Transcript Japanese Expansion and the Outbreak of World War II

JAPANESE
EXPANSION AND
THE ORIGINS OF
WORLD WAR II IN
ASIA
Reading: Smith, et al., 935-936
JAPAN BEGINS TO INDUSTRIALIZE AFTER
THE MEIJI RESTORATION
 Emperor elevated to 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
JAPANESE FASCISM?
JAPAN DECLARES WAR ON CHINA
 On July 7, 1937, Japan finally
declares war 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?
Japan lost entire
colonial empire
US insisted on
dismantling traditional
government, Emperor
Japanese Occupation
Fostered Intensification
of Communism