Just as the US military actively launched an anti-purge on the Marshall Islands, Japan was in an uproar.

"The Marshall Islands were actually lost, and they were lost so quickly!" Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was nicknamed "President Shaved" because of his cruel and bloodthirsty killing, said angrily: "You know that is the territory of our great Japanese Empire, which means that the enemy has set foot on our land!"

Since the Marshall Islands were occupied by Japan in the early days of World War I, Japan has always regarded it as a "land", which is one of the reasons why Japan lists it as a node of the "absolute defense circle".

This is indeed a nightmare for Japan: although the Japanese army had failed and retreated before the US military, they had always fought on land or islands stolen by the Japanese army, but this Marshall Islands was originally a land that "belongs" to Japan. This not only means that the war situation has lost its balance, but also has a great blow to the confidence of the people in the country... Japan has actually been deceived by the Japanese people, saying that they have won again wherever they are, the situation of the war is getting better, the American ghost animals will eventually fail, the Japanese Empire will surely usher in victory, etc.

Of course, this is a necessary means.

Because confidence is a very strange thing, it is like stocks in modern society. If investors have confidence in this stock and buy it, the stock will soon soar. But if something happens, investors lose confidence in this stock and sell it one after another, their stock price will soon plummet.

The country is equivalent to stocks, and the people are equivalent to stockholders... Whether it is a fraud or coaxing, if the people can be confident in the country, the whole country will fully support the country's military and policies. On the contrary, once the people lose confidence in the country, the country will soon be divided and collapsed.

This is what Hideki Tojo is really afraid of.

(Note: Tojo Hideki has a very stubborn "Bushido spirit". He always believed that as long as the Japanese military and civilians could unite, they could defeat the American ghost animals and achieve the final victory. But the objective facts are not the case.)

"Prime Minister!" Kenya Sato, the director of the Army Provincial Military Affairs Bureau, known as one of the three traitors and four fools of Tojo Hideki, suggested: "We should withdraw the main force of the Pacific to the Philippines and fight with the American ghosts and animals there!"

Tojo Hideki's face was gloomy for a while, and then asked, "Is this the opinion of the General Staff?"

"No, this is my personal opinion!" Ken Sato replied.

"Have you discussed with the General Staff Headquarters?" Hideki Tojo asked again.

"This is the problem!" Ken Sato replied: "The General Staff will definitely oppose this plan."

Kenya Sato said the truth. Most officials in the General Staff Headquarters believe that the Japanese army should do their best to defend the "absolute defense circle" and cannot take a step back.

"I personally think!" Kenya Sato continued: "We should overwhelm the General Staff. The first thing we have to do is to give up the Mariana Islands of the Carolina Islands and retreat to the Philippines!"

Hideki Tojo blushed: "Last year, at the last Imperial Conference, we set the last line of defense in the Mariana Islands and the Caroling Islands, which is an extremely important node in our absolute defense circle. Do you mean... In just half a year, we will throw them to the American ghost animals without fighting a war?!"

Kenya Sato knew that Hideki Tojo's tone was a little unhappy, but he continued to persuade: "Prime Minister, we only have seven airports in the Mariana Islands. Judging from the current situation, the Americans have new fighter jets, and they can easily make these airports lose their function before launching an invasion. The Mariana Islands and the Caroline Islands are destined to be unable to defend!"

When Tojo Hideki heard this, he couldn't help but snorted: "So can the Philippines hold on?"

"There are hundreds of islands in the Philippines that can be used as bases!" Ken Sato explained: "The 'last battlefield' should be there. We can use these hundreds of islands to deal with the Americans. Only in this way can we firmly hold back the US military and launch a 'peaceful offensive'..."

It should be said that Kenya Sato is still very strategic. The "peaceful offensive" he mentioned refers to an offensive aimed at negotiating with the US military... In other words, Kenya Sato at this time realized that it was impossible to defeat the US military. Now Japan's only way out is to use the Philippine terrain to entangle the US military and cause the US military to fall into a quagmire. On the other hand, the US military has to face the pressure of the German army in North Africa. If Japan suggested that the United States "a peaceful ceasefire" at that time, the United States would likely agree under the situation, which would save Japan and stop the war.

Historical facts tell us that Kenya Sato's route is correct, although the hope of success is very small... The reason why the hope of success is very small is that the strength of the United States and Japan in the Pacific is already seriously unequal, and the war continues to fight. The US military even found that there were too many aircraft carriers, so it stopped the production of Essex-class aircraft carriers. In other words, even when the strength of the two sides was so different, Hideki Tojo accepted Kenya Sato's suggestion to withdraw his troops to the Philippines, it would not be able to stubborn the US military.

but……

It is better to have hope of success than not, even if the hope of success is just a little bit.

But Hideki Tojo is not interested in Kenya Sato's suggestion.

"Stop talking about the 'peaceful offensive'!" Hideki Tojo said: "If we mention peace, the morale of the entire army will collapse, and then the United States will no longer need to negotiate with us, do you understand?"

Tojo Hideki's idea makes sense. At this time, Japan is on the verge of collapse... Of course, this is just Tojo Hideki's idea. In fact, Tojo Hideki underestimates the brainwashing effect of the "Bushido Spirit". Even after the two atomic bombs exploded in Japan, many Japanese officers and soldiers wanted to continue fighting, and even launched mutinies to stop the emperor's surrender.

Because Hideki Tojo believes that Japan is very fragile at this time, he only mentions "peace" or negotiations with the United States, and all the soldiers will be completely defeated. The result is that the United States can easily take over the Philippines.

So from the beginning, Hideki Tojo believed that Kenya Sato's plan was hopeless.
Chapter completed!