Topic 8: Japanese Expansion

Japanese Expansion

Isolationism

the need for a country to isolate themselves from other countries. They don’t want to trade or receive help from other countries

Why were merchants under the social hierarchy chain than peasants?

Merchants often connected with other merchants or traders from other countries and since Japan was isolationist from 17th-18th century, they were looked down upon because they were conflicting with Japan’s isolationism

Who is the figurehead and has the actual power in Japan?

figurehead: emperor

actual power: shogun

What happened in 1853 relating to Japan’s trading status?

U.S. navy arrives to Japan and compels open trade with Western powers

Meiji Restoration

• late 19th century

• since western powers enforced trading, Japan comes out of isolationism

• civil wars erupt in Japan

• emperor regains control over Japan

• fuetal system ends

• rapid industrialization

Meiji constitution

• presented in 1888

• creates constitutional monarchy

• emperor Hirohito- claimed he was just a figurehead (wrong because constitution puts emperor as in charge

Meiji

• 1867-1912

• Meiji restoration

• resides over industrialization and modernization of Japan

• expansion during Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War

Yoshihito (Taisho)

• 1912-1926

• limited government involvement

• Taisho democracy period

Sino-Japanese War

• 1894-1895

• Japan wins against China

• Japan then gains a sphere of influence in China

World War I and Treaty of Versailles (1919)

• Japan joined as allied powers

• Japan was angry because they proposed a racial equality clause and it got rejected

The Washington Treaty System

• 1922

• Five power-treaty: limited naval tonnage

• Nine power-treaty: protect China’s territorial integrity

  • Overall, Japan is mad because they feel that France and Britain are hypocritical because they have a ton of colonies

Internationalism

• 1920s

• rich countries like the U.S. and the UK had evey reason to support Japan in taking China, but they didn’t

Emperor Hirohito

• 1926-1989

• serves as regent due to Taisho’s injuries

• still a question if Hirohito had involvement in WWll

  • didn’t go out of his way and provoke anything but just let the military do their thing in starting WWll

• educated

“imperial way”

Japanese think of Hirohito as a God and they should worship him

How does the Great Depression affect Japan and Japanese exapansion?

• silk industry fell

• farms were bad

• unemployment increased

• Manchuria became more important to Japan because of its coal and other resources

  • could provide more living space for Japanese

Kokutai and Kodu - ideological causes

• Kokutai-national policy (1920s)

• imperial way - worship the emperor

  • hardcore nationalists in the military want to promote aggressive militarists and expansionist ideas

Political instability in China

• opium wars —> China was divided into spheres of influence

• Japan beats China and conquers Korea in Sino-Japanese War

• Chinese Civil War (1927-1949)

  • Japan wants to take over China because they believe they are superior and they seem weak

Mukden Incident

• September 1931

• kwantung army: division of Japanese military, in charge guarding Manchurian railroad stayed attack near city of Mukden

• Hirohito has nothing to do with it but then promotes the officers in charge of the Mukden incident

Manchukuo

• a new “independent state that serves as a puppet state for Japan

• led by Pu Yi, the hereditary monarch of the Qing Dynasty

• Japan took resources from Manchukuo and expanded influence

The Lytton Report

• 1932

• China helps the League of Nations for help with Japan

• they send a commission led by Lytton of Britain to investigate

• Japan had special interest in China, however the use of force is unacceptable

• Manchukuo was not an independent state

• Manchuria should not be under Chinese sovereignty

  • results in Japan leaving the League of Nations in 1933 in response to criticism

Second Sino-Japanese War

• 1937 - Marco Polo Bridge incident

• Clash between Japanese and Chinese troops in Beijing that escalated to a full on war

• by 1938, Japan had claimed many key cities in China

• war ends in a stalemate

Why does the Sino-Japanese War end in a stalemate?

• declining resources

• China was vast —> not easy to conquer it

• Japan overestimates the ability to conquer China (Imperial way)

• Manchuria was not that hard to capture

Second United Front (1936-1946)

• 1936-1946

• China was engaged in civil war on and off

• alliances between the Chinese nationalist Part and the Chinese communist Party to resist the Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War

Co-Prosperity Sphere

• August 1940

• Japan encourages intention to create this, Pacific empire dominated by Japan

• Japanese occupiers present themselves as correctives to European imperialism

• Asian rule > European rule

Tripartite Pact

• September 1940

• Japan signs military alliance with Italy and Germany

  • they want to do this because Japan will seem more powerful if they have an alliance with strong countries

    • will help them in the Co-prosperity sphere

• Article one: Italy and Germany are supreme powers in Europe

• Article two: Japan is the supreme power in East Asia

• Article three: Germany, Italy, and Japan agree to cooperate in their efforts

Occupation of French Indochina

• One France surrenders, the territory is given to Japan

• U.S. responds with freezing Japanese assets with ABCD countries

Why did Japan attack pearl harbor in 1941?

• Japan could win a short war and knockout U.S. fleet

Japanese planning for Pearl Harbor attack in 1941

• Japanese have built six large fleets, largest concentration of air power in the world at that time

Pearl Harbor aftermath

• FDR asks for declaration of war in speech to congress

• Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.

  • Japan didn’t destroy U.S. fleet as intended and the U.S. will recover —> failure for Japan