Japan Flashcards
Consequences of the Great Depression
unemployment reached 2.6 million in 1930
exports fell by 50% in the period 1929-31
Japan saw foreign expansion as a way out of Japan’s huge economic difficulties
Changing political situation
the recently formed Nationalist government of China might try to end Japanese concessions under Manchuria
Warlord running Manchuria, Zhang Zueilang, wanted to expel the Japanese from the region
Mukden incident
Japanese army in Manchuria (Kwantung army)
blew up part of the south manchurian railway
blamed it on China
why was Manchuria so desired?
vast region, rich in mineral resources
what did the takeover in Manchuria mark?
key moment
shift in power
from civilian politicians to the military in Japan
govt. had not authorised it; the army had gone behind them
May 1932
assassination of PM Inukai
who had been trying to reach a solution to the Manchuria crisis that would leave China with some semblance of soveringnity over Manchuria
International response to Mukden
Lytton committee
created by League of Nations
stated that the blame for the incident lay with Japan
even if China had provoked Japan
forced Japanese army to withdraw from Manchuria
Japan walked out of the League of Nations in 1933
October- November 1932
Life in Manchuria
- highly repressive regime
◦ critics executed or imprisoned - Japanese individuals would come to Manchuria
◦ policy at home was also repressive - Education system
◦ way to teach/indoctrinate Chinese the regime’s ideas
◦ benefit for Chinese people → got an education
Japanese Expansion into China 1936
Japan began to take over more of Northern China
▪ Kai-Shek was avoiding conflict with Japan
▪ this enraged Chinese nationals → began supporting Mao and the CCPC
▪ “The Japanese are like a disease of the skin, but the communists are like a disease of the heart” - Kai-Shek
* 12th December 1936
◦ Xi’an incident (Sian) → Chinese town
◦ Kai-Shek gets taken hostage / detained by his own generals
▪ Chang Hsüeh-liang (Zhang Xueliang) and Yang Hucheng
◦ they wanted to force Kai-Shek to confront Japanese
◦ after the incident, Kai-Shek joined the CCPC to confront Japan
◦ led to formation of Second United Front – 1924-1927
▪ Formed between 1921-4 – First United Front
what happened between 1936 and 1946
the civil war paused
◦ Kai-Shek wasn’t trying to wipe out CCPC anymore
◦ allowing Mao to consolidate position in China
◦ this helped him win the civil war later on in October 1949
* Kai-Shek was worried that if he made a deal with the Japanese again (continued appeasement) he would be assassinated
31st May 1933
Tanggu Truce
* between Japan and China
◦ paused Japan’s occupation of China
◦ BUT Chinese public opinion was hostile to terms that were good for Japanese and humiliating for Chinese
31st May 1933
Tanggu Truce
* between Japan and China
◦ paused Japan’s occupation of China
◦ BUT Chinese public opinion was hostile to terms that were good for Japanese and humiliating for Chinese
What were the origins of Japanese nationalism and militarism?
- determination to transform Japan into a Western style power
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