However, Japan’s “role” in World War I and World War II was very different. During World War I, Japan was the enemy of Germany. Japan joined the camp of the Allied Powers and joined Britain and France to fight against Germany. But during World War II, Japan became an ally of Germany. Together, Japan and Germany launched extremely frenzied wars of aggression in Asia and Europe, and brought serious disasters to the people of all countries in the world.

So, why did Japan’s roles in World War I and World War II differ so much?

Above_ World War II Japan

First, the establishment of the Anglo-Japanese alliance paved the way for Japan and Germany to become enemies during the First World War.

Speaking of the conflict between Japan and Germany during the First World War, we have to mention the very important event of international relations in which Britain and Japan became alliances from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century.

The second half of the 19th century was an important stage for various powers to expand abroad. With a powerful navy, Britain established colonies all over the world. However, due to Russia’s large-scale expansion in Asia, a series of contradictions arose between Britain and Russia in the competition for power in Asia. Russia’s expansion in Central Asia and even its penetration in the Korean peninsula made Britain panic.

Russia’s expansion not only made the United Kingdom panic, but also made Japan feel sleepy and sleepy. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan quickly embarked on a path of rapid expansion following the establishment of colonies by Western countries. Its primary targets for expansion and occupation were the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China. However, Japan’s expansion in the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast will inevitably affect Russia’s interests in the Far East. In 1894, Japan launched the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and invaded the Liaodong Peninsula. However, Western powers such as Russia and France forced Japan to withdraw from the Liaodong Peninsula. This is the “three-nation intervention to return Liaoning” in modern Chinese history. In 1905, a war broke out between Japan and Russia, and the contradiction between Japan and Russia reached its peak.

Above_Russian-Japanese War Pictorial

Since Britain and Japan both had conflicts with Russia, in order to defend the common interests of the two countries in Asia and boycott Russia’s expansion in the Far East, Britain and Japan became strategic allies from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century to jointly contain Russia. From 1902 to 1911, Britain and Japan signed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty three times. The Anglo-Japanese alliance has been confirmed by corresponding facts in international treaties.

Before the outbreak of World War I, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance had played a corresponding role in containing the expansion of Germany. Germany was a country that rose rapidly after its reunification in 1871. The naval fleet established by Germany directly threatened Britain’s maritime interests. In the direction of Asia, Japan and the German Empire competed again for the sphere of influence on the Shandong Peninsula. Since Britain and Japan have a common need for containment and confrontation with Germany, Britain and Japan joined the camp of the Allies during World War I and jointly confronted Germany.

Above_ The Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Three Kingdoms Agreement

Second, the different motives behind the occupation of the Shandong Peninsula by Germany and Japan became the direct cause of the conflict between Germany and Japan during World War I.

In the second half of the 19th century, the great powers competed for sphere of influence in China. However, due to different national strategic interests, cultures and national conditions, the motives of the great powers in occupying the sphere of influence are also different. Some clues or answers can be found in the matter of Germany and Japan occupying the Shandong Peninsula.

Germany is a European country that has risen rapidly after its reunification in 1871. After the reunification of Germany, European powers such as Britain and France gradually set off a frenzy of establishing spheres of influence on Chinese territory. As a European power, Germany will naturally not give up the opportunity to establish spheres of influence with Britain and France in China. In 1897, Germany sent troops to occupy Jiaozhou Bay and established its own sphere of influence on the Shandong Peninsula.

Above_ The original “Treaty of Shimonoseki”, now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei

In 1894, Japan launched the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and forced China to sign the Shimonoseki Treaty, which set off the first step in Japan’s occupation of China. In 1897, Germany sent troops to occupy Jiaozhou Bay. Both Germany and Japan’s occupation of China are the same, but the two countries’ motives, or purpose, are completely different: Germany’s occupation of Jiaozhou Bay is only a small part of Germany’s global expansion. The colonial empire of the world. And China is not the main opponent of Germany’s foreign expansion strategy. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan launched the Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War against China with the purpose of occupying the Korean peninsula, Taiwan Province, and occupying the entire mainland of China. China is Japan’s most important opponent and the primary opponent that Japan must conquer.

Different motives have different effects: Germany does not reject the establishment of spheres of influence in China with other European countries, but Japan firmly rejects other European countries (including Germany) to establish spheres of influence in China. Japan wants to occupy China alone. As a result, Japan and Germany had a series of contradictions over China’s establishment of a sphere of influence. The three-nation intervention in Liaoning is the best proof of the establishment of spheres of influence between Germany and Japan in China.

Above_ Map of Europe during World War I

As far as Japan is concerned, if Germany is strong, Japan will temporarily not be in direct conflict with Germany over the sphere of influence in China. But if Germany’s power declines, Japan will compete for Germany’s sphere of influence in China. After the outbreak of the First World War, Germany’s main battlefield was in Europe, and there was no time to take care of Asian affairs. The Japanese and British troops attacked the Jiaodong Peninsula together, and finally occupied the Jiaodong Peninsula.

All in all, the contradiction between the Anglo-Japanese alliance and Germany and Japan in establishing spheres of influence within China became the reason why Germany and Japan became enemies during the First World War.

Above_ “The Treaty of Versailles” (English: Treaty of Versailles, also known as “The Treaty of Versailles”)

Third, the changes in the international situation after the First World War and the rise of fascism became the direct reason that Germany and Japan became allies during the Second World War and jointly carve up the world.

After the end of the First World War, Germany was defeated and the Weimar Republic was established. Because the “Versailles Peace Treaty” imposed extremely harsh punishment on Germany, the revenge anger of the German people was aroused by the harsh punishment of the Allies. After Hitler came to power, fascism in Germany quickly rose. Hitler took advantage of the German people’s “revenge for the First World War” to win the support of the domestic army, workers and peasants, tore up the Versailles Peace Treaty, and openly expanded its armaments to prepare for war. The origin of the war in World War II Europe quietly formed. Germany’s goal was to occupy the European continent and Britain (including the British and French colonies) westward, and the Soviet Union eastward.

During World War I, Japan’s ambition to invade China further expanded due to Japan’s successful occupation of Jiaozhou Bay from Germany. In 1927, the Japanese Cabinet promulgated the “Tanaka Memorial”, which clarified the expansion strategy of “occupying Manchuria, occupying China, and occupying Asia.” In 1931, the staff of the Japanese Kwantung Army launched the 918 Incident and launched the war of aggression against China. In 1936, Japan established a fascist dictatorship controlled by the military through the 226 mutiny, and its strategy of foreign expansion was on the line. At that time, Japan’s goal was to occupy the entire territory of China, to occupy India and Southeast Asia, and finally to join forces with Germany in the Middle East.

Picture above_ “The 226 Mutiny” old photos

Germany, which wanted to occupy Europe, and Japan, which wanted to occupy Asia, became the core source of the war of aggression on the two continents of Europe and Asia, and Germany and Japan naturally came together. In 1936, Germany and Japan signed the “Anti-Communist International Agreement”. The two countries became allies and jointly launched a war of aggression to divide the world.

Of course, Germany during World War II had its strategic center in Europe, and Asia and China would not bring much practical benefit to Germany. Therefore, during the Second World War, Germany would neither have conflicts with its ally Japan on the China issue like the First World War, nor would it join forces with Japan to attack China. Germany occupied Europe and Japan occupied Asia. This strategic division of labor was very distinct in the Axis camp during World War II.

Author: handsome military man Correction/Edit: Lilith

Reference: “History of International Relations” by Liu Debin, Higher Education Press

The text was created by the History University team, and the pictures are from the Internet. The copyright belongs to the original author.

Born… as a historical necessity To learn more about one of the oldest and largest railway systems in the world, RFI Interviewed engineer Ta Quang Anh, working at the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF) about the birth of the French railway network. The engineer said that the French railway industry was “conceived” in the first three decades of the nineteenth century. Appearing more slowly in England, where the first steam engine was mounted on railcarts in trade fairs from about the mid-1810s, the birth of the French railway network was also in the similar scene, as a historical necessity. That necessary background is the final stage of the First Industrial Revolution in Europe, the period of the meeting between supply and demand. Regarding demand, in the economic field, it is the need to transport finished products in large quantities, especially in the mining industry and later in chemicals, textiles, and agriculture. In the political field, it is the need to plan territory, unify transportation and administration in a large country with many diverse geographical and cultural characteristics. The achievements of metallurgical technology have enabled the production of quality steels for train wheels and tracks, especially with production capacity for thousands of kilometers of track. In terms of supply, it’s the ability to respond to technology. This is also the intersection of two technological factors that have both developed to the necessary maturity at that time. On the one hand, the achievement of metallurgical technology has allowed the production of quality steels for train wheels and tracks, especially with production capacity for thousands of kilometers of track. On the other hand, in the mechanical and steam engine industry, the soul of the industrial revolution, despite overcoming barriers to liberate labor, is still an inspiring creative ground for optimization in terms of technology. performance and size. On the French side, in 1823, the first railway, 18 km long, connected a coal mine from the vicinity of Saint-Etienne down to a port of the Loire in Andrézieux. Although only using gravity to transport coal to the river port and using horse power to pull construction materials in the opposite direction, in terms of infrastructure, this is considered the first line of the French and European railway network. continent. Only 7 years later, another 58 km line connecting Saint-Etienne with Lyon was also put into operation. This was the first time in France, the steam locomotive improved by French engineer Marc Seguin was put into use instead of horses with a record speed of 12 km/h at that time. A year later, in 1831, the line also began carrying passengers. In 1823, the first railway, 18 km long, connected a coal mine from the vicinity of Saint-Etienne down to a port of the Loire in Andrézieux. In 1814, at the very beginning of the world’s railway history, when it first appeared in England, a strategic report was submitted to Emperor Napoleon by Chief Engineer Moisson-Desroches, highlighting the importance of it. of planning a railway network of seven lines radiating from Paris to all parts of the “hexagonal country”. By 1837, the strategic idea of ​​Moisson-Desroches was concretized in the planning of Alexis Legrand, then the General Architect of roads and mines of France. The drawing that later became known as the “Legrand Star” was the first planning map of the French railway industry. Also in 1837, the first dedicated passenger railway was put into operation, connecting Paris to the suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. On paper and in the field, 1837 can thus be considered the “AD” year of the French railway history. Before World War I, nearly 60,000 km of Line 1 covered France, a sixfold increase in about 60 years. After about 15 years of relatively spontaneous development (since the railway law 1842 stipulates the model of railway socialization), by the end of 1858-early 1859, the railway agreement between the State and 6 railway companies was established. iron is an important legal corridor for network development. This agreement is meant to divide the development market share of private companies authorized by the State to develop the arterial railway system. In 1865, the law was expanded to allow local governments to be authorized to build and operate branch and cross lines for railway companies. The period of the second half of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century, with the development stimulus mechanisms of the central and local governments, was the period of breakthrough development of the French railway network, at least in terms of total length of routes in the whole system. By the time of World War I, nearly 60,000 km of Line 1 (now about 30,000 km) covered France, a sixfold increase in about 60 years. All provincial administrative sub-areas are connected to the railway network. Also during the early twentieth century, power options such as electric and diesel were also tested and developed for locomotives. The birth of the SNCF was the result of the nationalization of the railway industry in favor of the plan to electrify the entire railway network, a proactive step after the energy and economic crisis of the 1930s. In 1938, the National Railway Corporation (SNCF) was established. The entire 42,700 km of railway with debts and more than half a million railway employees are combined into one. The birth of the SNCF was the result of the nationalization of the railway industry in favor of the plan to electrify the entire railway network, a proactive step after the energy and economic crisis of the 1930s. This was considered the optimal political-economic choice at that time, in the context that the precursor private companies of SNCF faced a lot of financial difficulties after a period of overheating development in terms of terminal infrastructure. In the nineteenth century and especially after the years of World War I there was no source of income, which was followed by the Great Depression of 1929. Railway unions, representing more than half a million workers, became industrial unions are very vocal in society, contributing significantly to workers’ movements. A breakthrough in quality The operating speed at that time was 260km/h, in the same year, the design and test speed reached a world record at 380km/h. The birth of the TGV opens a new breakthrough development phase for the French railway industry. Unlike the breakthrough period in infrastructure in the second half of the 19th century, TGV has “miniatured” France and even Europe with only 3-4 hours of travel. During the period 1990-2010, many domestic TGV routes were inaugurated, notably the Eurostar route running through 50 km of the English Channel tunnel to the UK, the Thalys route going to Belgium and the Netherlands… In 1997, the State separated the infrastructure management part from the SNCF by establishing the National Railway Network (RFF). This is the first step of France when implementing commitments on competition in the field of rail transport in the European Union (EU). In 2015, RFF re-entered a member company of SNCF, after having spun off the mining part into another independent subsidiary in the group. In 1981, France put into operation the first high-speed train line TGV connecting Paris and Lyon. In 2007, France once again broke the world record for the test speed of the express train at 574.8 km/h. To date, this is still the world record for train technology running on rails. In 2020, the state monopoly on train operation officially ends. During the last 30 years of the twentieth century, the absolutely safe operation of 400 tons of steel on rails at 320 km/h has always been a technological icon in the ground passenger transport industry. TGV technology is exported and transferred to many countries, in Europe, to the US, Morocco and even Korea. For the French, TGV is a “national pride”. According to a poll of the French population, the TGV is considered one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, along with the computer, mobile phone and microwave oven. For the passenger railway industry, TGV was born as a lifeline in the context of the energy crisis of the 1970s, the aging of the traditional railway system from nearly 150 years made the railway no longer an option. number one choice for travel needs as highways thrive and air routes become increasingly accessible to price segments. In passenger transport, the decisive factor is not necessarily the speed of travel, but the sum of travel time, comfort, safety and, of course, price. TGV was born to most harmoniously meet these factors. TGV routes connect the centers of major cities (in France and later in Europe, both mainland and British islands) in the journey with moderate time, high safety, good service quality. The railway network in France is operated by the French National Railways Corporation (SNCF). For those doing railway engineering and technology, TGV’s 20 years of conception, 40 years of exploitation, perfection and development has been and will be an inspiration for technical innovation initiatives in many years. fields, from structural infrastructure, energy, signal information to rolling stock; from the construction and manufacturing industry to the maintenance industry. According to engineer Ta Quang Anh, the nearly 200-year history of formation and development is an advantage of French railways. In the world, besides the UK, there is no country as “rail age” as France. This is a great advantage in terms of experience. The coverage of the French railway network compared to the entire geographical territory is very high. Although France is not a country with a very high percentage of urban population, according to one statistic, about 89% of the French population live less than 10 km from a train station (in cities like Paris, this distance is much smaller). . This contributes significantly to the formation of habits and the need to use railways for transportation. About 89% of the French population lives less than 10 km from the station (in cities like Paris, this distance is much smaller). This contributes significantly to the formation of habits and the need to use railways for transportation. On the other hand, rail transport in France with over 80% electrification is a fundamentally environmentally friendly transport industry. With such a large coverage, in the medium and long term future, with the commitments of the French Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the framework of global environmental agreements, railway transport (both cargo and passengers) will undoubtedly remain key government priorities. As more than 80% of the railway network is electrified, with France’s civil nuclear power capacity, the French railway industry has a huge advantage in terms of energy initiative over most railway countries. However, the French railway industry also faces some limitations. A prime example is the British railway industry, which has been in decline since the late twentieth century. In the case of the French railway industry, in terms of people, changing production habits is no longer suitable for the application of modern means and production methods, in many cases, encountering resistance from the government itself. old experiences. In terms of infrastructure, most of the French railway network was designed and built before the twentieth century. Adapting to climate change is a big challenge for network maintenance and repair. TGV is a legacy engineering innovation based on ballast rock infrastructure and wheel-rail contact. But if you want to increase the speed of operation to over 400 km/h, such infrastructure is likely no longer suitable, especially when put on the balance sheet with the cost of maintenance. Of course, train speed is not a prerequisite, but if France decides to race in this direction, it must accept going slower than other countries that have developed or transferred technology for maglev infrastructure. such as Germany, Japan, China.

Dream of the sky The daughter of a tsarist general, Lydia Zvereva was obsessed with planes from an early age. She read a lot of books about aviation, took complex mechanical toys to pieces, and talked for hours about hot air balloons and airplanes. She even performed “test flights” by jumping from the roof of the storage shed to the ground. “Ever since I was a little girl, I was very interested in the hot air balloons at Osowiec Fortress, so I built models. At that time in Russia no one could fly, and in the press only occasionally began to appear the first information about the achievements of foreign manufacturers,” recalls Lidya Zvereva. Russia’s first female pilot Lydia Zvereva on the plane “Farman-4”. Photo: Karl Bulla/russiainphoto.ru What worries Lydia is certainly not that the early twentieth century aviation industry is still in its infancy, but that flights are very dangerous to life. Flimsy, unreliable planes are prone to capsizing and breaking the wind, claiming the lives of dozens of pilots around the world every year. However, Lydia Zvereva enrolled in the private aviation school “Gamayun” near Saint Petersburg. The local newspaper wrote about the first woman who wanted to learn to be a pilot, calling her “Miss Z” because she wanted to respect her private life. “Lydia Zvereva flew without hesitation and very decisively. I remember everyone paying attention to her masterful flights, including the very high ones. Because at that time, not everyone dared to take the risk of flying to such a high altitude,” said her classmate Konstantin Artseulov. There were a few times when Lydia Zvereva had a serious accident, but always luckily only minor scratches. On August 23, 1911, after passing all the necessary exams, the 21-year-old “Miss Z” was granted a pilot’s license, becoming the first female pilot of the Russian Empire. Talented Aircraft Builder In 1912, Lydia Zvereva, along with her husband, pilot Vladimir Slyusarenko, practiced aerobatics. They attended Aviation Week in Baku, performed in Tiflis (now Tbilisi, Georgia), where female pilots performed flights in difficult weather conditions. The trip to Riga almost became Lydia Zvereva’s last. While flying, the wind started to pick up and threw her “Farman” plane into the stands. She tried to fly up, but she was thrown into the stronger wind, and her plane was eventually overturned. When she fell to the ground, the female pilot was thrown forward and was crushed by aircraft debris. Not long after, in one of her letters, she wrote: “When the plane went down, I almost broke my leg. It still hurts to this day. My lung condition is very bad. The doctor told me not to go anymore, but I still wanted to fly. They warn, if you do not obey, you will get tuberculosis. Indeed, that is the fate of the pilot profession!”. Lydia Zvereva with the first Russian-made aircraft “Kudashev-1”. Documentary photo Despite the accident, perhaps thanks to that, Lydia’s performances were so successful. She and her husband were invited to stay in Riga and they happily accepted. This large city on the Baltic coast was at that time the center of the Russian aviation industry. Here they built the first aircraft engines in the country. In 1913, she and her husband opened their pilot school in Riga with the lowest tuition fees in the country. In addition, they also organized aircraft repair and design classes, at which time Lydia Zvereva was an aircraft builder who upgraded aircraft manufactured in Western countries. This particular woman was invited to work in Austria-Hungary, but she decided to stay in her homeland. Female pilot with no number Teaching and crafting did not make Lydia Zvereva more cautious. This first Russian female pilot is still actively flying as before, even though it is very dangerous to her life. She even had the courage to participate in the “death” twist when sitting on the plane. That flight took place on May 19, 1914 in a monoplane “Moran” piloted by experienced male pilot Evgeny Shpitsberg. The newspaper “Riga Messenger” wrote: “The “Moran” quickly soared into the air. 500, 600 then 700 meters. At an altitude of 800 meters, the plane suddenly stopped in the air and then dived. Almost simultaneously, the spectators gathered below all fled. But after a few seconds, there was a rumble of the engine, the plane soared high and then took a sharp turn. The crowd held their breath with applause. After a while, the plane flew along a beautiful spiral and then landed in the grandstand area. “Hooray! Hooray!” – everyone chanted.” Lydia Zvereva’s admirer is the male pilot Pyotr Nesterov, the first person in the world to perform this complex flight. At the outbreak of World War I, the couple’s pilot school was evacuated to the city of Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg). In fact, this school has become a manufacturing workshop, where 300 employees carry out orders from the Ministry of Defense. Fate did not allow Lydia Zvereva to live until the end of World War I. Many times she escaped death while flying, but she died of typhoid on June 16, 1916 at the age of 26. The female pilot’s friends and students saw her off to her final resting place by flying around in “Farmans” over Alexander Nevsky Monastery in Petrograd.

Butterfly effect is a term used to describe the chaos theory concept of the sensitivity of the system to the original conditions. Originally used as a purely scientific concept, the butterfly effect has been widely mentioned as a metaphor in contemporary culture, especially works dealing with human relations. fruit or time paradox. Photo: Tagetra Many people believe that everything happens for a reason and nothing by chance. That there are trivial little things, or seemingly insignificant sequence of events, that also affect our future, can make great changes in history and create new destiny. Source In 1961, while simulating a weather prediction on a computer, mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz accidentally entered .506 instead of 0.556127 as intended. This results in weather prediction obtained completely different from the original calculation. He was surprised when the computer gave a prediction that was very different from the original data even though the rounding value was negligible. From this mistake, Lorenz insisted on the tight binding of the physical system to the initial conditions in her speech. Mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz. (Photo: Denviant) According to him, a butterfly flap can cause a change in the original condition of the physical system, causing dramatic changes in weather, even creating a tornado in a remote location. where the butterfly flaps its wings tens of thousands of kilometers. The butterfly effect was published in 1969 by Edward Norton Lorenz with the famous quote “Just one butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas.” Butterfly effect in reality Several events are considered by many to be examples of the Butterfly Effect. 1. Drivers on the wrong path leading to World War I On June 28, 1914, the Black hand terrorist group’s plan to assassinate the Crown Prince of Austria – Archduke Franz Ferdinand was unsuccessful. A grenade thrown into the Crown Prince’s car during the visit missed, fell and exploded, injuring two of his entourage. The Crown Prince should have gone back to the hotel, but he insisted on visiting the emergency entourage in the hospital. However, his driver, unfamiliar with the route, turned the wrong way and immediately met Gavrilo Princip, one of the people involved in the previous murder, was sitting at the café beside the road. Immediately, Princip pulled out a gun and shot Prince Franz Ferdinand straight. The assassination triggered World War I. Photo: Internet It is said that, in general, the driver was misbehaving the wrong way, leading to the assassination of the Crown Prince of Austria. As a result, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on the Serbian, leading to a declaration of war on Russia by Germany, drawing Belgium, France and Britain to declare war on Germany. 2. The young man was denied the artist’s dream, becoming a military dictator This is probably the most widely known butterfly effect on this list. In 1905, a young man applied to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, unfortunately for him and for us too, he was rejected twice. That ambitious art student was Adolf Hitler. After he was rejected, he was forced to live in the city’s slums and his anti-Semitism began to flourish. He joined the German army instead of fulfilling his dream of being an artist, which has resulted in historical sites as you know it. 3. The kind soldier spared his enemy’s life, leading to World War II On September 28, 1818, during a fighting between British and German forces in the village of Marcoing (France), Private Henry Tandey saw a German soldier fleeing. Henry Tandey was about to aim when he realized the soldier was injured, he lowered his gun and let the soldier escape. Adolf Hitler. (Photo: Internet) This decision caused the world a tragedy that no one could imagine. The man who escaped death was Adolf Hitler. When World War II broke out, this incident became a psychological burden on Private Henry Tandey. When asked about his act of pardoning Hitler, Henry Tandey expressed regret: “ I don’t know what kind of person that soldier would become. As I watched innocent civilians being killed for Hitler’s atrocities, I asked God to forgive me for letting him live. “. From the decision to spare one’s life on the battlefields of World War I, it resulted in 60 million people dying in World War II. 4. A fictional book costs 900 million dollars to the American economy Photo: Internet In 1907, a stockbroker by the name of Thomas Lawson wrote a book called Friday the 13th which used the superstition of the day to cause panic among the stockbrokers on the Street. Wall. The book was so impactful that at the time, the US economy lost about 900 million dollars on this day because instead of going to work, on vacation, to go shopping, people were at home.