“Three Nation Alliance” as Realpolitik in WWII era.

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Japan had never committed the ethnic cleansing or Holocaust in the war era.
Japan raised proposal “Racial Equality article” in covenant of League of Nations in 1919. Who refused it?
Misunderstanding that Alliance shows ideological similarity.

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 It is said that “The WWII is the war between United Nations and Fascist Nations”. It implies that Japan was also Fascist Nation as much as Nazi Germany. In that historical consequences, Japan must have committed ethnic cleansing, or Holocaust for Asian peoples as Nazi Germany did. But this is none of truth as well as Josef Stalin, then the head of the communist party of USSR, is democratic statesman just like as FDR.

Pre-WWII Japan had been suffering discrimination of White supremacist countries, and fight for discrimination from the Meiji Restoration. At last, after WW1, Japan was invited one of the world powers at Paris Peace Conference. At the conference, Japan raised proposal to add “Racial Equality article” in covenant of League of Nations, but rejected by representative of USA and UK.

For the historical experiences, “Racial Equality” was the one of the most important slogan of Government of Japan even in the WWII. It would be fairer that Japan governed peoples of “the outer territories (Korea, Taiwan) “ than European states, such as United kingdom and France. The fairness, especially Racial Equality, of Japanese governance of the outer territories will be described in other articles.

After the Cold War ended, the leftist in Japan has be making propaganda that “Japan has been one of the most evil Nation for humanity as well as Nazi Germany” and that “Japan-Germany alliance was the evidence”. Mainland China and South Korea support it. Former president of South Kores Park Geun-hye’s “discount Japan” was a most famous person for supporting operation. “Comfort woman” and “the Rising Sun Flag” are the hottest issue.

The reason of Japan-Nazi Germany alliance was not for ideology but for Realpolitik. Both Japan and Nazi Germany made conflict against USA and UK, maybe including France. An enemy of the enemy would be potential alliance partner. Pre-WWII era, the relation between Japan and Nazi Germany is one of the example.

After assassination of Zhang Zuolin, warlord of Manchuria, in 1928, confrontation between Japan and USA was getting severer and severer. Japan made efforts to make closer relation with Nazi Germany and USSR for “balancing” against USA. Then foreign minister Matsuoka had a plan of “Four Nation Alliance” (Italy, Japan, Nazi Germany and USSR), which was the “counter balance” against USA and UK.

However, a plan of “The Four Nation Alliance” was cancelled because of Germany–USSR war, “Three Nation Alliance” was still effective for counter-balance of US-UK alliance. The Three Nation Alliance did not work effectively because of distance between Far East (Japan) and Europe (Germany and Italy). Realpolitik or “balance of power” was the reason why Japan made alliance with Nazi Germany and Italy, as well as FDR made alliance with Stalin. FDR could not be sympathizer with Stalin nor Communism.

Alliance does not mean ideological similarity among alliance partners. The alliance between Japan and Nazi Germany was one of the good examples. Misunderstanding that Alliance shows ideological similarity conceals the facts, especially the acts of Japanese government and army in WWII.