Japan joins the Central Powers in WWI?

Dorozhand

Banned
Could it have happened? If so, what would the results have been?

I don't know much about Japanese foreign policy at this time so forgive me if it is absurd.
 

Deleted member 9338

The short answer is no. The best Germany and the Central Powers can hope for is a neutral Japan. Japan has nothing to gain from joining the Central powers.
 
Well, unless they start winning. Then... well, Japan might be able to get some British territories(okay, doubtful, but still, food for thought.)
 
Bad news for Russia. Japan had already annexed Korea, had long term ambitions in Manchuria and, in OTL, intervened malevolently in Russia's Far East during its Civil War. Japan could send large armies from Korea into Russia's eastern provinces, and Russia would have difficulty countering them if it was still fighting in Europe. Japan would probably install a puppet ruler in Manchuria if it could find a volunteer (like it did in the 30s) and might also try to take de facto control in Mongolia.
 

Cook

Banned
I don't know much about Japanese foreign policy at this time so forgive me if it is absurd.
Japan was an ally of Great Britain and had been from 1902. It represented the first peacetime alliance for Great Britain in more than a century and ended their Splendid Isolation.

A German – Japan mutual defence alliance against Russia signed instead is conceivable. But given Germany’s weakness outside of Europe, would have been less desirable to the Japanese.
 
Maybe neutrality . . . I could swear they actually made an offer to Germany.

"We won't declare war on you if you let us have your Asian and Pacific colonies."

Germany flat out ignored the ultimatum, so Japan declared war.
 
Maybe neutrality . . . I could swear they actually made an offer to Germany.

"We won't declare war on you if you let us have your Asian and Pacific colonies."

Germany flat out ignored the ultimatum, so Japan declared war.

That is the jist of it, found here, link.

On OT: Japan's interests were vested mostly in China, as shown with the 21 Demands. Japan didn't play a major role in the war, after eating up the German holdings at least. If you want Japan to be allied with Germany, certainly would be possible, but you would have to make relations between the Japanese and the British sour first, likely before the war. The problem Japan would have is that it would essentially be like Romania in WWI (not counting Russia of course) in that it was surround by enemies.

Japan vs the Russians and the British/Aussies/Kiwis/Canucks/etc and likely the Chinese means that Japan has a long war ahead of itself.
 
it is possible to ally Japan to the central powers, but only if the british empire stays neutral, and even then the Japanese would only be there to snag some land from a very weakened russia.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I agree that the British Empire would have to remain neutral for Japan to come in on the side of the Central Powers. If they do, Vladivostok and the surrounding area will be taken, as well some more territory in Manchuria.

Diod they have the logistical ability to make a play for French Indochina.
 

Cook

Banned
Maybe neutrality . . . I could swear they actually made an offer to Germany...Germany flat out ignored the ultimatum, so Japan declared war.
This is not an offer of neutrality in return for German territory; it is an ultimatum as prelude to a declaration of war, necessary under International Law. It is akin to Austria’s ultimatum to Serbia, the German ultimatum to the Tsar to demobilise and the British ultimatum to Germany to withdraw from Belgium.
 
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