Study of totalitarian diplomacy German - Japanese relations (1936 - 1940)

This study of German-Japanese relations between 1936 and 1940 is mainly concerned with the underlying motivation which resulted in the gradual rapprochement of these two powers from the Anti-Comintern pact to the Tripartite treaty. In attempt ing to analyze the factors which had a major bearing upon the progress of this movement events were singled out both from the international scene, and, particularly as regards Japan, from those domestic factors which had considerable influence upon the success of the alignment. The repercussions produced by this alliance are studied in their effect both upon the world at large and the two countries' internal developments. One major development illustrated is the ascendency of the Japan ese Army in internal politics.

The prime sources for Japan were the exhibits submitted to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, to gether with Japanese documents analyzed but not submitted in the trial of the Japanese war criminals. Microfilm copies of Japanese Foreign Office documents were also used. When cor related with information obtained from the Saionji memoirs both were found invaluable.

For Germany the major sources again were some exhibits of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, coupled with documents from the files of the State Department, docu ments listed in the series of Documents on German Foreign. Policy 1918-1945, and the Ciano diaries.

The present study is the outgrowth of a doctoral disserta tion, which I completed under the careful guidance of Professor Delmer M. Brown of the University of California. He encour aged and aided me in the work, and I owe him my greatest gratitude. I also wish to express my thanks to the State De partment and the Library of Congress for the facilities which they so courteously extended.