So I've been thinking lately about this topic and I'd like your input. As we all know, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was a diplomatic milestone that ended Britain's Splendid Isolation. The reason is that both signatories felt threatened by Russian expansionism in the Far East. Eventually the alliance was dissolved in 1923 due to divergent interests between Japan and the British Empire. Canada wanted out and the British prioritized good relations with the United States over the alliance with Japan, among other things.
Japan's concerns about Russia are arguably better addressed by an alliance with Germany. Germany directly borders Russia and can attack its vital western parts, where most of the industrial centres, major cities, railway hubs and sources of coal and steel are. Britain, on the other hand, at no point borders any vital part of Russia.
That leaves the concerns of Germany, which supported Russia during the Triple Intervention in 1895 for the following reasons: firstly, its desire to draw Russia's attention to the east and away from itself and secondly, to enlist Russia's support in establishing German territorial concessions in China. Germany hoped that support for Russia would encourage Russia, in turn, to support Germany's colonial ambitions, which were especially vexed since Germany had only recently formed itself into a unified nation and had arrived late in the colonial "game."
The Triple Intervention made Japan feel humiliated and cheated out of their spoils of war (the Sino-Japanese War). Germany's interested, as listed above, could be achieved without Russia and supporting Russia made little sense in hindsight anyway since it didn't break Russia's commitment to the Dual Entente with Germany's revanchist rival France. All we need is the Kaiser to get over his Yellow Peril stance for a minute.
Let's suppose that Germany doesn't participate in the Triple Intervention in 1895 and instead actively supports Japan in the matter, ultimately resulting in a German-Japanese Alliance in the late 1890s/early 1900s. What effect would such an alliance have on the alliance system. Assuming a WW I analogue still occurs, what would be the effect of Japan fighting on the side of the Central Powers?
Japan's concerns about Russia are arguably better addressed by an alliance with Germany. Germany directly borders Russia and can attack its vital western parts, where most of the industrial centres, major cities, railway hubs and sources of coal and steel are. Britain, on the other hand, at no point borders any vital part of Russia.
That leaves the concerns of Germany, which supported Russia during the Triple Intervention in 1895 for the following reasons: firstly, its desire to draw Russia's attention to the east and away from itself and secondly, to enlist Russia's support in establishing German territorial concessions in China. Germany hoped that support for Russia would encourage Russia, in turn, to support Germany's colonial ambitions, which were especially vexed since Germany had only recently formed itself into a unified nation and had arrived late in the colonial "game."
The Triple Intervention made Japan feel humiliated and cheated out of their spoils of war (the Sino-Japanese War). Germany's interested, as listed above, could be achieved without Russia and supporting Russia made little sense in hindsight anyway since it didn't break Russia's commitment to the Dual Entente with Germany's revanchist rival France. All we need is the Kaiser to get over his Yellow Peril stance for a minute.
Let's suppose that Germany doesn't participate in the Triple Intervention in 1895 and instead actively supports Japan in the matter, ultimately resulting in a German-Japanese Alliance in the late 1890s/early 1900s. What effect would such an alliance have on the alliance system. Assuming a WW I analogue still occurs, what would be the effect of Japan fighting on the side of the Central Powers?
