1964 - Blood on the Pearl River
"[...] Although the Republican Chinese government has been intent on maintaining the farce about its supposed non-involvement in the chaos gripping the Qing Empire, the situation on the ground leaves no doubt about the reality of the situation. Thus in light of recent events, it is the view of this department that steps have to be taken to curtail their actions in hopes of stabilising the position that our Empire holds in China. [...]"
The economic recovery as well as halting the Russian advance at the Amur River had seen general interest increasingly turn back to more day to day issues. The conflict increasingly began to fade into the backdrop, even as the 'fruits of the conflict', as casualties had begun to be euphemistically called, could be seen in every town across the Empire. The continuing instability in China however meant that such an illusion would not last. Although Manchuria and the Qing had received the lion's share of attention when it came to coverage and troop deployments, the situation was far from stable in the Legation Cities. Whilst cooperation with the underbelly that truly ruled had helped maintain order in the cities, the situation in the coastal cities was far from stable, given that it primarily arose from the fears of some Triad groups about their future under Republican rule. Others groups however saw the change in government as their chance to make it big, meaning that from time to time incidents would arise between different organisations. The struggles that would more often than not quickly degenerate to violence, would result in the appearance of certain gaps, where none ought to exist. Although these gaps rarely existed for long, the simple fact that they appeared at all would mean that those willing to risk life and limb could hope to gain greatly, much to the nuisance of the Japanese and urban authorities. Although most of attempts to take advantage of these gaps would fail due to bad timing from time to time a few would succeed. This included a number of attacks on high ranking officials, both local, mob and Japanese, as well as succeed in sowing general unrest in the cities. However all of these events would pale in propaganda value compared to the events of the 4th of July 1964.
Trade mediation as well as the centralisation of much of the industry in China had seen the
Legation Cities keep pace with the rest of the world, even as much of China struggled to keep up.
This had also the negative effect of greatly growing Republican sentiments in the cities.
Prior to the incident in Hong Kong the Akitsu Maru had had a colourful career.
Starting life as a passenger liner, before coming under the control of the Army, where she
gained her name, before finally ending under the control of the Navy and the Imperial Marines.
However for an increasing number of people in the Ikeda cabinet, the attack on the Akitsu Maru was a flagrant violation of said unofficial contract. Voices demanding retribution had become harder to totally ignore, even as the Ikeda cabinet attempted to maintain the image of peace, stability and co-prosperity prior to the Olympic games. Still suspecting that inaction would only be attributed to weakness and hoping to quiet the hawks, both in government and the public, the armed forces were tasked with determining targets within the Republic of China that played host to the so-called National Liberation Front of North China. Out of these targets the few that were deemed important enough to announce yet irrelevant enough to not risk outright war were picked for a retribution operation. Thus although achieving few actual strategic goals, the bombing runs were carried out to much fanfare across the Empire by both naval and land-based aviators. The Japanese gamble had worked, although the reaction in South China was far from pleased, it remained generally muted. Although there was no shortage of hawks in the Republic, open war against the Japanese was still seen as too dangerous given the obvious imbalance in most domains.
Trade with China although massively profitable for nearly all Japanese businesses
had become a millstone around the neck of its war policy.
Recruitment of women proved an especially effective tactic for the Republican guerilla forces,
as their Imperial counterparts initially proved much less suspicious of them.
July
July 4 – The sinking of the carrier Akitsu Maru by explosives whilst in port at Hong Kong is publicised across the Japanese Empire.
July 14 - 158 people are wounded and 19 firefighters perish in the Shinagawa Katsushima warehouse fire.
July 21 - Slovak nationalist forces launch an uprising causing chaos in the rear of the Hungarian forces to the adverse effect of the frontline situation.
July 27 – Aircraft from an IJN carrier group bomb suspected camps of the National Liberation Front of North China inside the Republic of China in retaliation for the attack on the Akitsu Maru.
Air group of the carrier Seiryū preparing for a strike
at a suspected NLFNC training camp in Hainan.
August 3 - Judith Graham Pool publishes her discovery of cryoprecipitate, a frozen blood clotting product made from plasma.
August 6 – The International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium begins active operations after the first successful satellite transmission between Japan and Germany. The first uplink passes on information about the Stanleyville hostage crisis.
August 21 – Race riots begin in Singapore between ethnic Chinese and Malays,
August 24 - At a speech in New Orleans, Chairman Browder announces the beginning of the so-called Socialist Education Movement, in an attempt to rid reactionary influences within the new American government.
German paratroopers observing the corpses of executed hostages. Swift intervention by
German troops saved most out of the more than thousand Europeans captured by African militants.
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Now I owe you a Race to Harbin/Third and final chapter of the Manchurian Question, it will likely be coming next, hopefully I managed to pass the block. Since we're technically going back in time, it won't be a regular post.
In three words, yes and no. Let me explain in depth a bit, the Japanese youth through out their education have been fed a narrative of what the Empire is and how good it is, not just yarns of patriotism and how great it is to give your life for the Emperor, but also of the 'benevolence in bringing the light of civilisation to Asia and Asians'. One could even call it a holy mission. They've also been told stories about democracy and how the Japanese people have a say in running their country through elections, a right not afforded to all their teachers might've implied pointing to the behemoth behind the Pacific and the other beyond the Amur.
Now the story works for a lot of people, however not all. Some notice it earlier, some later that some pieces don't seem to line up. What holy mission was there behind reducing Sydney to an atomic crater for example. Why is it that even though the people have a say, their voices aren't listened to, at least when they're taking the matter into their own hands. A whole generation of young idealists brought up during the Japanese rise to power, when everything was seemingly going great are meeting reality and struggling to change it. The boom time has also caused a massive expansion of people being able to send their children to University, a place where at least nominally, the government can't truly control what you do. So like minded individuals band together since there is strength in numbers.
Whilst yes, there is a perhaps more than a splattering of Vietnam thrown in there, I would choose to interpret it as a normal reaction by parts of a generation demanding that reality conform to the story that they were brought up hearing.
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