13. The Japanese began to colonize parts of Siberia
As Britain, France, and the United States continued to support their own national interests in Russia, with American support for the operations in North Russia and Siberia rapidly dwindling, Japan took steps to solidify their presence in the region and create a buffer between Russia and the Japanese home islands. Japanese companies opened facilities in Siberian cities under the instigation of the army, and over 50,000 Japanese citizens were sent to establish enclaves within the country. The Japanese were initially invited to join the intervention as part of the international coalition which included the United States, Great Britain, and France (among others) but from the start they acted independently.
When the Siberian Intervention began in 1918, the Bolsheviks controlled little of Siberia other than small pockets centered around some villages near the center of the region. By the beginning of 1920, their area of control had expanded greatly – and White supporters had been eliminated by Red action or by changing their allegiance due to the presence of so many foreign interests on their home soil. Though the end of World War I ended the need for a second Eastern Front in Europe, political and geopolitical considerations made the presence of Allied troops a necessity in the minds of western leaders for a time, in part to contain the obvious expansion being executed by the Japanese.