British Territory: The Empire of Japan

Phase 04 - World War and Japan

While the Japanese were fearing the Russians and growing distrustful of the British, a major event unfolded not so much in the world but in Europe. It was the outbreak of the World War, later known as the First World War or WWI.

During this war, there was not a single event in which the Japanese archipelago should have been involved, and, of course, there were no factors that should have caused it. The Japanese people were nothing more than a small and powerless nation, halfway caught up in British domination.

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During this war, the European great powers embarked on the largest total war in recorded history, with nations mobilizing their entire populations. The United Kingdom, the world's largest nation and a leader of the Allied powers, poured resources and soldiers from its dominions and colonies all over the world into Europe.

Naturally, Japan was also called upon to bear a significant burden, whether it wished to or not. Being a nation without diplomatic and military power, Japan had no means to refuse. Japan was, after all, a British protectorate.

Japanese people were tasked with immense war expenses and the compulsory mobilization of 500.000 soldiers, who were "ordered" to serve as volunteers in the British military. Japanese soldiers were often sent to the front lines, as they were considered valuable by the British, unlike other non-white troops, and as a result, the number of Japanese casualties was substantial. It is said that the Germans, when facing troops they knew to be non-white, showed no more mercy than usual.

It's important to note that at the time, the general belief among white people was that combat was an honorable pursuit, and white soldiers were the ones primarily engaged in front-line fighting. In reality, this practice was designed to prevent non-white populations from gaining combat experience to maintain smooth colonial control. However, because Japanese people were relatively compliant, many of them were already serving in the British and Japanese combined forces, which made it less hesitant to deploy them to the front lines.

Additionally, a state-of-the-art battlecruiser, funded by Japanese donations several years prior, was constructed in Britain. It was completed just before the outbreak of war and was held in Europe. Another ship of the same class, which had also been built with Japanese funding, was sunk in a fleet battle against Germany. While British soldiers were on board, it was not a satisfactory outcome for the Japanese contributors who had provided the construction funds.

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However, the unprecedented major war primarily taking place in Europe was not all bad for the Japanese. Because the British themselves were fully committed to the war effort, their colonial administration inevitably became lax. While Japan was naturally burdened with responsibilities for its own governance, this situation worked in favor of the Japanese.

Furthermore, the war generated a surge in demand, leading to significant industrial development within Japan. Faced with an unprecedented total war, there were limits to production in the British homeland, Canada, and other powerful territories. This forced previously suppressed regions within Japan to produce what was lacking. As a result, the Japanese national capital saw significant growth, and the number of industrial workers within the Japanese archipelago exploded. Various mechanical factories, which had previously only been established on the Far East Victoria Island (V. Far, formerly known as Ezo), started appearing. After all, the war required an immense supply of resources, and even the British had no time for hesitations or niceties. If they happened to lose, astronomical reparations would be demanded. Moreover, the need to produce various products that were in short supply worldwide forced Japan to expand its local industries, such as clothing and food production.