POLITICAL STRATEGY
PRIOR TO OUTBREAK OF WAR

PART II

PREPARED BY
MILITARY HISTORY SECTION
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY FORCES FAR EAST

DISTRIBUTED BY
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                Page No

Preface/Foreword                                                    iii
Fourth Year of the China Incident (1940)                              1
   Summary of Important Events during 1940                            1
   Summary of Operations in China from 1937 - 1940                    3
   The Asama Maru Incident                                            5
   The Policy on China                                                6
   Occupation of Northern French Indo-China                           8
   Important National Policies                                       13
     Decision on a General National Policy
     (27 July 1940)                                                  13
   The Navy's Views on the "Principles to Cope
   with the Changing World Situation"                                18
   Tripartite Alliance Pact                                          20
      The First Phase                                                20
      The Second Phase                                               22
      Estimates by the Japanese Government                           24
      Views of the Japanese Navy                                     31

 APPENDICES

Appendix No 1 Outline of the Readjustment of Relations 
              between Japan and China                                37

Appendix No 2 General Principles to Cope with the 
              Changing World Situation                               42

Appendix No 3 Imperial General Headquarters Comments on
              "The Principles to Cope with the Changing
              World Situation"                                       46

Appendix No 4 Tripartite Alliance Pact                               50

Appendix No 5 Circumstances which led the Japanese Navy
              to Agree to the Tripartite Pact                        53

vii