Setting the Stage
January - June 1936
Chapter One
The year was 1936. Japan sat at the brink of a new era in her history. A wretched past was behind her and bright days of glorious imperialism lie just beyond her fingertips. Over the last few years, the Empire of Japan had conquered Manchuria and created a puppet government there. In addition, as a result of the First Sino-Japanese War in the 1890s, Japan gained control of the Korean Peninsula.
Japan had a solid foothold on the Asian continent. The next logical step was to expand this foothold and to dominate the largest continent on the face of the Earth. To do so would require a war against two of the most populous nations on the face of the Earth and would require Japan to go to war against the great powers of the West, but it was Japan's destiny. Japan would have to build up a strong Army, Air Force, and Navy. No branch of the armed forces could be neglected if Japan hoped to achieve her aims.
Japan's political situation was rather dicey in 1936. Okada Keisuke was the head of the Japanese government and leader of the Control Clique. The Clique was rather unpopular among the Japanese people, but the people were extremely unlikely to rebel against their Emperor, so the clique remained. Emperor Hirohito, in many ways, had be subjugated to a figurehead as the Clique and the military reigned supreme, but the Japanese people still believed in him and considered to be a higher power than themselves.
Due to the tumultuous political situation in 1936, the Imperial General Staff's first priority was to organize a spy ring to increase the stability of the Clique and increase the peoples' faith in it. It was hoped that this could restore people's confidence in their government and keep any attempted coups from occurring. Also, a spy ring was to be set up in China in order to increase the Republic of China's threat. In order to expand into the Asian heartland, the Chinese would have to be defeated. It was hoped that by increasing their threat, the Imperial General Staff could play any conflict off as China's own doing. Nevertheless, China was the most populous nation on Earth and, despite generally being backwards in regards to technology and doctrines, would be a force to be reckoned with in the jungles, hills, and mountains of China.
A spy ring was also to be set up in the United Kingdom in order to increase their threat. It was hoped that this could justify any later Japanese attempts at declaring war on the British, Dutch, or French in order to gain control of their Pacific and Asian colonies.
On the diplomatic front, it was decided that Japan should continue to make diplomatic inroads into Berlin. Germany, like Japan, had expansionist aims and their goals were not at odds with one another. While the Japanese were not particularly fond of the Germans or vice versa, this was to be more an alliance of convenience than anything else.
On the political front, Okada Keisuke, who was already the head of government, was appointed as Japan's new Foreign Minister on January 1st, 1936. In this position, Keisuke would help to increase the Control Clique's popularity among the Japanese people. Unfortunately, Keisuke's weakness was in regards to keeping Japan's perceived threat down among other nations, but this weakness was not a big deal in the Imperial General Staff's eyes.
On the production lines sat two naval orders which were being prepared for action. The 21st Destroyer Flotilla was closest to completion and was expected to be ready for action by April. The IJN Suzuya, on the other hand, was not expected to be completed until February 1937. In addition to these two orders, four new infantry divisions were ordered to be trained. These new infantry divisions would not be of the typical triangular three-brigade type, but would feature three infantry brigades along with one artillery support brigade. This would increase each Japanese infantry division's available firepower while not requiring much more manpower, which would prove useful in coming wars of conquest.
On the technological front, emphasis was placed on improving Japanese industry and the capability of the IJA's infantry units. In addition, research was also made into the field of aircraft and infantry support tanks. For the most part, naval research was curtailed as Japan's future naval forces were to be composed of mostly aircraft carriers and light cruisers and both of these were already, for the most part, up to date.
The Imperial General Staff also decided to continue utilizing the so-called "Grand Battleplan" Doctrine. This doctrine favored slow, methodical offenses by infantry with heavy artillery backing. The Imperial General Staff also decided to favor a firepower focus. By utilizing a firepower focus, infantry units would receive more heavy weaponry and would overwhelm any opposing units. In regards to armored doctrines, the staff decided to concentrate on infantry support tanks. Mobility would be of little use in much of Asia with its tough, unforgiving terrain. If tanks were to be used at all, they would be used for their firepower rather than for their mobility and they would be used to back up the infantry rather than supplant them.
Several laws were changed on January 2nd. The free press was no longer merely censored, but instead was seized by the government as the Imperial General Staff thought it would be best if the government nationalized the press. A state press would allow the government to manipulate the news to make things appear in the most positive light, causing Japanese citizens to have a more positive outlook on their country and its leadership. Nevertheless, the cynical among the populace would certainly suspect that the news is not always factual in what it reports.
Increased funding was also provided in the field of education. This would cost money, but the money required was more than worth it as an increased investment in education would allow more research to be conducted into industrial and military fields. In addition, more officers could be trained than before.
On January 26th, six new garrison divisions were ordered by the Imperial General Staff to be trained. These new garrison units consisted of three garrison brigades and were intended to be used to protect vital Japanese ports and airfields on Japanese-controlled islands in the Western and Central Pacific.
On February 17th, the general staff was informed that the Second Italo-Abyssnian War was over. This time, unlike the last time these two nations fought in the 1890s, Italy had emerged victorious and their fascist leader Benito Mussolini proudly proclaimed that the nation of Ethiopia would be absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy. The staff thought Mussolini to be a bit of an unstable character, but at the same time they saw him as a man who had similar aims as Japan. Mussolini hoped to expand Italy and rebuild the once-great Roman Empire. However, unlike Japan, his nation sat in the nation of Europe, a continent that, much like prior to the Great War, was a powderkeg ready to explode. That explosion was likely to come from Germany, which also had expansionist gains.
In March at the Second London Naval Disarmament Conference, Japan declined to sign the treaties. Italy also refused. The United Kingdom, France, and the United States all signed the treaties. Italy and Japan's refusal to sign the treaties would serve to decrease their relations with the three great powers of the West and would decrease their own neutrality as it became clear that both nations had expansionist goals and desired a powerful navy to accomplish them.
In May, Japan's scientists and military researchers began to bear fruit in their findings as several new technologies were explored and doctrines were further advanced. Several new technologies and doctrines were developed in regards to infantry, which was expected to be of great help to the Japanese infantryman, providing him with better weapons and equipment. Advances were also made into radio detection equipment, which improved Japan's knowledge of electronic engineering. Advances were also made in supply production as new methods of manufacturing allowed more supplies to be produced at a lesser cost. Advances were also made in industrial production as Japan's factors began to churn out more goods for Japan's people and the military.
In June, the 21st Destroyer Flotilla was ready for action and set sail on her maiden voyage. In addition, the six new garrison divisions were ready for deployment in the Pacific. These six divisions would set sail for the eventual islands of deployment over the coming weeks, but for now they were stationed in Toyko. Four new infantry divisions were also ready to be deployed, but it would be several weeks before they would make it to the front lines as they would first have to be shipped to mainland Asia from the Japanese mainland.
With industrial production now freed up, 20 new standard infantry divisions were ordered to be trained. Five serial orders were made with four divisions being trained at any one time. The last of the 20 infantry divisions were expected to be ready for action in 26 months.
Also, a significant order was placed for artillery support brigades in June. Japan had an extensive amount of triangular infantry divisions without any artillery support brigades attached. As such, 17 new artillery support brigades were ordered to be produced and trained. These support brigades would be attached to existing Japanese triangular infantry divisions in mainland Asia in order to give these units more firepower.