Chapter 5: World War in Asia-Pacific Flashcards
Japan’s ambition to be a world power.
(Ex) - 1868 Meiji Restoration – modernisation & industrialisation
- 1894-1895 – China was a threat
Korea paid tribute to China. Japan
went to war with China, won, and gained possession of Korea. - 1905 – Russia was a threat
War with Russia to protect its sphere of influence in Korea and Manchuria.
Korea became its protectorate.
Gained possession of Liaodong Peninsula and the South Manchurian Railway. - 1910 Annexed Korea.
- 1919: Japan occupied German colonies - Shandong (China) & the Pacific Islands after WWI
- 1931 – China was a threat
Japan invaded Manchuria to protect their interests in the railroad, in Liaodong Peninsula and to secure a land area rich in raw materials - 1937 - Japanese and Chinese troops clashed
at Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing. Japan authorised a full-scale invasion and started the 2nd Sino-Chinese war.
(A)Japan’s ambition to be a world power led to conflict in AP because
- It led Japan to embark on rapid industrialisation which led to military strength. This allowed Japan aggression towards other countries &
- increase the size of its empire.
- Rapid industrialisation also meant that Japan had to
- invade other countries for raw materials that she lacked.
Japan’s relations with the Western Powers
EX) From the Meiji period until the 1930s, Japan had used it’s educational system and media to encourage and develop a strong sense of nationalist pride among its people.
A) Japan’s relations with the Western Powers led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
The Japanese saw Britain, Russia and the United States as rivals and obstacles to achieving their ambitions.
Japan’s worsening relations with USA
(Ex) American society practised racial segregation and discrimination against East Asians, including the Japanese. This practice resulted from white settlers in America wanting to protect their economic interests from Asian competition, especially in jobs starting in the 1850s. This continued as more immigrants from Asia, including Japan, arrived throughout the late part of the 19th Century.
(A) Exclusion Act, which forbade Japanese immigration. This policy change greaAn organised movement, the Korean and Japanese Exclusion League, was formed to stop immigration from Korea and Japan. In 1907, the U.S. passed the Japanese tly offended Japan and its immigrants in the U.S., excluded from American society, causing a loss of jobs and living standards.
Increasing military power in Japan’s government (Rise of Militarists) & Their expansionist policy
(Ex) The tensions between the civilian politicians and military leaders would worsen as the ultranationalist military commanders grew in prominence and influence in Japan’s politics through the military victories in the early 1900s against China and Russia. Many Japanese military commanders were ultranationalists. They also believed that military service was an honour and a noble calling.
(A) The increasing power of the militarists in Japan’s government led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
Many Japanese officers felt that it was Japan’s destiny to remove the western powers from Asia and expand its rule over Asia.
Lack of Resource
(Ex) It is more difficult to obtain raw materials after the great depression.
(A) The lack of resources, overpopulation and shortage of land led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
- Japan was politically unstable,it had a rise of milterisation fuelled Japan’s expansionist ambitions and aggressive attitudes.
Overpopulation & shortage of land
(Lack of agricultural land and living space needed for survival)
(Ex) -population began to boom in the beginnin of the 20th century
-demand for housing,goods and product increased
-needed more resources,living space led to the increasing support of the expansionist policy
(A) The lack of resources, overpopulation and shortage of land led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
- Japan was politically unstable,it had a rise of milterisation fuelled Japan’s expansionist ambitions and aggressive attitudes.
West protected their own economies (Protectionism) after Great Depression 1929
(Ex) USA and Britain practiced protectionism,resulting in other countries to impose restriction ad taxes on Japan’s product.
(A) Protectionism from the West led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
Economic stability was an issue for Japan
- there was a failed in demand for Japanese exports in other countries,casuing an Economic depression.
Greater East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
(Ex) In 1940, Japan launched a programme called the greater east asia co-prosperity sphere. It was aimed primarily at people in the various asian territories which japan controlled. The message was that the people of asia should unite behind japan, which would lead this campaign to drive foreigners out of asia and that japan would protect the people of asia and rule them fairly.
(A) Militarists’ expansionist policies such as Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS) led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
In reality, the greater east asia co prosperity sphere was more of a programme for japan to use the massive resources of its empire in asia to prepare for war.
Attack on Pearl Harbour
(Ex) The Japanese commanders decided that they needed to deliver a quick knockout blow to the united states from which the latter would take time to recover. In that time Japan would be able to conquer new territories, build up its economy and match US power.
(A) The attack on Pearl Harbor led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
The United States declared war on Japan which triggered the outbreak of ww2 in Asia pacific.
Structural
Weaknesses +
Failure of
peacekeeping
measures +
Failure of
collective
security, 1931
(Ex) - Invasion of Manchuria
For:
Economically:raw materials,resources for industries and a market for products
Strategically:To defend its interest in Korea,futher expand into China
(A) LON’s Structural weaknesses (too slow to act) and the failure of peacekeeping measures when dealing with Japan’s aggressions in Manchuria led to war in Asia-Pacific because…
- LON condemned Japan as an aggressor,Japan walked out o the assembly and government withdrew
Failure of disarmament
(Ex) - The Leguage of Nations established to maintain peace and promote disarmament,its inability to enforce decisions and lack of military power to back its resolutions meant that countries like Japan could act with relative impunity.
(A) League of Nations failure to get Japan to disarm led to war in Asia-Pacific because… it led to increase militerization and the eventual outbreak of broader conflict in the Asia pacific region during ww2.
Attitude towards Hitler & the Treaty of Versailles
(Ex) LON faced significant challenges in addressing the actions of Hitler nd the violations of the Treaty of Versailes during the period leading up to ww2.
(A) The British and French appeased Hitler as they thought he was a reasonable man and he would stop once he reclaimed all the lands that used to belong to Germany.
