Figure 1.--.

There was a tradition of military cooperation between Gernany and Japan. The modern Japanesec Army was toa substantial extent organized by German officers. Japanese school children still wear Prussian cadet uniforms, a legacy of that early cooperation. Even so, Japan joined the Allies during World War I and was rewarded with German concessions in China and island colonies in the Pacific. The Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Germans from building an airforce or U-boats. Even before the rise of the NAZIs, German companies operated in Japan, the Netherlands and other countries developing new techologies. Japanese submaries and air planes were thus developed with German technology. This cooperation intensified after the NAZIs seized power (1933). Heinkel played a major role in debeloping the Val dive bomber so effectively employed at Paerl Harbor. It was based on the Heinkel 70 bomber. The Germans help Kawasaki build submarines for the Imperial Navy. The Japane defeat by the Soviets in the Machrian border war (1939) should have convinced military planners that Japan was not in a position to wage a war with a modern European army. The Japanese do not appear to have drawn this conclusion. Japan joined the Axis (September 1940). At this time we do not have any details concerning immediate Japanese steps to obtain German technology. Most Japanese senior commanders were convinced that the country's warrior spirit and code of Bushido would bring victory. Some officers saw the need to acquire modern technology. One of these was Tomoyuki Yamashita. Yamashita was familiar with Germany having served as a military attaché there after World War I (1919-1922). Yamashita rose in the military hierarchy. He participated in the unsuccessful military coup (1936), but was not punished. He fought in the Manchrian border war against the Soviets (1939). After Primemister Fumimaro Kondoye appointed Hideki Tojo Minister of War, Yamashita was dipatched to Europe. He arrived in Germany with a shopping list for modern military technology. When he returned to Japan, he strongly advised against going to war with the United States or the Soviet Union until Japan had modernized its military. We have few details on German provision of military technology to Japan at this stahe of the War. We do know that the Germans helped the Japanese build the Hind fighter which was based on the ME-109. The Germans insisted on substantial payments on the basis of commercial exchanges. It is unclear to us how aggressively the Japanes pushed or the Germans offerred their technology. We do know that despite very effective German naval radar such as the equipment on the Bismarck, Japan entered the War in the Pcific without naval radar. We do not fully understand if this was because the Japanese did not appreciate the importance or the Germans were unwilling to share the technology. Radar was of course a critical technology for carrier warfare. This did not change until late in the War. Germany in 1945 began sending the Japanese information on some of their weapons such a jet aircraft. The full extent of the provision of high technology weapons to the Japanese is not known. . The NAZIs insisted on lisensing agreements. The transfers were mase by U-boat. There were shipments of uranium, but the weapons blanned are not fully understood.

Imperial Germany

There was a tradition of military cooperation between Gernany and Japan. The modern Japanesec Army was toa substantial extent organized by German officers. Japanese school children still wear Prussian cadet uniforms, a legacy of that early cooperation.

World War I (1914-18)

Even so, Japan joined the Allies during World War I and was rewarded with German concessions in China and island colonies in the Pacific.

Weimar Republic (1919-33)

The Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Germans from building an airforce or U-boats. Even before the rise of the NAZIs, German companies operated in Japan, the Netherlands and other countries developing new techologies. Japanese submaries and air planes were thus developed with German technology. While Japan fought with the Allies in World war I, it energed from the War as an sgreeved nation. Whole they recieved Pacific islands, whst theyvwanted was China and America opposed their efforts to expsnd into China. This was the beginning of a conlfict that would lead to the Pacific War.

NAZI Era (1933-45)

This cooperation intensified after the NAZIs seized power (1933). Heinkel played a major role in debeloping the Val dive bomber so effectively employed at Paerl Harbor. It was based on the Heinkel 70 bomber. The Germans help Kawasaki build submarines for the Imperial Navy. The Japane defeat by the Soviets in the Machrian border war (1939) should have convinced military planners that Japan was not in a position to wage a war with a modern European army. The Japanese do not appear to have drawn this conclusion. Japan joined the Axis (September 1940). At this time we do not have any details concerning immediate Japanese steps to obtain German technology. Most Japanese senior commanders were convinced that the country's warrior spirit and code of Bushido would bring victory. Some officers saw the need to acquire modern technology. One of these was Tomoyuki Yamashita. Yamashita was familiar with Germany having served as a military attaché there after World War I (1919-1922). Yamashita rose in the military hierarchy. He participated in the unsuccessful military coup (1936), but was not punished. He fought in the Manchrian border war against the Soviets (1939). After Primemister Fumimaro Kondoye appointed Hideki Tojo Minister of War, Yamashita was dipatched to Europe. He arrived in Germany with a shopping list for modern military technology. When he returned to Japan, he strongly advised against going to war with the United States or the Soviet Union until Japan had modernized its military. We have few details on German provision of military technology to Japan at this stahe of the War. We do know that the Germans helped the Japanese build the Hind fighter which was based on the ME-109. The Germans insisted on substantial payments on the basis of commercial exchanges. It is unclear to us how aggressively the Japanes pushed or the Germans offerred their technology. We do know that despite very effective German naval radar such as the equipment on the Bismarck, Japan entered the War in the Pcific without naval radar. We do not fully understand if this was because the Japanese did not appreciate the importance or the Germans were unwilling to share the technology. Radar was of course a critical technology for carrier warfare. This did not change until late in the War. Germany in 1945 began sending the Japanese information on some of their weapons such a jet aircraft. The full extent of the provision of high technology weapons to the Japanese is not known. . The NAZIs insisted on lisensing agreements. The transfers were mase by U-boat. There were shipments of uranium, but the weapons blanned are not fully understood.

Created: 3:48 AM 4/7/2011
Last updated: 3:48 AM 4/7/2011