Japan: 1853–Present | IB History HL Flashcards (Themes: A, C, E, F, M, Mx, I, R)

Comprehensive IB History HL flashcard set covering Japan’s transformation from isolation (Sakoku) to 21st-century military and diplomatic power. Each flashcard links a key event to a thematic tag (Authoritarianism, Causes of War, Expansionism, Foreign Policy, Militarism, Modernization, International Relations, Resistance). Optimized for Paper 2 and Paper 3 exam prep, with tab-separated values for seamless import into Anki or Quizlet. Dates are precise; descriptions emphasize cause-effect logic and IB relevance.

Perry's first arrival in Japan (F, C)

08 July 1853 – Commodore Perry arrives in Edo Bay with 4 U.S. ships; delivers Fillmore’s letter demanding port access

Perry's ultimatum returns (F, C)

13 February 1854 – Perry returns with 7 ships; threatens force unless Japan opens trade

Treaty that ends Sakoku (F, Mx)

31 March 1854 – Treaty of Kanagawa signed; opens Shimoda and Hakodate ports to U.S.; ends 214-year isolation

U.S. consul initiates further deals (F)

1856 – Townsend Harris becomes consul; begins talks for deeper commercial treaty

Unequal treaty triggering unrest (F, C)

29 July 1858 – Harris Treaty; opens five more ports, grants extraterritoriality; triggers domestic backlash

Meiji regime begins (Mx, A)

03 January 1868 – Meiji Restoration; emperor restored, centralized modern state begins

End of feudal domains (Mx)

1871 – Han system abolished; replaced with 47 prefectures under national control

Conscription for all males begins (M, Mx)

1872 – National conscription law passed; all men serve 3 years

First modern rail line opens (Mx)

1872 – Tokyo–Yokohama railway opens; rapid transport boosts military and economic coordination

Land tax reforms (Mx)

1873 – Land tax monetized at 3% fixed rate; stabilizes state revenue

Early treaty with Russia (F, C)

1875 – Treaty of Saint Petersburg; Japan cedes Sakhalin, gains Kuril Islands

Japan annexes Ryukyu Islands (E)

1879 – Japan formally annexes Ryukyu Islands; expansion into former Chinese tributary

First Japanese constitution (A, Mx)

1889 – Meiji Constitution establishes Diet and strong emperor; semi-authoritarian modern state

War with China over Korea (E, M, C)

1894–1895 – First Sino-Japanese War; victory brings Taiwan and Liaodong (later reversed)

Triple Intervention forces backdown (C, F, R)

17 April 1895 – Treaty of Shimonoseki grants Taiwan, Liaodong; reversed due to Russian-led Triple Intervention

Japan's first Western alliance (F, I)

1902 – Anglo-Japanese Alliance; mutual support agreement with Britain

Victory over Russia shocks world (C, F, M)

1904–1905 – Russo-Japanese War ends with Treaty of Portsmouth; Japan seen as major power

Korea becomes Japanese protectorate (E, M)

1905 – Japan gains control over Manchuria and Korea post-war

Full annexation of Korea (E, A, M)

22 August 1910 – Korea annexed; Japanese colonial governor-general appointed

Japan seizes German colonies (F, C, I)

1914–1918 – Japan joins Allies in WWI; gains Pacific and Chinese concessions

Protectorate demands to China (E, C, R)

18 January 1915 – Twenty-One Demands; attempt to dominate China diplomatically

Shandong award sparks Chinese unrest (F, I)

1919 – Treaty of Versailles grants Shandong to Japan; joins League of Nations

Naval limits breed resentment (F, R)

1921–1922 – Washington Naval Treaty limits Japanese fleet to 60% of US/UK; seen as humiliation

U.S. racist immigration ban (F, R)

1924 – Immigration Act bars Japanese entry; damages diplomacy, incites nationalist anger

Speech crackdown law (A)

1925 – Peace Preservation Law bans leftist speech; start of authoritarian control

Financial collapse boosts militarists (Mx, A)

1927 – Showa Financial Crisis triggers bank runs, weakens democratic politicians

Great Depression hits exports (C, Mx)

1929 – Exports fall 50%; public turns to military for recovery

False-flag Manchuria invasion (C, E, M)

18 September 1931 – Mukden Incident; railway explosion blamed on China by Kwantung Army

Manchukuo established (C, R, I)

1932 (March) – Puppet state Manchukuo formed; League fails to respond

Japan leaves League (F, R)

1933 – Japan withdraws from League of Nations; turns inward and militarist

Sino-Japanese War begins (C, E, M)

07 July 1937 – Marco Polo Bridge Incident launches full invasion of China

Mass atrocity in Nanjing (C, R, F)

13 December 1937 – Nanjing Massacre: ~300,000 civilians killed; global outrage

Anti-communist Axis pact (I)

1939 – Anti-Comintern Pact reaffirmed with Germany and Italy

Formal Axis alliance (C, F)

27 September 1940 – Tripartite Pact binds Germany, Italy, Japan against U.S.

U.S. oil embargo retaliates (F, C)

26 July 1941 – U.S. halts oil exports to protest Indochina invasion

Surprise attack on U.S. base (C, M, R)

07 December 1941 – Japan bombs Pearl Harbor; aims to cripple Pacific Fleet

Pacific War declared (C, R)

08 December 1941 – U.S. declares war; start of Pacific front

Emperor surrenders Japan (R, F)

15 August 1945 – Hirohito broadcasts surrender after atomic bombings

Formal surrender document signed (F)

02 September 1945 – Japan surrenders aboard USS Missouri; Allied occupation begins

New democratic constitution (Mx, A)

1946 – MacArthur drafts new constitution; emperor now symbolic

Article 9 renounces war (A, R)

03 May 1947 – New Constitution enacted; Japan gives up right to wage war

Peace treaty ends occupation (F, I)

08 September 1951 – San Francisco Treaty signed; sets postwar terms

Japan regains sovereignty (F)

28 April 1952 – Treaty enters force; end of Allied occupation

Japan joins UN (I)

1956 – Officially admitted to United Nations; full global reintegration