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Lost in the back pages of the books is mention of the Southern Option or Southern Resources Area = that is the island region in the South West Pacific, including the Phillipines, Dutch East Indies, Timor. Some discussions extend this area to South East Asia. Discussion of the possibilities of the SRA had emerged in Japans leadership councils in the 1920s. It was argued the resources of SE Asia & the SW Pacific were more exploited by Japan than those of Siberia or the Chinese empire. A low level debate went on for two decades on which might be the better long term strategy for empire. Take the S Pacific/Asia possesions from the European empires, or take Siberia from the Communist state.

In September 1940 a sort of concensus, or perhaps accendance of the Northern option supporters tipped events. The key date would be September 1940 when Hitler made his decision to end offensive operations against Britian & turn to destroying the USSR. This strategy was communicated to Japan & Italy in tandem with the signing of the Triparte Pact. That same month a faction lost its bib to execute a proposal to occupy key location in French Indo China. This obscure idea has largely been forgotten. it was a pet project of the senior IJA commanders in China. They hoped to cut off another route of supply to the KMT armies holdig out in SW China. This proposal was supported by several Zaibatsu leaders who had their eye on the rubber plantations and rice exports of Indo China. As it was the idea was shelved & attention put to joining Germany in its attack on the USSR.

There is little need for details of events after. The concentration of the IJA & Its allied Manchurian forces against the 'Northern Front' is well covered in the books. Ditto for the role of the IJN in initial operations along the Siberian Pacific littoral. The subsequent deployment of the IJN to its Pacific bases to guard against the British & US is well understood & so is the catastrophic nature of the trade embargos the US enacted against Japan. Between June & December 1941. Its argued those made the US a effective ally of the USSR and Britain, something that is in essence true, & validated by the US entry into the war in the spring of 1942.

So, WI Japans leaders had not choosen to join in the attack on the USSR, but instead gone ahead with the occupation of French Indo China & Thailand, and continued offensive ops vs the KMT armies in China. Would the US continue increasing economic sanctions against Japan? Would the plans to build the Phillipines army be expedited? Would the US Pacific bases like Wake island be fortified? & the $64,000 question would the US enter the war anytime in 1942?
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