Japan during World War I Army budget and expanding the fleet. The Navy thus gained significant political influence over national and international affairs. In the first week of World War I Japan proposed to the United Kingdom, its ally since 1902, that Japan would enter the war if it could take Germany's Pacific territories. On 7 August 1914, the British government officially asked Japan for assistance in destroying the raiders from the Imperial German Navy in and around Chinese waters. Japan sent Germany an ultimatum on 23 August 1914, which went unanswered; Japan then formally declared war on Germany on 23 August 1914 in the
Military equipment of Sweden during World War II full payload. Number of bombers pre-war: 88 Number of bombers in 1939: 116 Number of bombers in 1940: 276 Number of bombers in 1941: 346 Number of bombers in 1942: 534 Number of bombers in 1943: 743 Number of bombers in 1944: 775 Number of bombers in 1945: 879 Military equipment of Sweden during World War II Sweden was formally a non-belligerent nation throughout World War II, but saw considerable military build-up as the level of threat from the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany increased. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Swedes fought as volunteers abroad, a majority of them in service