Militarism and Imperialism in Japan

1918-1932

• Japan came out of WWI with a strong economy.

• They began making democratic reforms• Hit hard by the Depression• Military Dictatorship takes over

Japanese Goals of the 1930s

• Revive economy hit by the Depression• Lead economic modernization in Asia- hoping

to one day rival Europe and the United States.• Free Asia from western colonial influences.• Set up “East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”• Dominate Asia economically and militarily.

What might limit Japan’s ability to dominate Asia?

Aggression in Manchuria

• September, 1931- needing resources, the Japanese invade Manchuria, northern China.

• China protests to the League of Nations

Aggression in Manchuria

• League and United States condemned Japanese action in China, but took no further action

• Japan withdrew from the League in 1933• Japanese minister says that the League is

being mean and that’s why they left.

Tensions Rise in China

• By 1937, Japanese forces overran much of the northern part of China

• Manchuoko created• Rape of Nanking– murdering over 300,000

civilians and soldiers in a few months

WWII in Asia

• Berlin, 1940– Japan joins alliance with Germany and Italy

• Looked to European colonies in Southeast Asia for resources

• FDR threatened to cut off supplies of scrap metal, rubber, and oil

Review: Events Leading to Pearl Harbor

• Japan foresaw the US cutting off supplies and also declaring war.

• To pre-empt that, the Japanese planned a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to eliminate the American presence in the Pacific

Failure of the Co-Prosperity Sphere

• The original idea was a system that benefited both Japan and the occupied territories– “Asia for Asians”

• Instead, Japanese imperial troops replaced the European troops

• Instead of sharing resources, the resources were diverted to the Japanese war effort.

• This caused food shortages and famine.

Failure of the Co-Prosperity Sphere

• Attempted to institute Japanese Customs– This insulted the native people

• Forced people to work in factories for little to no pay.

• Some groups cooperated with the Japanese and some helped the allies.