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Japan entered World War I as an ally of Great Britain and was initially tasked with hunting down surface raiders. It had been speculated that the Japanese government was planning on sending 100,000 to 500,000 troops to the Western Front. Initially, officials both in Tokyo and London down played the need for Japanese troops going to Europe. The changed after trench warfare came to Europe.

Luminaries such as Churchill and Lloyd George raised the idea of troops being sent to the Western Front to relieve troops for the Dardanelles. While the Japanese government found reasons not to send troops the logistics alone should have caused the allies to rethink the request.

Also after Japan took Tsingtao and leveled their Twenty-One Demands, Japan is committed to a China strategy.

But, Japan has another course. If Tsingtao lasts past the 7 November 1914 date, it would change when the rest of the province would be captured. If this is delayed the desire to send troops to fight with the British may improve.

Japanese troops could be used in the defense of Egypt in early 1915 or on the Mesopotamian front. Japanese troops on the Tigris River could defend the British supply line as Townshend heads up to Bagdad. It is even possible that Japanese and British forces could meet up with advancing Russian forces coming from Tehran. This would make for an interesting division of the spoils.

A veteran Infantry Division, followed by the 18th Infantry Division with an attached cavalry brigade. Would have been a nice complement to the British forces. There is even the possibility of the Japanese seaplane carrier Wakamiya becoming involved.
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