Paper 1 - Move to Global Wars: Japan

ultranationalist

A belief in which a person or state's nationality is considered superior to that of all others and usually involves racist and discriminatory beliefs against others not of the same nationality

Meiji Restoration

The creation of a new government of Japan after centuries of military government, in which Japan's emperor held new powers and new more modern systems of governance were created it is named after the ruling emperor of that period

Meiji Emperor

Emperor of Japan between 1867 and 1912 in whose name modernizing reforms were instituted

feudalism

Form of government in which nobility and their associates, such as warriors, hold substantial governing power.

Privy Council

Small government body of elites whose approval was required for laws, major political appointees and more; they controlled access to the Emperor of Japan and were heavily relied on by the Emperor owing to their prestige and experience

cabinet

Ministers of a government

the Diet

Japanese parliament comprised of two divisions: an elected House of Representatives and an appointed House of Peers

House of Peers

Division of the Diet composed of nobility, high taxpayers, famous individuals, and special appointments made by the Emperor

House of Representatives

Division of the Diet elected by those with suffrage

suffrage

the right to vote

radical nationalism

An extreme form of nationalism which can include racism and other forms of discrimination and prejudice against those not part of the nation, which is usually narrowly defined; this belief often justifies violence to achieve certain goals.

fascism

A term derived from the Fascist Party of Italy; It refers to a governing philosophy that glorifies the state, war and sacrificing oneself for the state while de-emphasizing individual rights and freedoms. This term is often used to refer to non-democratic, militaristic governments.

militarism

When a government or the people of a country believe that it is necessary to have a strong military in order to both defend and to promote the interests of their country

Shogun

Hereditary military governors of Japan from 1192 to 1867

Commodore Matthew Perry

Compelled the opening of Japan to the West through the use of "gunboat diplomacy"

tributary

A state which presents gifts or funds to a stronger state for protection and/or as a sign of loyalty, respect and subservience.

coup d'etat

An overthrow of a state's government by individuals within that state

Qing Dynasty of China

The ethnic Manchu family of rulers of China from 1644 to 1911

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)

Fought between the Qing Empire of China and the Empire of Japan, primarily over control of Korea. The war demonstrated the failure of the Qing Empire's attempts to modernize its military and fend off threats to its sovereignty, especially when compared with Japan's successful Meiji Restoration.

Treaty of Shimonoseki

Treaty signed by China and Japan to end the First Sino-Japanese War. It granted Korea full independence from China, gave Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula to Japan, required China to pay a large indemnity to Japan, and allowed Japanese ships to operate on the Yangtze River, as well as Japanese factories in 4 ports.

Tripartite Intervention

Intervention by Russia, Germany, and France who declared that the Treaty of Shimonoseki had to be altered to accommodate their desires; Russia took control of Port Arthur and Germany took control of part of the Shantung Peninsula

Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902)

An agreement for an initial period of five years, in which the UK and Japan agreed to remain neutral if either was involved in a war with a third power. If either was involved in a war with two other countries, then the other would assist

Boxer Rebellion

An anti-foreign, anti-Christian revolt in China that was eventually joined by government soldiers with support from the Qing Dynasty. The revolt was put down by foreign troops.

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Ending in a Japanese victory, this war established Japan as a formidable military competitor in East Asia and precipitated the Russian Revolution of 1905.

Treaty of Portsmouth (1905)

The treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War. It required Russia and Japan to remove troops from Manchuria, allowed Japan to lease Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur from China, granted Japan the right to lease the Southern Manchurian Railway from China, and granted Japan the southern half of Sakhalin Island.

Great Powers

In the early 20th century, primarily European states such as Britain, France, Germany and Russia, but sometimes meant to include the USA, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy.

Twenty-One Demands (1915)

A series of demands by Japan that insisted China cease leasing territory to countries other than Japan, agree to Japanese control over the Shantung Peninsula and Manchuria, allow Japan to build railways, and extend Japan's lease on the South Manchurian Railway, among other demands.

Paris Peace Conference (1919)

Peace conference run by the allied powers to discuss terms of the Treaty of Versailles at end of WW1

League of Nations

International organization that agreed to resolve international crises through diplomacy and not war that also established groups to address health issues, refugees, workers' rights and more.

mandates

lands formerly held by Germany and the Ottoman Empire that were to be administered by Britain, France, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand and Japan after the First World War for the League of Nations.

Shidehara Diplomacy

Japanese foreign policy that consisted of a balancing act in which the military, especially the army, was well maintained and Japan's government worked to reassure foreign governments that Japan was not a threat to China and had no desire for further expansion against it

Washington Naval Convention

Convention regarding naval limitations (also known as the Five-Power Treaty):

-Battle Ship manufacturing is halted for 10 years

-Certain war-battle ships are eliminated

-Every 5 capital ships of US and Britain, Japan has 3

-US and Britain have no militaristic involvement in Pacific except Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Great Depression

A worldwide economic depression that led to massive unemployment, political instability, hunger and poverty, among other issues, starting from late 1929 and ending by the early 1940s, depending on the country or region.

London Naval Conference (1930)

The U.S., Great Britain, and Japan agreed on a fixed number of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.

monopolies

Companies that control entire sections of the economy, such as steel production or shipbuilding

Zaibatsu

Enormous Japanese corporations owned by individual families that had an impressive economic and political power

trade barriers

Means of restricting trade with other countries, usually by placing high taxes on foreign imports so that domestic goods can be sold more cheaply

Communism

political philosophy which advocates the overthrow of all social and economic classes, as complete reordering of society and an end to capitalism

socialists

people who believe that society should be as equal as possible financially and in terms of political rights

Shōwa Emperor

Grandson of the Meiji emperor and often called by his personal name, Hirohito, outside Japan. He was preceded by the short reign of his mentally ill father the Taishō emperor

Kwantung Army

Japan's most elite military unit before the Second World War, stationed in the Liaodong Peninsula, next to Manchuria

Kuomintang (KMT)

China's main political group, also known as the Guomindang, or Nationalists

Chiang Kai-shek

Leading military and political ruler of China after 1925, dominating the Kuomintang political party

The Positive Policy

policy adopted by Japan's government in 1927 which meant that Japan would treat Manchuria as a special case and not related to its other concerns in the rest of China

Manchurian Crisis

Japan's military conquest and expansion into Manchuria in 1931

Mukden Incident (1931)

occurred when Japanese soldiers likely blew up a Japanese railroad in southern Manchuria; used as excuse to occupy all of Manchuria

Manchukuo

Japanese puppet state established in Manchuria in 1931

Lytton Report

this was a report generated by a League of Nations to try to determine the causes of the Manchurian Incident which led to the Empire of Japan's seizure of Manchuria; it condemned Japan for resorting to force, but the powers were unwilling to impose sanctions; Japan then withdrew from the league and kept Manchuria

semi-isolation

A policy of having limited involvement in international diplomacy

Open Door Policy

Policy advocated by the USA that called for all nations to have equal access to China's markets

Stimson Doctrine

policy which stated that the USA would not recognize international border changes that resulted from war

Second London Naval Treaty (1935)

Treaty signed by USA, UK, and France about the limitations of naval equipment following the departure of Japan from treaty meetings

Second United Front

The alliance between the Kuomintang (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the Second Sino-Japanese War that suspended the Chinese Civil War from 1937 to 1946.

National Revolutionary Army

Chinese army which included KMT and CCP forces

International Settlement

Area of Shanghai controlled by foreign governments where foreign-owned factories and other enterprises were located, and where many non-Chinese lived

Marco Polo Bridge Incident (1937)

Brief battle between Chinese and Japanese troops which led to the Second Sino-Japanese War

Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)

Japanese expansion into China beyond Manchuria

Nanjing Massacre

Mass torture and murder of Chinese soldiers and civilians by the Japanese in Nanjing during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Nine-Power Treaty Conference

declaration that Japan and China should suspend hostilities and work with other countries to resolve the Second Sino-Japanese War

Anti-Comintern Pact (1936)

Agreement between Germany and Japan to oppose communism

Tripartite Pact

Formal alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan; signed in 1940

French Indochina

French-ruled colony made up of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia

Vichy France

the common label for the southern part of France that was not occupied by German troops between 1940 and 1942. While it was allowed a certain degree of autonomy over its internal affairs, and allowed to oversee France's colonial empire, it had no meaningful independence from German authorities.

oil embargo (1941)

banning of the sale of oil to Japan by the US

Admiral Yamamoto

Japanese admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

United States military base on Hawaii that was bombed by Japan, bringing the United States into World War II. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.

Hull Note

The final proposal delivered to Japan by the United States before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The note was delivered on November 26, 1941 and it demanded that Japan abandon its alliance with Nazi Germany and stop its expansion efforts in Asia.