Why Couldn't the Japanese Buy Raw Materials From Southeast Asia?

LeX

The Japanese invaded Southeast Asia not just because it needed the oil, but also the rice, rubber, and various metals used in weapons and equipment. Unless the American embargo of 1940 somehow got the DEI and Malaysia on board, why couldn't the Japanese simply pull strings with their local emigrant populations in the area and procure what they wanted without having to conquer it?
 

BobTheBarbarian

Banned
Negotiations with the NEI broke down on July 18 1941, after which the Japanese believed they would side with the British and Americans in the event of war. Thus the Dutch East Indies were thereafter included as a military target in the invasion plan.
 

Dathi THorfinnsson

Also,
1) with the war in Europe heating up, a lot of those resources were being used by the Allies, so I doubt they didn't have as much to sell.
2) the US not only pressured the UK and Netherlands to implement the embargo, but also froze Japanese accounts in the US, which meant there was a lot less money available for them to buy anything with - even if it had been for sale.
3) The Japanese were running out of hard currency, anyway (fast or slow, depending on who you talk to). Lots of raw materials they wanted to buy on the world market, very little they had on offer to sell in exchange.
 

GlobalHumanism

LeX said:
The Japanese invaded Southeast Asia not just because it needed the oil, but also the rice, rubber, and various metals used in weapons and equipment. Unless the American embargo of 1940 somehow got the DEI and Malaysia on board, why couldn't the Japanese simply pull strings with their local emigrant populations in the area and procure what they wanted without having to conquer it?
Click to expand...

a simple wiki search could have cleared this up for you..
 
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