Prescribed subject 3: The move to global war
Case study #1: Japanese expansion in East Asia (1931- 41)
● Causes of expansion
Sub-topic Notes
Impact of Japanese Causes for Japanese Nationalism:
- Meiji restoration led to reforms being undertaken -
nationalism and promoted “rich country, strong military”
militarism on - Desire for equality with West
- Need for raw materials and strategic security
foreign policy - Victory in first Sino-Japanese war promoted militarism
Impact on foreign policy
- Pursued a more aggressive and expansionist foreign
policy
- This was essential to many as much of Asia, unlike Japan,
had wealth of natural resources
- Victory against China in 1895, Russia in 1905 - Stoked
nationalism. Many believed it was Japan’s destiny to rule
Asia
- By 1929 - Military could ignore government without
punishment - no repercussion for assassinating Zhang
Zuolin or interfering with Northern expedition
- Kwantung army acted without consulting govt
Japanese domestic Economic issues:
- Smoot-Hawley Tariff act (1930) - Tariffs on Japanese
issues: Political goods in US up by 200%
and economic - Silk prices fell more than 80% between 1923-32 - over
half of farmers dependent on silk
issues and their - Manchuria would provide markets to trade with in times
impact of foreign of depression, access to coal, iron, timber, space for
relations large population (4x Japan’s size) and buffer zone with
USSR
- Great depression showed that Japan was too reliant on
US for economic security
- Hatred of Zaibatsu among working class- Wealthy elite in
Japan
Political issues:
- Suspicion of country’s democracy - 1925 Peace
preservation law limited left-wing political activity,
limited ability to criticise political system
- Mainstream parties closely affiliated with Zaibatsu,
violated election laws and engaged in financial scandals
- Democracy was fragile and was not trusted by most
- Japanese conservatives + Media saw American anti-
Japanese immigration policies as a ‘Slap in the face’
and as provocation
, Political instability Key issues:
- Ideal opportunity to expand influence into a resource-
in China rich area - Manchuria had 90% of China’s oil, around
half its gold and represented a third of its trade
- Country had no centralised power - Various warlords,
biggest party (GMD) was focused on fighting
communists- ability to resist invasion was greatly
reduced
- Japan had seen the benefits brought to European
powers by colonialism in China
- Territory in China would be a great boost to Japan’s
security
● Events
Sub-topic Notes
Japanese invasion Events
- Mukden incident - 18 Sep 1931 - Kwantung army stages
of Manchuria and explosion on Japanese railway
northern China - Used this as pretense to invade rest of Manchuria
- Ignored orders from Wakatsuki govt to withdraw to
(1931) railway zone
- Tanggu truce in Feb 1932 - Japan captured whole region,
Puyi now head of Manchukuo
Aftermath
- Left league of nations in March 1933 after report found
Japan guilty for Manchurian crisis
- Historian Kenneth Pyle - This was a “turning point” for
Japan - now abandoning international cooperation and
the Washington treaty system
- This and attack on Shanghai (Jan 28 incident) turned
world opinion against Japan
Sino-Japanese war Events
- Marco Polo Bridge incident - 7 Jul 1937 - Small rift
(1937-41) between Japanese and Chinese side escalated to major
conflict
- Japanese brutality forced population inland
- Captured Shanghai in Nov 1937
- Dec 13th 1937 - Nanjing falls to Japanese
- Oct 1938 - Captures Guangdong
Aftermath
- Most major cities (Especially coastal) under Japanese
control
- War went on much longer than expected - Drained
resources, forcing Japan to invade European colonies,
mostly defenceless as countries were fighting fascisim in
Europe
- Prince Konoye could not restrain the army. Tosei-ha
faction now dominant - their goal: Expand into China
- Oct 1941 - Tojo becomes PM. He was general of
Kwantung army. Military now fully in control.
- 1940 - Multi-party politics suspended - Imperial Rule
Assistance Association replaced all aprties
Case study #1: Japanese expansion in East Asia (1931- 41)
● Causes of expansion
Sub-topic Notes
Impact of Japanese Causes for Japanese Nationalism:
- Meiji restoration led to reforms being undertaken -
nationalism and promoted “rich country, strong military”
militarism on - Desire for equality with West
- Need for raw materials and strategic security
foreign policy - Victory in first Sino-Japanese war promoted militarism
Impact on foreign policy
- Pursued a more aggressive and expansionist foreign
policy
- This was essential to many as much of Asia, unlike Japan,
had wealth of natural resources
- Victory against China in 1895, Russia in 1905 - Stoked
nationalism. Many believed it was Japan’s destiny to rule
Asia
- By 1929 - Military could ignore government without
punishment - no repercussion for assassinating Zhang
Zuolin or interfering with Northern expedition
- Kwantung army acted without consulting govt
Japanese domestic Economic issues:
- Smoot-Hawley Tariff act (1930) - Tariffs on Japanese
issues: Political goods in US up by 200%
and economic - Silk prices fell more than 80% between 1923-32 - over
half of farmers dependent on silk
issues and their - Manchuria would provide markets to trade with in times
impact of foreign of depression, access to coal, iron, timber, space for
relations large population (4x Japan’s size) and buffer zone with
USSR
- Great depression showed that Japan was too reliant on
US for economic security
- Hatred of Zaibatsu among working class- Wealthy elite in
Japan
Political issues:
- Suspicion of country’s democracy - 1925 Peace
preservation law limited left-wing political activity,
limited ability to criticise political system
- Mainstream parties closely affiliated with Zaibatsu,
violated election laws and engaged in financial scandals
- Democracy was fragile and was not trusted by most
- Japanese conservatives + Media saw American anti-
Japanese immigration policies as a ‘Slap in the face’
and as provocation
, Political instability Key issues:
- Ideal opportunity to expand influence into a resource-
in China rich area - Manchuria had 90% of China’s oil, around
half its gold and represented a third of its trade
- Country had no centralised power - Various warlords,
biggest party (GMD) was focused on fighting
communists- ability to resist invasion was greatly
reduced
- Japan had seen the benefits brought to European
powers by colonialism in China
- Territory in China would be a great boost to Japan’s
security
● Events
Sub-topic Notes
Japanese invasion Events
- Mukden incident - 18 Sep 1931 - Kwantung army stages
of Manchuria and explosion on Japanese railway
northern China - Used this as pretense to invade rest of Manchuria
- Ignored orders from Wakatsuki govt to withdraw to
(1931) railway zone
- Tanggu truce in Feb 1932 - Japan captured whole region,
Puyi now head of Manchukuo
Aftermath
- Left league of nations in March 1933 after report found
Japan guilty for Manchurian crisis
- Historian Kenneth Pyle - This was a “turning point” for
Japan - now abandoning international cooperation and
the Washington treaty system
- This and attack on Shanghai (Jan 28 incident) turned
world opinion against Japan
Sino-Japanese war Events
- Marco Polo Bridge incident - 7 Jul 1937 - Small rift
(1937-41) between Japanese and Chinese side escalated to major
conflict
- Japanese brutality forced population inland
- Captured Shanghai in Nov 1937
- Dec 13th 1937 - Nanjing falls to Japanese
- Oct 1938 - Captures Guangdong
Aftermath
- Most major cities (Especially coastal) under Japanese
control
- War went on much longer than expected - Drained
resources, forcing Japan to invade European colonies,
mostly defenceless as countries were fighting fascisim in
Europe
- Prince Konoye could not restrain the army. Tosei-ha
faction now dominant - their goal: Expand into China
- Oct 1941 - Tojo becomes PM. He was general of
Kwantung army. Military now fully in control.
- 1940 - Multi-party politics suspended - Imperial Rule
Assistance Association replaced all aprties
