I understand that Germany did not extend too much support to the Japanese for the obvious reasons of fighting a two front war, the distance between the countries, and because of Nazi racial ideology that held the Japanese below the Aryans.
However, I recently discovered this picture and was curious as to the nature of these uniforms. The soldiers appear to be Japanese and are wearing uniforms that are distinctly similar to those of the Wermacht. I was wondering if anyone here would be able to tell me whether or not these two traded, or if I am simply wrong in my assessment of this picture.
I do not have a good source for the image, as it was brought to my attention by a middle school student. The website where I found it had no description either. Thanks for your help!
Haha my friend. Those are not Japanese troops. Those are Chinese troops. As this famous logo shows, there was a long period of inter-war Sino-German cooperation. This is actually one of my fields of specialty if you'd like me to go into more detail.
To answer your question, I commented on this a little bit here
I should also add that Hitler specifically did not say the Japanese were "below" the Aryans. In fact he did say:
Pride in one's own race — and that does not imply contempt for other races — is also a normal and healthy sentiment. I have never regarded the Chinese or the Japanese as being inferior to ourselves. They belong to ancient civilizations, and I admit freely that their past history is superior to our own. They have the right to be proud of their past, just as we have the right to be proud of the civilization to which we belong. Indeed, I believe the more steadfast the Chinese and the Japanese remain in their pride of race, the easier I shall find it to get on with them.
In other words, Hitler, as were a good chunk of the Nazis, was a weeaboo.
