History Japan - Causes for Japanese Expansionism

WP: What did the treaty of Kanagawa say?

Opened two Japanese ports to US trade

WP: Why did Japan sign the treaty of Kanagawa?

TS aware of China’s humiliation in Opium War of 1839-42

WP: Give another example of an ‘unfair treaty’

Treaty of Amity and commerce (1858), and similar treaties with B,F,R

O: Why is it evident that Japan was interested in Korea?

• 1876 - Forced to sign unequal treaty to establish diplomatic relations with Japan

• 1895 → - Built railways and developed timber industry

• 1910 - Formally annexed by Japan

O: What treaty ended the first Sino-Japanese war?

Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895)

O: What did the treaty of Shimonoseki state?

• China had to sign commercial treaty with Japan

• Japan gained Formosa

• Chinese must recognise independence of Korea

WP: What was the Western response to the treaty of Shimonoseki?

Triple intervention - Tsarist Russia persuaded F&G to join it in forcing Japan to give up some of its mainland gains in China

O: What war showed the weakness of Russian military?

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

WP: What did Japan gain in the Treaty of Portsmouth?

SMR & Liaodong Peninsula

WP: What did dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Portsmouth lead to?

Violent clashes of extreme nationalists vs forces of l and o

O: What was the Japanese war aim in WW1?

To take over German concessions in China e.g. the Liaodong Penisula

O: What were in the Japanese 21 demands?

• Chinese recognition of Japan’s interest in certain areas

• China should accept Japanese advisors in government

• Germany’s concessions should be transferred to Japan

WP: What was the US response to the 21 demands?

Opposed, force to withdraw ore contentious items

WP: Why did Japan believe they had suffered a mutilated victory and what were the consequences of this?

Given Shadong peninsula, but not given outright ownership of Germany’s pacific colonies. No racial decree in ToV. Various treaties with Italy and Germany. Lots of anti-Western media.

M: Influence of the Samurai Legacy

• Military had enormous respect and prestige in Japan

• Result of Samurai legacy of pre-1868 Japan

• Belief in loyalty to the emperor and self-sacrifice given much greater prominence than in TS

• Military and civilian nationalist adapted and developed the samurai legacy and the Bushido code to obtain support for expansionist aims

M: How was an earthquake evidence of increasing nationalism?

• 1923

• Over 100,000 people died in fire in Tokyo

• Rumours fire had been started by Koreans led to mob attacks

• Attempted assassination of imperial regent Hirohito

• MoJ set up set up National Foundation Society to strengthen national spirit

• Extreme nationalist movement, partly inspired by Mussolini’s Fascism

M: Which PM and in what year showed the increasing influence of the military in politics?

General Tanaka Giichi 1927

M: General Tanaka Giichi policies

Sympathetic to right wing militant nationalists. Under him earlier moves towards democracy and liberalism came to an end, replaced by increasing militarism and road to war

M & WP:What was London agreement?

10:10:6 heavy cruises 10:10:7 destroyers, 1930

M: What was the reactions to the London Agreement?

Japanese naval leaders strongly opposed this.Naval leaders who had signed became assassination targets. Increasing threatened by military

IP: What were the effects of the Great Depression, 1929

• Not self sufficient in coal, oil, tin or rubber

• No market for Japan’s main export of silk dropped by 40% between 1929-30, and prices crashing by 80%

• Population increasing by 1 million per year

• PM at the the time Hamaguchi shot

• ‘New international order’

• Racist immigration laws and unequal access to markets and raw materials. And Japan’see goods discriminated against via tariffs

M: Who wasn’t punished?

March 1931, coup to replace PM with General Ugaki Kazushige but refused to comply with plot, and again in Octoberassassinate pm ad replace with another general failed again

M: When was the army coup attempt?

26th February 1936

M: Give 3 examples of increasing political violence in 1930s

• 1932 - Inukai assassinated after deciding to limit actions of the Kwantung army in Manchuria by Blood Brotherhood League and owing to povert of rural areas despite languishing of politicians, minister of finance and the director of Mitsui Zaibastu. Planned the assasination of 13 political leaders

• cherry blossom society formed to overthrow the civilian gov and instead establish a military dictatorship

• Kokuhonsha nationalist society including several leading politicians, business, and military leaders

M: Who was the week PM after Inukai and what did he let happen?

Admiral Santo Makoto - At first attempted to form a ‘United national gov’ and follow moderate policies. Agreed to decision to exit league - following acceptance of Lytton Report (army), allowed Kwantung to advance into Inner Mongolia and South of China’s Great Wall.

M: Who were the Zaibastu?

Term applied to the largest cooperations and conglomerates which increasingly dominated the Japanese economy

M: What was the zaibatsu’s relationship with the military

Mitsui corporation - Imperial Japanese army and Mitsubishi group - Imperial Japanese Navy

M: Big four stats

30% of Japan mining metal and chemical industries

50% of industrial equipment businesses

M: Who stopped the Kwantung Army from completing any further excursions?

Foreign minister Araki

What truce was signed in May 1933 and what did it state?

Tanggu Truce - Jehol Provinve became part of Manchukuo, Shanhaigun Pass on the China Manchukuo border

Who replaced Saito?

Mid-1934 Admiral Okada Keisuke

What did AOK do?

Mounting pressure from right wing nationalist = end Japan’s acceptance of Washington and London Naval agreements 1936

How did the US block Japanese expansion in China?

• Open door policy - free trade, prevent China being broken up by rival imperialist countries

• Washington Naval conference (1921-22) - Four-Power act Five Power Naval Limitation Treaty 5:5:3

IP: What happened to the Japnese economy after the Meiji restoration

Greatly modernised

IP: What were the two main long term economic problems in Japan

• Insufficient land for population

• Raw materials!

What happened in Japan in 1927?

Banking crisis many medium and small sized banks going bankrupt. Many smaller industry also collapsed.Centralized economy in big industries/ banks