History - Move to Global War

Japan - 1800s

1853: US Matthew Perry arrives

• Offers to open trade between nations, successful

1868: Meiji restoration, period of modernisation

• Impacts: western model reforms, constitution installed, industrialisation, education and military reforms

1894-95: First Sino-Japanese War

• Won by Japan, took lands in Taiwan and concessions in Manchuria

Japan - 1900 to 1920

1904-05: Russo-Japanese War

• Won by Japan

• USSR w/ weakened political system nearing revolution, Japan took some land

1914: Entered WWI

• Aftermath

  • In Treaty of Versailles, received some German holdings of land but had equality clause denied by Western powers which would have established Japan as an equal World Power

Japan - 1920s

Problems of the period

• Fragile government, fears of communism, conservatives and army questioning internationalism, post-war economy slumped and worsened w/ 1929 Great Depression

1921-22: Washington conference

• 4 Power Treaty: UK, US, France + Japan, agreement around threats of Asian territory

• 9 Power Treaty: keep China as open land for all 9 powers

• 5 Power Naval Agreement: Japan agreed to limit navy, other didn’t limit as much making it feel discriminated against

Pre-Expansion state

• Instability in China

  • 1926 Northern Expedition (GMD attempts at unifying)

  • 1927 Civil War between GMD and CCP

• Instability in Japan

  • Conflicting government and military

  • Dark Valley: political and military divisions

Japan - 1930s

Period of Expansion

Causes of expansion

• 1929 Great Depression

  • Worsening economy, high unemployment, crushed exports

• Why Manchuria?

  • Raw materials: offered chance for autarky

Expansions

• 1931 Manchurian Crisis

  • 1931 Mukden Incident

    • Army exploded railway, blamed Chinese, moved into Manchuria

  • Fighting in Shanghai

  • Japanese air force bombings

  • 1933 Treaty of Tanggu

    • China concedes control to Japan making Manchuria → Manchukuo and a Japanese puppet state

    • Hopes that this would be enough for Japan

    • China then prioritised dealing w/ communism

  • LoN sent Lytton Commission (requested withdrawal of Japan)

    • Japan refused, left LoN

  • Results

    • Worsened relations between Japan & China

    • Stopped internationalism

    • Showed control of army

• 1937 Second Sino-Japanese war

  • Marco Polo Bridge Incident: Japan soldiers attacked Chinese

  • Rape of Nanjing: Japanese soldiers in Nanjing raped, tortured and killed countless women

  • US interventions

    • 1938 offered aid to China

    • 1939 established moral embargo, no planes

    • 1941 sent fighter planes to China, froze Japanese assets in US

  • Results

    • GMD and CCP joined to stop Japan, international outrage, showed control of military over government

Japan - 1940s

Period of continued expansion

1940 Tripartite Axis Pact

• Germany, Italy + Japan

• Germany/Italy → European expansion

• Japan → Asian expansion

1941 Neutrality Act

• USSR + Japan

• Eased Japanese concerns on Northern Border

US, UK and Netherlands Attacks

• Pearl Harbor & Philipines (US territories)

• Hong Kong & Singapore (UK territories)

• Aims

  • Incapacitate western navies

• Results

  • Destroyed 90% of US air and sea power

Italy - 1800 to 1914

Rise of Fascism

• Divided nation: unified in 1860 but w/ great divisions, no national identity

• 1914 WWI

  • Exacerbated divisions

  • Killed millions, larger political divisions, war cost much more than gains received

Italy - 1920s

Problems

• Public anger over war settlements, high unemployment, economic crisis, restricted emigration due to US bans, fear of communism

1921 National Fascist Party Initiated

• Established by Mussolini

• Promoted nationalism, dictatorship, glorification of war, anti-communism, anti-internationalism

1922 March on Rome

• Fascist ‘Black Shirts’ marched to Rome in attempted coup

• Violence led by fascist members, government not able to suppress

• King sided w Mussolini, named him Prime Minister

1923 Party Merges & Corfu Affair

• Fascist party merged w/ Nationalist

• Acerbo Law: party w/ most votes receives most seats in parliament

• Corfu Affair: italian official killed in Greece, entire army sent to Greece, withdrawal ordered by LoN

1924 Elections & Seizure of Fiume & Treaty w/ Albania

• Elections: marred by political violence, fascists grow from 7% to 67%

• Seizure of Fiume: town held by Yugoslavia

• Treaty of Friendship: w/ Albania, gave protectorate status (one protects other)

1925 Mussolini as il Duce & Locarno Treaty

• Claimed himself head of government, duke of Fascism

• Law on Powers of Head of Government

  • Supreme powers that could only be removed by King

• Political parties banned, press controlled, OVRA (secret police) established, juries controlled, creation of Fascist Youth Movement

• Locarno Treaty: confirmed Western borders

1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact

• International pact, countries agreed not to go to war

Italy - 1930s

Period of Aggression

Leading Factors

• Fascism (glorified war, expansionism) and economic crisis

1933 Four Power Pact / Quadripartite Agreement

• UK, France, Germany + Italy

• Reaffirmed Great Power influence in Europe

1934 Austria

• Supported their independence

• Moved troops to Northern border as show of force to German threat

1935 Stressa Conference

• Italy, UK + France

• Maintained status quo in Europe preventing Germany from violations of Versailles

1935-36 Invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

• Why?

  • Region was between Italian territories, wanted to gain colonial troops, demonstrate Italian strength

• 1934 Clash of forces in Wal Wal Oasis

  • Similar to Mukden Incident

  • Mussolini wants apology

  • Selassie (chancellor of Abyssinia) refuses, calls for LoN intervention

  • Italy, as member of LoN refuses intervention

• 1935 troops invade

  • Lots of violence, economic sanctions from LoN placed

• Results

  • Many ethiopian losses

  • Increased tensions w/ UK

  • End of Stressa Front

1936 Spanish Civil War

• Opportunity to support fascists over communists, expanded fascist government support

• Hopes to gain naval bases in Mediterranean

• Violates non-intervention pledges alongside USSR+ Germany, 7000 troops sent

• Results

  • High economic costs, weakened Italy (depletion of arms)

  • New alliances: Rome-Berlin Axis 1936, Anti-Cominterm Pact w/ Germany + Japan 1937

  • Italy leaves LoN

1938 Nearing WWII

• Supports Germany and its occupation of Sudetenland

• 1939 Pact of Steel: w/ Germany, military defensive alliance

Italy - 1940s

1940 Joins War

• Not prepared but wants to be seen as Great Power + territorial gains

• To avoid Germany dominated Europe

• Invasions of Egypt (UK) from Libya, Greece from Albania, France from Alps