The Kwangtung Army had border clashes with the Soviets & Mongolians primarily to:

The Kwangtung Army had border clashes with the Soviets & Mongolians primarily to:

  • a) start a full-scale war with the Soviet Union to conquer Far Eastern territory

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • b) test if the Soviets were weak enough to be invaded

    Votes: 3 50.0%
  • c) test Soviet strength to determine how many KA troops they could afford to send south to China

    Votes: 1 16.7%
  • d) to punish the Soviets for providing a lot of aid to China

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • e) Destabilize the Mongolian People’s Republic

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • f) only to enforce a favorable interpretation of the Manchukuo border

    Votes: 2 33.3%
  • g) To attract resources for the KA that were going to forces in China and the Navy instead

    Votes: 1 16.7%
  • h) Because the Soviets deliberately started the clashes

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • Total voters
    6

raharris1973

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This thread is aimed at ascertaining the Japanese Kwangtung Army's motive(s) in engaging in a border war with the USSR from 1937 to 1939.

Were the Kwangtung Army commanders hoping to snowball the clashes into an all-out war of conquest, or did they have only lesser objectives?

Did they Japanese think they had a shot at winning glory and territory against the USSR?

Did they think this could be accomplished in a one-on-one fight?

Did they expect to have allies also attack the Soviet Union? Japan had some positive military and intelligence relations with Germany and Poland during the border war of summer 37 to summer 39. However, despite the Anti-Comintern Pact, German war on the Soviet Union was not realistic because Germany was still rearming from a low base and had no common border with the USSR. No realistic or even reasonable estimates of Polish intent and capability would support the idea that Poland could pose an offensive threat to the USSR by 1937 certainly.
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
Going by the 1 vote so far, for (f) it was over a small border issue. That sounds like with the right PoD, for instance the MPR never claiming that patch of ground, or the ROC never claiming it, the Khalkin-Gol/Nomonhan battle could have been avoided.
 
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