Transcript Origins of World War II in Asia

Japanese Expansion and the
Origins of World War II in Asia
Reading: Spodek, pp. 690-692,
692-710, 715-722 (reread)
Japan begins to industrialize
after the Meiji Restoration
 Emperor elevated to
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new status
Created a Constitutional
Monarchy
Supported by Shintoism
Japan Develops Army
based on Germany.
Develops Navy based
on England’s
Japan Imperialism
 1894—Took
Taiwan away
from China
 In 1910,
occupied Korea
 From 1894 on
had resources
from Manchuria
Japan Hit Hard by Great
Depression
 In the 1930s
 Worker’s Real Income was down and unemployment was
up
 Depression blamed on the weakness of the parliamentary
government.
 When Germany became strong under Hitler, some
Japanese started looking to Germany as their model
 Gradually began to demand an “Asia for the Asians”
Japanese Army takes over
Manchuria
 Takes over in 1932.
 Changes the name
to Manchukuo
 Makes it a puppet
state under Pui-Yi
“China’s Last
Emperor”
The League of Nations
 League of Nations
protests Japan’s
invasion of
Manchuria.
 Japan walks out of
the League of
Nations which is not
able to do anything
Japan declares War on
China
 On July 7, 1937, Japan finally declares war
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on China.
Conquers vast amounts of Chinese territory
Can be considered to be the beginning of
World War II
No one stopped Japan, even though US
thinking that Japan was an aggressor state.
Previously US had admired Japan for its
“westernization.”
In 1938
 November 3, 1938– Prime Minister Konoe
Creates a New Puppet State under Wang
Ching-Wei
 Proclaims “Japan’s New Order in East Asia”
to parallel Hitler’s “New Order in Europe”
 Entire time Japan is constantly in little border
wars with the Soviet Union
 Shocked when Nazi-Soviet Pact Announced
in 1939.
In 1939, Japan’s Problems in
Asia, not European
 How to deal with China
 Very threatened by Soviet Union
 Didn’t want to antagonize the United States
 Coveted Vietnam, Dutch East Indies and
other areas in Southeast Asia
 Believed that Southeast Asia should be ruled
by Asians, mainly them
 They lose the Battle of Nomonhan to Soviet
Union.
In 1940
 Tripartite Pact
 Hitler starts thinking about invading Soviet Union
In 1941
 April 13, 1941—Japan
concludes treaty of
neutrality with USSR.
 June 22, 1941—Hitler
invades Soviet Union
 June 23, 1941—German
controlled France agrees
to let Japan take over
Vietnam.
 US places total embargo
after Vietnam and Dutch
East Indies occupied by
Japan.
Pearl Harbor
 December 7,
1941—Japan
bombs Pearl Harbor
 Admiral Yamamoto
terrified to learn that
Air Craft Carriers not
hurt
 Hitler declares war
on US
Reasons why Japan launched
war in Asia
 To Protect position in China,
especially Manchuria
 To gain new colonies and Raw
Materials
 To preserve conservative
government of Japan
 To combat communism,
especially China
What happened and Reasons
why US fought Germany first.
 Japan lost entire colonial
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empire
US insisted on dismantling
traditional government,
Emperor
Japanese Occupation
Fostered Intensification of
Communism
US decision was based on:
Facts that Japan won rapid
victories and started
occupying different places
What was the response to
Japanese Imperialism?
 Nationalism
 Anti-Japanese
independence
movements in the
Philippines
 Dutch ruled through
minorities
 Vietnam during the war
and after the war!