Modern History Flashcards

When was the Russo-Japanese War?

1904-05

Significance of the Russo-Japanese War 1904-05

Russia had to recognise Japanese interests in Korea, prestige, and renewed alliance with Britain

When was Korea annexed by Japan

1910

When were the 21 Demands proposed?

1915

What were the 21 Demands?

Aimed at economically exploiting China while expanding territorial control and controlling Chinese affairs.

When was the Washington Conference and what was the point?

1921 to 1922, aimed at disarmament, ended the Anglo-Japanese alliance

What were some political issues in Japan by 1921?

Both the war and navy ministers were required to be in active service, meaning either service could refuse to appoint a minister and force the resignation of the PM → Taisho Political Crisis of 1912 saw military spending be a controversial issue

When did Hara Takasha become Prime Minister and what did he do?

1918, made progress in education and kept factions of business under control. However, he worked with the zaibatsu. Assassinated 1921

When were the Rice Riots?

1918

Main two parties of the diet

Seiyukai and Kenseikai

Public Order and Police Law of 1900

Designed to stop organised labour movements and restrict freedom of speech and prohibit workers from going on strike

Reason behind the initial struggle to gain momentum for democratic processes in the 1920s

The role of the clan leaders who sought to gain political power (hanbatsu), however when they mostly passed in the 1920s, there was more opportunity for change

Limits the Meiji Constitution placed on democratic processes

Even when voting rights were expanded in 1925 (General Election Law, gave men over 25 the right to vote), only 19.1% of the male population could vote

When was Emperor Taisho in power?

1912 to 1926

What was an example showing the opposition to Taisho democracy?

Kita Ikki → Writings which motivated people who oppose the system to go back to nationalistic ideas

By the start of WWII, what did the big four zaibatsu have direct control over?

33% of mining, chemicals, metals, and almost 50% of machinery and equipment

Stat showing limitation of democracy in the 20s

Only 6 out of the 11 leaders of party government during the 20s were actually party men, the other 5 were career bureaucrats or military officers

Goal and influence of the genro

Advisors to the Emperor on PM appointments, balanced political factions with the goal of keeping politics as moderate as possible. Counterbalanced military influence

Example of the role of the Genro

Appointment of Takahashi following assassination of Takashi to keep politics moderate

When was the Great Depression

1929-41

Where did pressure for the Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere arise?

Japan got no international support to deal with the Great Depression, nationalists resented Western pressure to withdraw 21 Demands and the lack of Racial Equality plus Washington Treaties

Economic Issues in Japan leading up to the 1930s

1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, Showa Financial Crisis of 1927 (fault of the zaibatsu banks), and then 1929 Great Depression saw a decrease in exports by 50%

How were the zaibatsu dealt with after May 15 Incident Coup attempt

Zaibatsu were replaced with the ‘new zaibatsu (nissan)’ to develop industries to assist in expansion

Emperor worship in the schools

Bushido creed + Imperial Rescript on Education made people aware of the responsibility to the emperor

Aims of Japanese foreign policy (5 of them)

1. Increase influence in China

2. Protection from Russia

3. Protect interests in Manchuria and Korea

4. Greater cooperation with Western powers during Hara government (1918-21)

5. Shidehara diplomacy, peace and economic cooperation (24-27, 29-31)

Strategies of Japanese foreign policy (5 of them)

1. 21 Demands

2. Military action

3. Diplomacy

4. Political assassinations

5. Member of, then withdrawal from, the League of Nations

When did Japan withdraw from the League of Nations

1933

Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere

Culminated in WWII as justification for the war, but was embedded from as early as the 1900s → Ideas based on ultra-nationalist societies like the Black Dragon. Formalised in 1940

When did Japan invade Manchuria?

1931

Basic plan for the Greater East Asia War

Came into effect 1941:

1. Seizure of Southern areas rich in resources

2. Consolidation and strengthening of a defensive perimeter

3. Interception and destruction of any attacking strength that might threaten defensive perimeter

Why did Japan need the GEACPS

By mid-1942, they would run out of resources. It was the rationale to justify expansion and displacement of colonial powers like the Dutch and British

Why did Japan seize the opportunity to invade in 1941

Germany invaded Russia, distracting the global community, as the US was the only remaining power with the resources and equipment to directly threaten Japan’s expansion

What was the GEACPS reliant on?

1. Germany would continue and extend dominance in Europe

2. Britain and Netherlands would remain impotent

3. Soviet Union would continue to be preoccupied with German invasion

4. Chinese could be contained with minimum effort

5. Japanese troops would be able to overwhelm the forces in Asia and secure their supply lines quickly

6. US would take time to recover and be forced to negotiate when faced with Japanese gains

Why was it so easy for Japan to take over the Philippines?

MacArthur failed to take advantage of the warning that Japan hostilities had begun after Pearl Harbour in 1941, and his ‘air superiority’ was useless as the planes sat in the field north of Manila. Five hours after Pearl Harbour, Japanese planes struck the Philippines.

How long did it take for Japan to take over Manila?

It took over 4 months to gain control but MacArthur’s assessment of the state of their defences was overly optimistic and support never arrived.

What was the main flop of Pearl Harbour

Yamamoto’s plan depended on the ability to cripple the US Pacific Fleet, which was only partially successful. The naval air power was still intact.

Turning points of the war

1. Battle of Coral Sea

2. Battle of Midway → Building defence barrier

3. Battle of Guadalcanal

4. New Guinea → Strategically important airstrip

Importance of Coral Sea

First naval battle that relied solely on aircraft, both lost one carrier and had another damaged, but major US success as they slowed the Japanese down and prevented them from isolating Australia

Importance of Midway

Attempted to remove US as a power and gain territory, but ended up with ¾ of the Japanese aircraft carriers destroyed before the last one sank. MAJOR loss and put the US in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire through a years-long series of island-hopping invasions

Importance of Guadalcanal

Japanese imperial navy was no longer capable of major offensive campaigns, so this was an Allied offensive, seizing a strategic airfield site, and although the US won in the end, the battle took 6 months since they didn’t really consider the resources, challenges, and terrain that they would need and face.

Importance of New Guinea

If the Japanese captured New Guinea, they could cut communications between the US and Australia. Because of the harsh climate and terrain, the Japanese struggled. Nea Guineans were treated harshly, and it was one of the most horrific battlegrounds of WWII. Australian forces helped New Guinea beat the Japanese

Impact of Japanese occupation on the Philippines

Thousands forced to become forced labourers, first use of food and raw materials went to Japanese. Bataan Death March in 1942 went for 65 miles and killed 75% of the troops. Cholera outbreak. Switch from cash crops to cotton. Parties replaced with the Kalibapi encouraging pan-asianism, Huks fighters outside cities, no freedom of speech or the press. Names of streets, films, and music were changed and banned, local education was changed, inferior and beating of individuals deemed ‘inferior’. Manila Massacre of 1945 → 100,000 Filipino’s dead as ‘collateral damage’

Impact of Japanese occupation on Burma

Burmese crop diverted to Japanese, slave labour left people impoverished and malnourished, Thai-Burma Railway in late 1942 → 300,000 civilians from occupied territories and ¾ did not survive the famine and disease. Headed by a puppet government under Ba Maw, Burma Independence Army assisted Japanese takeover but later resisted. Thirty Comrades, led by Aung San and Burmese Youth, led to success of resistance. Marginalized groups like the Karens and Chin and local Indian communities were brutalized.

Impact of Japanese occupation on Indochina

Quelled rice crop caused millions of Vietnamese to starve in the Famine of 1944 whilst rice was stockpiled in military granaries. French maintained puppet control of Indochina but local Communist resistance was present through the Vietnamese Independence League (Vietminh), which was peasants workers merchants and soldiers. 1944 Famine brought support and by 1945 they brought independence to Vietnam. Acts of sabotage by local resistance led to malnutrition and disease. Destruction to roads, bridges, mines, and railways as a result of Allied bombing.

MacArthur’s 7 Point Plan

1. Disarm the soldiers

2. Give women suffrage

3. Send the soldiers home

4. Dismantle the war industry

5. Hold free elections

6. Form labour unions

7. Provide open instruction to schools

What happened to the Kwantung Army

400,000 soldiers were put in gulags (prison camps) in Siberia

What did MacArthur do?

New constitution 1947. Emperor no longer a deity. Changed land ownership and let women vote. Partnered with zaibatsus and passed Labor Union Act in 1945.

Key features and issues with Allied Occupation

• War crimes tribunals

• Status of the emperor

• Allied occupation - foreign troops in Japan

• Reconstruction/development

• MacArthur’s role (SCAP)

• Japanese constitutional change

• ‘reverse course’ (1948-50)

Occupation of Japan

Military forces exceeding 600,000 resided in Japan by 1947, Australia’s was the largest component of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force

Japanese ideology and foreign policy

1. Pan-asianism and Anti-Western sentiment

2. Militarism and Bushido Ethic

3. Emperor Worship

4. Rejection of internationalism and liberalism

5. Ultranationalism

Features of the Russian Dictatorship

1. Totalitarian state

2. Introduction of propaganda and secret police

3. ‘Once Country Socialist’ policy

4. Gulags

5. Failure of the five year plan (1927)

6. Cult of personality

7. Collectivisation

Features of the Italian dictatorship

1. Totalitarian state

2. Rise in ultranationalism

3. Secret police and propaganda

4. Social darwinism, propaganda, and secret police

5. Corporate state

6. traditional values

Features of the Japanese dictatorship

1. Political totalitarianism

2. Propaganda and secret police

3. Fascist expansionist policies with social darwinism

4. Military run

When was the Wall Street crash?

1929. Nazis looked like prophets

Key people in Nazi Germany

1. Joseph Goebbels → Propagandist

2. Heinrich Himmler → Terror, leader of SS

3. Goring → Politician

4. Heydrich → Spy, brutal, implemented Final Solution

5. Albert Speer → The architect

1930 election for Nazis

Vote was four times greater than previous year. Now politically relevant and powerful

Year Hindenburg appoints Hitler as chancellor of Germany

1933

How did the Nazi’s consolidate power?

Attacked opposing parties, strong propaganda, police forces centralised, Night of the Long Knives

Enabling Act 1933

Gave Nazi government complete control to enact laws without the approval of Parliament and the President (Gleichschaltung)

Nazi Ideology

1. Nationalism

2. Fuhrerprinzip → Hitler as the single source of power

3. Aggressive foreign policy

4. Lebensraum

5. Social darwinism

6. Autarky

Nuremberg Laws 1935

Stripped Jewish people of things like citizenship, ability to marry non-jews, etc.

Experience of key groups under the Nazis

Unemployment halved and mostly loyal workers to Hitler, however no trade unions and poor conditions. New education system brought up all children under Nazi ideology (biology of Social Darwinism), Hitler Youth compulsory by 1939, League of German Maidens for women, minorities persecuted obviously

Intentions of the League of Nations

To ensure long term peace and no more large scale war. Founded on the principle of collective security.

Successes and failures of the League of Nations

Successful through the 20s, however as Japan left the League in 1933 and invaded Manchuria 2 years prior, collective security was proven to be useless

Key groups in Civil Rights

• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People)

• SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

• SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Commitee)

• CORE (Congress for Racial Equality)