Japan Expansion Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and events related to Japan's expansionist policies before and during the 1930s.

Washington Naval Conference

A conference held in 1921-22 involving the USA, UK, Italy, France, and Japan aimed at addressing tensions and limiting naval construction.

Four Power Treaty

Replaced the Anglo-Japanese alliance and included Japan, the UK, France, and Britain.

Goal of the Washington Naval Conference

To prevent naval militarization and limit the construction of warships after WWI.

Five Power Treaty

Set limits on naval armaments to reduce international tensions between countries like the USA and Japan.

Jiang Jieshi

General and President of China who led a nationalist movement to unify China.

Northern Expedition (1926)

A campaign led by Jiang Jieshi's GMD to bring territories under his control.

GMD and CCP Collaboration

The Nationalist Party (GMD) and the Communist Party (CCP) initially joined forces for the Northern Expedition but later entered a civil war due to differing ideologies.

Shinto-ultranationalism

An ideology in Japan during the 1930s that emphasized the divine status of the emperor and divine unity which contributed to the justification for expansion.

Kwantung Army

The Japanese army that guarded Manchurian railway and advocated for a more aggressive expansionist foreign policy.

Wall Street Crash 1929 Impact on Japan

Led to a decrease in exports and an increase in tariffs, making Manchuria more important to Japan for resources (coal, iron, timber) and living space.

Mukden Incident

An event involving an explosion on a railway in Mukden, blamed on the Chinese army by officers of the Kwantung Army to justify territorial expansion.

Lytton Report

A fact-finding mission by the League of Nations that concluded Manchuria should remain with China after the Mukden incident