For resources such as oil, rubber and minerals. Why did Japan, who was not even a neighbor of Malaya, invade the country in December 1941? As part of conquering Southeast Asia, the Japanese military planned to invade Malaya and Burma.
This invasion was done simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor in an effort to try and stop the U.S. from interfering in Southeast Asia. As a result Japan invaded Malaya. After the Japanese attacks on Malaya and Pearl Harbor in 1941, the war merged with other conflicts of World War II as a major sector known as the China Burma India Theater. Why did japan invade malaya? In order to do this, they needed to make use of Thai ports, railways, and airfields. The bicycle troops of IJA did it’s best fighting in conquest of Malay and Singapore. To counteract this potential threat, plans for a pre-emptive invasion of southern Thailand, named Operation Matador, had been drawn up. The Japanese Imperial General Staff opted to initiate near-simultaneous amphibious landings in Malaya, Thailand (on the Kra Isthmus) the Philippines, Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island, and the various islands in the Dutch East Indies in December 1941 and January 1942 due to the position of the moon and tides (which influences when amphibious landings can take place). Japan Invasion of Malaya. The Malaya Invasion. So England ordered Malaya to stop selling raw materials to Japan. The reason for the rapid of Japanese Invasion to Malaya can be shown from before invasion and after invasion started. This is a great example to show how. The reason was that Japan was supporting Germany in her war in Europe, and Germany was at war against England. By the time the invasion became highly likely the British decided not to use them for political reasons. Some scholars consider the start of the full-scale Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 to have been the beginning of World War II. Related Questions. Top Answer.

They did not want conflict with the Thai military, as this would delay the invasion and significantly reduce the element of surprise. In 1939, Malaya was the resource of 40% of the world’s rubber and 60% of the world’s tin; that fact alone interested Japanese expansionists, but others additional reasons sealed the approval on the invasion planning that started in early 1941. Armies evolve to fit their battlefield. Also, invading Malaya would mean British defeat in Southeast Asia. Wiki User. Japan’s 25th Army invaded Malaya coming from Indochina moving northwards towards Thailand.