The Gathering Storm, Redux - Gameplay Thread (WW2 - Early 1940)

[Devout Centrist]

Treaty of Warsaw

The Republic of Poland and the Empire of Japan hereby agree to the following:

1. The Republic of Poland  and the Empire of Japan  agree to sharply reduce tariffs on trade between our two nations in order to fight against inflation and to promote growth to both of our nations.

xPresident Koc

X Chiune Sugihara, Japanese Representative to Poland and the Baltic States

[Devout Centrist]

League of Nations Rejects Food Aid for China! (1937)

You are listening to the East Asian Broadcasting Company, the voice of the people.

We have a significant update regarding the ongoing conflict in Mainland China. The League of Nations has formally blocked a Japanese motion to send famine relief aid to territory held by the National Government in Nanjing and their allies in Northern China. Representatives from the United Kingdom and Canada voted to veto the resolution, voicing concerns over 'unsatisfactory language' and fears over potential abuse of the programme. The motion, proposed by Japan's envoy to the League of Nations, would have established a global famine relief programme for conflict zones. In particular, the motion identified China as a candidate for urgent famine relief as the National Government mobilizes all men of fighting age for war.

Undeterred by the League's rejection of their proposal, Japan has quickly concluded a treaty with the French Republic to send much needed nutritional assistance to the people of China. Said one Japanese representative, "the potential for famine and food shortages is there. The effects of the enormous 1931 Yangtze flood are still being felt throughout China. If the world does not act, millions could go hungry if this year's harvest fails."

Representatives of the National Government in Nanjing could not be reached for comment. A member of the unrecognized Chinese Northern Coalition accused Japan of muddying the waters and stated that the people of China would pay 'an unlimited price' to rid their homeland of all foreign interference.

This is the East Asian Broadcasting Company. Stay tuned for more updates on the conflict in China after this commercial break.

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from the Foreign Ministry

The signing of this treaty today is a momentous occasion of cooperation between the Japanese and Russian people. While our criticisms of international Bolshevism remain firm, we recognize that peace, rather than conflict, is the way forward between our two nations. The Empire of Japan affirms its commitment to respect existing international agreements and territorial sovereignty with respect to the Soviet Union. It is in that spirit that we have concluded this non-aggression pact today.

Soviet-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact

Comrade Chairman Mikhail Tukhachevsky of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, guided by a desire to strengthen peaceful and friendly relations between the two countries, have decided to conclude a pact on neutrality, for which purpose they have appointed as their Representatives:

ARTICLE 1: Both Contracting Parties undertake to maintain peaceful and friendly relations between them and mutually respect the territorial integrity and inviolability of the other Contracting Party.

ARTICLE 2: Should one of the Contracting Parties become the object of hostilities on the part of one or several third powers, the other Contracting Party will observe neutrality throughout the duration of the conflict.

ARTICLE 3: The present Pact comes into force from the day of its ratification by both Contracting Parties and remains valid for five years. In case neither of the Contracting Parties denounces the Pact one year before the expiration of the term, it will be considered automatically prolonged for the next five years.

ARTICLE 4: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall recognize the State of Manchukuo as a legal and sovereign state under international law.

ARTICLE 5: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Empire of Japan affirm all existing territorial boundaries as they stand today. This article may be renegotiated with the mutual consent of both Contracting Parties.

ARTICLE 6: The present Pact is subject to ratification as soon as possible. The instruments of ratification shall be exchanged in Tokyo and Moscow, also as soon as possible.

In confirmation whereof the above-named Representatives have signed the present Pact in two copies, drawn up in the Russian and Japanese languages, and affixed thereto their seals.

X Shigenori Togo, Japanese Ambassador to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from the Foreign Ministry

The Empire of Japan commits itself to neutrality with respect to the current crisis in Europe.

[Devout Centrist]

View on China: Zhang Holds Strong, Chiang Pulls Back! (1938)

You are listening to the East Asian Broadcasting Company, the voice of the people.

We have news for you regarding the ongoing Great East Asian War. Offensive operations have come to a halt in Inner Mongolia, where Marshal Zhang Xueliang has managed to stall Japanese counterattacks after weeks of gains for the Rising Sun. The young Marshal, who is currently recovering from wounds received in a recent assassination attempt, has earned respect from friend and foe alike. Many have come to admire the Marshal’s confident and calculating style of leadership. Indeed, one Japanese major had this to say about Marshal Xueliang’s skills in battle: “He is like the samurai of old, courageous to a fault, and a worthy opponent. He is nothing like the other Chinese commanders we’ve faced, the ones who protect Chiang and his band of gangsters who cower in Nanking.” The office of Marshal Xueliang did not respond to our request for comment on this story.

Meanwhile, in Central China, the National Government has ceded yet more territory to the Japanese. The Shandong Peninsula, which was until recently under NRA control, has fallen to the invading Japanese without much of a fight. Local commanders report that an order to retreat was issued directly from Nanking, a statement with KMT officials have disputed. One NRA soldier reported that he was “angry” that his family’s farm had been given away to the Japanese without a fight.

“I grew up there! My parents have evacuated to Binzhou, but their home is gone. It’s all gone. My whole battalion was ready to stand and fight at Qingdao when the enemy arrived, but our officer told us to fall back to miles behind the front. I was deeply shaken by this. Why aren’t we fighting them? Why are we running?”

More stories coming up at the top of the hour. Once again, this is the East Asian Broadcasting Company, the voice of the people.

[Devout Centrist]

Tokyo Accords

The French Republic, and the Empire of Japan, hereinafter the Signatories, bound together by common interests, agree to the following:

1 . The signatories reaffirm their commitment to the preservation of their respective national sovereignty and independence.
2 . The Signatories agree to consult one another on all relevant security concerns in East Asia

xÉdouard Daladier

x Matsuoka Yosuke, Foreign Minister for the Empire of Japan

[Devout Centrist]

Soviet-Japanese Trade Treaty

1. The Soviet Union shall lift all quotas and export restrictions on the export of coal, iron ore, tin, steel, scrap metal, copper, rubber, cloth, chlorine, petroleum products and distillates, aluminum, grain, salt, magnesium, chromium, cobalt, and other rare earth metals to the Empire of Japan

2. The Empire of Japan shall compensate the Soviet Union by providing technical and industrial assistance for the purposes of supporting mass industrialization in the Soviet Union.

X Matsuoka Yosuke, Foreign Minister for the Empire of Japan

[Devout Centrist]

Propaganda Leaflet Dropped in Fujian (1938)

Citizens of China, be aware! There are saboteurs among you.

Be advised that the invading Japanese and thugs from the COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA have conspired to steal your hard earned harvest and currency. These bandits have disguised themselves as Kuomintang officials, wearing their uniforms and skulking around the countryside to STEAL OUR GRAIN!

Citizen, do not surrender anything from your towns or villages to passerbys. They are inevitably foreign agents. Store your harvest for the winter! Do not render your harvest or your currency to any outsider who approaches you! Only hand over your harvest to your legal landlord!

Stay safe! Stay aware!

The National Government shall deliver you all to salvation.

[Devout Centrist]

Imperial New Year's Address to the Japanese People (January 1, 1939)
Distributed via Tokyo Broadcasting Station (TBS) and made available for broadcast internationally

Loyal citizens and subjects, to all those who listen to my words,

As we enter a blessed new year, I stand before you today as your sovereign and your Emperor to offer my words of hope and encouragement to the all people of the Dai Nippon Teikoku. However, it is important to recognize the material realities of our present condition. Let me speak frankly to you. I know that many of you feel the strain of these difficult times. There is much chaos and disorder in the wider world at this present moment. Never before has our culture and our nation been so thoroughly tested. Indeed, I understand that the devotion of all our loyal citizens and subjects has been tested in these most trying of times. However, let me reassure you that your sacrifices and your   toil will bear great fruit in time.

During this New Year's address, I would like to emphasize the twin values of charity and frugality. The Yamato people have, since time immemorial, shared in a national community of both blood and sacrifice. It is in these times of hardship and global peril that we must remember the importance of coming together to share in a common goal and to meet a common struggle. Through the collective struggle of our national brotherhood, the Yamato people can overcome all adversity and hardship.

I encourage each of you to share your talents and your good fortune with the whole of our nation. Help those among you who cannot help themselves. Extend the value of unending grace and goodwill to your neighbors and to your brothers and sisters. In my personal capacity as head of the Imperial Household, in the eyes of the whole nation today, I renew my dedicate to the principles of charity and shared sacrifice. As your Emperor and Sovereign, I am pledging my personal resources and talents to support the people of our nation.

I believe that this spirit of perseverance is what will see us through these times of strife and uncertainty. It is easy to embrace cynicism when faced with monumental adversity, but all of us must remember that it is in these moments that our true character shines through. It is in these moments that we must draw upon our inner strength and find the courage to keep moving forward.

As we look ahead to this coming year, 1939, I want to reassure you all that I am fully committed to doing everything in my power to ensure the safety, stability, and wellbeing of our nation. It is my duty as your Emperor to lead with compassion and wisdom, and to always put the needs of our people first. I am confident that by working together, we can overcome any challenges that may come our way.

In closing, I want to thank you all, citizens and subjects, for your unwavering loyalty and dedication to Dai Nippon Teikoku. It is through your hard work and commitment that we will enjoy a bountiful harvest of good fortune in the years to come. Let us each embrace the values of charity and frugality, and let us never lose sight of the strength and resilience that has made the Yamato people strong.

May the coming year bring peace, prosperity, and hope to us all.

Thank you.

[Devout Centrist]

Treaty of Tokyo (1939)

With the power vested in our duly appointed representatives, the Republic of China (KMT) and the Empire of Japan agree to the following:

A. The Republic of China agrees to recognize the State of Manchukuo as a sovereign, independent state.

B. The Republic of China agrees to recognize Japanese economic interests and rights within Greater Manchuria, including rights to mineral extraction, industrial development, trade, and all other areas of commerce.

C. The State of Manchukuo agrees to cede all territorial claims to the provinces of Liaoning, southern Inner Mongolia, and the city of Jilin.

D. The Empire of Japan offers the Republic of China an apology for the behavior of traitorous, dishonorable rogues in the State of Manchukuo.

E. The Republic of China agrees to allow the Empire of Japan full and unconditional access to its domestic market.

F. The Republic of China and the Empire of Japan shall lower reciprocal tariffs on all raw materials and finished goods to zero.

G. The Empire of Japan and the Republic of China shall agree to protect each other's sovereignty from European intervention.

H. The Empire of Japan agrees to recognize the Republic of China as the legitimate government of continental China.

I. The Empire of Japan agrees to withdraw all troops from the city of Shanghai.

X Emperor Hirohito
X Koichi Kido
X Naruhiko Higashikuni
X Hayao Tada

The Empire of Japan thanks the German Reich for the successful conclusion of this treaty.

[Devout Centrist]

Eurasian-Japanese Trade Treaty

1. The Eurasian Alliance shall lift all quotas and export restrictions on the export of coal, iron ore, tin, steel, scrap metal, copper, rubber, cloth, chlorine, petroleum products and distillates, aluminum, grain, salt, magnesium, chromium, cobalt, and other rare earth metals to the Empire of Japan.

2. The Empire of Japan shall lift all export restrictions on the sale of coal, textiles, machine tools, and capital equipment to the Eurasian Alliance.

3. The Empire of Japan shall compensate the Eurasian Alliance by providing technical and industrial assistance for the purposes of supporting mass industrialization in constituent nations of the Alliance.

X President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Republic of Turkey

X Naruhiko Higashikuni