you going to update to the latest version?
Subscribed!
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An aar without a first chapter.
Huh.
Huh.
The challenging do 100 naval invasions against nations with no navy?
This is great! I know the Asian theater is your favorite and it's showing.
I don't doubt that you would have done a great job in Europe, but this already is a great read. Keep it up.
I think you missed one more:
China sent troops 'without failing to inform Japan'
I don't doubt that you would have done a great job in Europe, but this already is a great read. Keep it up.
I think you missed one more:
China sent troops 'without failing to inform Japan'
There's one minor bug with the IJA-IJN rivalry code and how it sets the starting situation, but I can work around it through a save-game edit for the AAR. The most recent version is what I'll be using, which is 2.6.71a+hotfix. I ran some hands-off tests to 1941 to check on Germany's progress, since Europe is entirely AI-controlled and Germany's performance basically drives the entire game.
Not sure which AAR you're looking at but there are two chapters already. The third and last intro chapter will be posted tonight.This is great! I know the Asian theater is your favorite and it's showing.
I don't doubt that you would have done a great job in Europe, but this already is a great read. Keep it up.
I think you missed one more:
China sent troops 'without failing to inform Japan'
Oops. Corrected that, thanks for pointing it out.
Chapter 3: The State of the Empire of Japan - January 1, 1936
As 1936 began, the Empire of Japan was one of the world's major powers. Due to the global recession and the necessary budget cuts to remain fiscally solvent, Japan's military was not at the level befitting a major power, but closer to a large regional power, like Poland or Argentina. However, in the event of war, either with the Soviets or Chinese, Japan could quickly expand the IJA beyond the current peacetime level.
The Keisuke Cabinet
Author's note: Leadership in the HPP mod is determined mainly by how powerful a nation is.
Power is measured in terms of effective IC and the size of the military.
Japan's army and navy were both large and modern, though the army lagged behind the navy in terms of equipment quality. Japan's air force was split between the army and navy, with each side jealously guarding their aircraft. Japan's navy operated under a single, unified command, while the army was split into several competing factions. In Japan itself, the army consisted of the Imperial Guard division (Konoe Shidan) and garrison forces. On the mainland, the Korean Army (Chosen-gun) was under the command of the Imperial General Headquarters (Daihon'ei) and responsible for the defense of Japanese assets in Korea as well as guarding the Soviet border. Separate from the forces stationed in Korea was the Kwantung Army (Kantogun), responsible for the defense of Manchuria from the Republic of China and the USSR. The Kantogun was largely independent from the Daihon'ei, and caused the Mukden Incident without orders from Tokyo. Kantogun units would frequently provoke Soviet and Chinese soldiers into attacking Japanese positions. Such uncontrolled behavior would later spark the 2nd Sino-Japanese War as well as large-scale border skirmishes with the Soviet Union.
The IJN had its own garrison forces as well, which were stationed in Japan's Pacific Island bases. The IJN also had the Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai, aka SNLF), which served as the navy's ground troops. In 1936 the majority of the IJN was stationed in Japan.
A breakdown of Japan's military
Distribution of Japan's military by theater
Author's note: The mod has several new units and has removed some familiar units. The counter that is an oval with a x through it is an infantry support tank.
The two counters that have a triangle in the middle are the HPP's support brigade "container" units. The version with small circles at the bottom is motorized, while the version with a small oval at the bottom is mechanized. Japan had the world's 3rd largest armored force, which consisted mainly of armored cars.
The Imperial Japanese Army's operational doctrines, while effective during WW1, were outdated in 1936. The main tactic the army used was the Mass Assault, supported by artillery fire. This was the tactic used at the start of WW1 by all combatants. Since Japan did not participate in the trench warfare of the Western Front, Japan did not learn the same lessons from the war that the Europeans had learned, and Japan's operational tactics did not change after the war ended. Likewise, Japan's tanks were divided into two segments: Cavalry and Infantry Support (IST). Cavalry tanks were light-weight and fast, designed to be used alongside the dragoon-like cavalry units stationed in Inner Mongolia. The ISTs were either slow, heavily armored tanks designed to provide cover from enemy fire while the infantry advanced upon fortified locations or small armored cars designed for scouting duties. However, there is one aspect where the IJA was truly unique, and that was the focus on infantry trained to fight in rough terrain and away from major transportation hubs. Japanese troops were far more skilled at taking advantage of the environment than their western counterparts.
A look at the doctrines used by the world's armies
In 1935, Japan began to reconstruct its oldest battleships in response to the naval arms race sparked by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. The treaty allowed Germany to bypass the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and construct a navy whose tonnage was up to 35% of the Royal Navy's tonnage. This prompted France to replace all 6 of its battleships with 2 new battlecruisers and 8 new battleships, which in turn prompted Italy to retire two old ships and replace them with 4 new battleships. In response the IJN accelerated plans to rebuild the Kongo-class Battlecruisers to act as carrier escorts as well as refit the IJN Kaga and IJN Akagi on top of building the new carrier IJN Soryu. The new naval arms race was extremely taxing to the national budgets of France, Italy, and Japan. Japan's military industrial capacity was limited when compared to France or the UK, and it was heavily skewed to satisfy the demands of the IJN. Despite being a modern industrialized nation, roughly 90% of Japan's railways were designed to exclusively serve the needs of the IJN, leaving the stretch of Honshu between Tokyo and Hiroshima as the area where Japan's railway network was the densest. In contrast, Japan's highway system consisted of unpaved dirt and gravel roads.
A comparison of the modernized IJN Haruna and the IJN Hiei, which has yet to undergo reconstruction
An overview of Japan's military industrial capacity and military budget
A summary of Japan's technological standing. Years are relative to what the other major nations have, so a technology dated for 1936 means most of the 7 major nations acquired it in 1936.
Infantry weapons
Tank equipment
Author's note: Yes, I can build heavy tanks. I don't know why though...
Small warship equipment
Author's note: I think TZoli is giving Japan's cruisers a bit too much credit
Large warship equipment
Large aircraft equipment
Author's note: Techs seem a bit high, but all the majors have air techs like this so it evens out
Small aircraft equipment
Author's note: Techs seem a bit high, but all the majors have air techs like this so it evens out
Industrial advances
Advances in science and logistics
Army doctrines
Army Operational doctrines
Naval doctrines1
Air doctrines
-----------------------------------------------------
[1] Notice that Japan starts with Night Fighting Training. This is a 1942 tech, but the IJA was extremely effective during night engagements until the Allies adapted their tactics near the end of the war, and Japan gets this tech at the start of the scenario to reflect that.
As 1936 began, the Empire of Japan was one of the world's major powers. Due to the global recession and the necessary budget cuts to remain fiscally solvent, Japan's military was not at the level befitting a major power, but closer to a large regional power, like Poland or Argentina. However, in the event of war, either with the Soviets or Chinese, Japan could quickly expand the IJA beyond the current peacetime level.
The Keisuke Cabinet
Author's note: Leadership in the HPP mod is determined mainly by how powerful a nation is.
Power is measured in terms of effective IC and the size of the military.
Japan's army and navy were both large and modern, though the army lagged behind the navy in terms of equipment quality. Japan's air force was split between the army and navy, with each side jealously guarding their aircraft. Japan's navy operated under a single, unified command, while the army was split into several competing factions. In Japan itself, the army consisted of the Imperial Guard division (Konoe Shidan) and garrison forces. On the mainland, the Korean Army (Chosen-gun) was under the command of the Imperial General Headquarters (Daihon'ei) and responsible for the defense of Japanese assets in Korea as well as guarding the Soviet border. Separate from the forces stationed in Korea was the Kwantung Army (Kantogun), responsible for the defense of Manchuria from the Republic of China and the USSR. The Kantogun was largely independent from the Daihon'ei, and caused the Mukden Incident without orders from Tokyo. Kantogun units would frequently provoke Soviet and Chinese soldiers into attacking Japanese positions. Such uncontrolled behavior would later spark the 2nd Sino-Japanese War as well as large-scale border skirmishes with the Soviet Union.
The IJN had its own garrison forces as well, which were stationed in Japan's Pacific Island bases. The IJN also had the Special Naval Landing Force (Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai, aka SNLF), which served as the navy's ground troops. In 1936 the majority of the IJN was stationed in Japan.
A breakdown of Japan's military
Distribution of Japan's military by theater
Author's note: The mod has several new units and has removed some familiar units. The counter that is an oval with a x through it is an infantry support tank.
The two counters that have a triangle in the middle are the HPP's support brigade "container" units. The version with small circles at the bottom is motorized, while the version with a small oval at the bottom is mechanized. Japan had the world's 3rd largest armored force, which consisted mainly of armored cars.
The Imperial Japanese Army's operational doctrines, while effective during WW1, were outdated in 1936. The main tactic the army used was the Mass Assault, supported by artillery fire. This was the tactic used at the start of WW1 by all combatants. Since Japan did not participate in the trench warfare of the Western Front, Japan did not learn the same lessons from the war that the Europeans had learned, and Japan's operational tactics did not change after the war ended. Likewise, Japan's tanks were divided into two segments: Cavalry and Infantry Support (IST). Cavalry tanks were light-weight and fast, designed to be used alongside the dragoon-like cavalry units stationed in Inner Mongolia. The ISTs were either slow, heavily armored tanks designed to provide cover from enemy fire while the infantry advanced upon fortified locations or small armored cars designed for scouting duties. However, there is one aspect where the IJA was truly unique, and that was the focus on infantry trained to fight in rough terrain and away from major transportation hubs. Japanese troops were far more skilled at taking advantage of the environment than their western counterparts.
A look at the doctrines used by the world's armies
In 1935, Japan began to reconstruct its oldest battleships in response to the naval arms race sparked by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. The treaty allowed Germany to bypass the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and construct a navy whose tonnage was up to 35% of the Royal Navy's tonnage. This prompted France to replace all 6 of its battleships with 2 new battlecruisers and 8 new battleships, which in turn prompted Italy to retire two old ships and replace them with 4 new battleships. In response the IJN accelerated plans to rebuild the Kongo-class Battlecruisers to act as carrier escorts as well as refit the IJN Kaga and IJN Akagi on top of building the new carrier IJN Soryu. The new naval arms race was extremely taxing to the national budgets of France, Italy, and Japan. Japan's military industrial capacity was limited when compared to France or the UK, and it was heavily skewed to satisfy the demands of the IJN. Despite being a modern industrialized nation, roughly 90% of Japan's railways were designed to exclusively serve the needs of the IJN, leaving the stretch of Honshu between Tokyo and Hiroshima as the area where Japan's railway network was the densest. In contrast, Japan's highway system consisted of unpaved dirt and gravel roads.
A comparison of the modernized IJN Haruna and the IJN Hiei, which has yet to undergo reconstruction
An overview of Japan's military industrial capacity and military budget
A summary of Japan's technological standing. Years are relative to what the other major nations have, so a technology dated for 1936 means most of the 7 major nations acquired it in 1936.
Infantry weapons
Tank equipment
Author's note: Yes, I can build heavy tanks. I don't know why though...
Small warship equipment
Author's note: I think TZoli is giving Japan's cruisers a bit too much credit
Large warship equipment
Large aircraft equipment
Author's note: Techs seem a bit high, but all the majors have air techs like this so it evens out
Small aircraft equipment
Author's note: Techs seem a bit high, but all the majors have air techs like this so it evens out
Industrial advances
Advances in science and logistics
Army doctrines
Army Operational doctrines
Naval doctrines1
Air doctrines
-----------------------------------------------------
[1] Notice that Japan starts with Night Fighting Training. This is a 1942 tech, but the IJA was extremely effective during night engagements until the Allies adapted their tactics near the end of the war, and Japan gets this tech at the start of the scenario to reflect that.
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Excellent to see a full overview of where Japan starts from
I assume ships like the Kongo and Kirishima start off in the build queue to represent them being in the process of being substantially rebuilt at the present time?
After they are finished I assume you are going to start beefing up the army? However, do you plan to run any long serials of carriers, tanks or air units, in there as well?
Also any plans to make any political changes or will you be sticking with the Paternal Autocrats?
Can't wait
I assume ships like the Kongo and Kirishima start off in the build queue to represent them being in the process of being substantially rebuilt at the present time?
After they are finished I assume you are going to start beefing up the army? However, do you plan to run any long serials of carriers, tanks or air units, in there as well?
Also any plans to make any political changes or will you be sticking with the Paternal Autocrats?
Can't wait
Nice overview. I'm looking forward to real action .
I don't like the idea of adding motorised/mechanised support brigades to Japanese infantry, though. It's a typical example of sth which happened IRL but isn't a good idea in-game. Most players will simply reorganise their divisions, but the AI is permanently crippled and if it researches other techs that affect mot/mech brigades, then the situation will get even worse. I would represent ACs by a special tech that affects standard infantry (so everyone would be affected, but only by this tech) and represent large AC support or ignore them altogether.
In regard to air techs, the starting techs work fine, but the AI should be told to research fewer of them at the start, because it has a tendency to research many techs years in advance while it lags behind heavily in other areas.
The new naval tech tree looks great.
.I don't like the idea of adding motorised/mechanised support brigades to Japanese infantry, though. It's a typical example of sth which happened IRL but isn't a good idea in-game. Most players will simply reorganise their divisions, but the AI is permanently crippled and if it researches other techs that affect mot/mech brigades, then the situation will get even worse. I would represent ACs by a special tech that affects standard infantry (so everyone would be affected, but only by this tech) and represent large AC support or ignore them altogether.
In regard to air techs, the starting techs work fine, but the AI should be told to research fewer of them at the start, because it has a tendency to research many techs years in advance while it lags behind heavily in other areas.
The new naval tech tree looks great
.
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Proof:
The Type 91:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_91_heavy_tank.html
http://javehicles.weebly.com/heavy-tanks.html
The Type 95:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_type_95_heavy_tank.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_95_Heavy_Tank
Well I'm sorry that the IJN developed long range and fast cruisers to roam the biggest ocean of the Earth
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