European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday september 30,1989 Japan nazis formed empty Alliance editor s note the american University of Paris this week is bringing together for the first time scholars from the soviet Union the West and Japan for an open scientific debate on the origins and sequence of events that led to world War ii. Scholars from 13 countries Are presenting papers on the subject. The stars and stripes will be reporting on the four Day conference by David Tarrant staff writer Paris the two listed partnership or Japan and Germany the formidable allies that launched the world into War. Was at Best a shaky affair. At worst Mutual mistrust led each on courses of action that ultimately led to defeat according to schol ars meeting in Paris to discuss the opening stages of world War ii. They were incapable of a real partnership and never informed each other about major political or military decisions. Only once did Japan and Germany follow a similar course of action when they surrendered unconditionally in 1945," said Bernd Martin a professor at the University of Freiburg in West Germany. The reasons Why a real partnership never existed involved not Only military and political differences but also a fundamental racial prejudice Martin said. The partnership also pivoted on the actions of the soviet Union which was most immediately threatened by a japanese German Alliance with its potential for a div asking pincer like attack against the soviets. Two major events in the summer of 1939. Both involving the soviet Union directly affected the partnership of Japan and Germany and in All likelihood influenced the final outcome of the War according to Martin and other scholars. The first was the surprising non aggression pact forged Between Germany and the soviet Union on aug. 23. 1939, just a week before Germany started the War by attacking Poland. Perhaps no nation was More shaken by the pact Between the two former ideological enemies than Japan. Suddenly the planned world Triangle of Italy Germany and Japan the aspiring Young fascist a  seemed in grave doubt Martin said. The nazi soviet pact caused the immediate break Down of the than going japanese German negotiations for an Alliance directed against the soviet Union said Sumio Hatano a professor at Tsukuda University in Japan. Lull in the Long term the nazi soviet Accord also exposed the fundamental problems Between Japan and Germany that hindered the molding of an Alliance with any real substance Martin said. Forging an Alliance with Japan had been one of the primary goals of German foreign minister Joachim von rib Ontrop since the mid-1930s. In addition to the possibility of a pincer like movement against the soviet Union. Germany Felt such an Alliance would also ultimately crush any British american world dominance he said. At first. Japan was not Over enthusiastic about team ing up against the soviets. The japanese Imperial a japanese bomber flies Over Pearl liar her Hawaii in he dec. 7. 1941, attack Thill brought America into the War. Navy feared a War with the soviet Union and advocated instead that Japan turn its expansion Islic tendencies South toward Indochina according to both Martin and Hatano. On the other hand Adolf Hitler s racial prejudices made him lukewarm at Best toward shaking hands with the japanese. Let us think of ourselves As Mas ters and consider these people the japanese As lacquered half monkeys Hitler once said to his top com Manders according to Martin. World War ii the beginning so when German interest in an Alliance with Japan was Rebul cd in Tokyo Hitler found it All the More easy to make his move toward the soviet Union. His timing in mid-1939, proved Lucky for him. The soviets had found Japan s War in China in the late 1930s top aggressive and too close to Home for their own liking. In late August of 1939, the soviets engaged japanese troops in Manchuria and within Days Defeated them. That defeat known As the no Monhan incident combined with the aug. 23 German soviet pact changed the situation entirely for the japanese Whalano said. Suddenly the government in Tokyo was More willing to strike a Deal with Germany. Japan s defeat at no Monhan had forced her to switch to a conciliatory policy toward the soviet Union Hatano said. Meanwhile the outbreak of War in Western Europe forced England France and the other Western Powers to become totally preoccupied with Europe. This opened the Opportunity for Japan s aggressive expansion into the Southern areas he said. Suddenly it seemed quite within the Bounds of possibility to con Quer the dutch East indies French Indochina British Malaysia and  and such a redirection of japanese strategy could also help Hitler by pitting Japan against British inter ests in Indochina Martin said. Ultimately in septem Ber j940, Japan and Germany along with Italy forged a military Alliance. But borne in mistrust it was not the mighty Axis it might have been. The soviet Union shrank from joining the forces of the world political Triangle " Martin said. And the German japanese pact fortunately turned out to be an Alliance without substance each country following its own egoistic policy of aggression and  Britain ignored nazi soviet pact expert says b Ron Jensen staff writer Paris when Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin agreed not to wage War against each other England shrugged. That s the opinion of Philip Bell a University of London historian participating in this week s inter National conference on the Start of world War ii. Although England ignored its pledge of Guaran teeing polish Independence after the soviet Ger Man non aggression pact was signed aug. 23, 1939, it did consider going to War against the soviet Union Bell said. Bell maintains that England decided to accept the news of the Hitler Stalin pact with Calm and Reserve the advice and words of the British for eign office at the time. Even after Germany invaded Western Poland on sept. I and the soviets Laid claim to the Eastern half the English still saw reason for optimism de spite the failure to come to Poland s Aid. Speaking thursday on the 50th anniversary of Poland s surrender Bell said on 18 september 1939the Day after the soviet invasion of Eastern Poland the chiefs of staff produced a paper offer ing the hopeful observations that a soviet occupation of Southeastern Poland would Block Ger Many s direct route to Romania and that in the future the germans would have to leave Between 15 and 30 divisions in the cast to keep an Eye on the  a pessimistic View began to emerge however after the soviets and nazis signed the so called treaty of Friendship on sept. 28. Some in the British government suddenly saw the soviet Union As a hostile nation that could join the War against England at any time. The English in fact even refrained from joining a French protest of the soviet invasion of Poland. England considered bombing raids against the soviet Union. Historian Philip Bell however there was talk of taking military action on soviet soil. Bell said the British seriously exam ined the possibility of bombing raids against Oil Fields along the Caspian sea since the soviets were supplying Oil to the nazis. The plan got As far As two photographic missions Over the Baku and Batum Oil Fields and a loosely knit plan to use four squadrons of bombers flying from Iraq fora period of six to 12 weeks. The damage which could be done by such a Small Force operating at extreme Range with Light bomb loads was grossly overestimated he said. But Bell said the important Point was that eng land considered an attack on the soviet Union even though such ideas were ultimately dismissed. The British recognized that a War with Ger Many was enough for them to Cope with he said. Also he said they were not convinced that the soviet Union was a steadfast ally of Germany but was merely working in its own Best interest at the time. They effectively treated the Bombshell of the German soviet pact As though it were a Damp squib Bell said. As a tactic this was rather effective but in terms of strategy it proved to involve a grave  the British prediction that 20 or More German divisions were needed to guard the Border along Poland also proved wrong. When the germans turned to the West in May 1940, it left Only seven divisions on the Eastern Frontier leaving Hitler with More than enough War might to smash into France. In thai simple figure Lay the most important consequence of the German soviet agreements for Britain and for France Bell said