Japan Flashcards
What was the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902?
Ended Japan’s diplomatic isolation; gave Japan confidence to challenge Russia; recognized Japan as a great power.
What was the significance of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)?
Demonstrated Japan’s military capability; first Asian power to defeat a European power; increased military’s prestige in politics.
What were the outcomes of the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905)?
Japan gained South Sakhalin and influence in Korea; popular discontent over terms led to civil unrest; strengthened military faction.
What was the Korea Annexation of 1910?
First major territorial expansion; provided agricultural resources and labor; established pattern of colonial administration.
What were the Twenty-One Demands (1915)?
Attempted to establish Japanese dominance in China; damaged international reputation; showed growing military influence in foreign policy.
What were the Rice Riots of 1918?
Revealed social tensions from industrialization; weakened civilian government authority; increased military’s political influence.
What was the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference (1919) for Japan?
Japan gained German territories in the Pacific; racial equality proposal rejected; increased anti-Western sentiment.
What was the Washington Naval Conference (1921-22)?
Limited Japanese navy expansion; created resentment in military circles; influenced shift toward aggressive policies.
What were the effects of the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923)?
Economic devastation led to increased military spending; social upheaval strengthened nationalist groups; weakened civilian government.
What was the significance of Universal Male Suffrage (1925)?
Expanded democracy but paired with Peace Preservation Law; showed tension between democracy and authoritarianism.
What did the Peace Preservation Law (1925) do?
Suppressed political dissent; strengthened state control; limited effectiveness of democratic reforms.
What was the impact of the London Naval Treaty (1930)?
Created rift between military and civilian government; Prime Minister Hamaguchi assassinated; weakened democratic institutions.
What was the Manchurian Incident (1931)?
Military acted independently of government; established pattern of insubordination; international condemnation.
What was the Creation of Manchukuo (1932)?
Puppet state showed military’s growing power; defied League of Nations; economic benefits reinforced military influence.
What were the effects of Japan’s League of Nations Withdrawal (1933)?
Diplomatic isolation; strengthened military hardliners; moved Japan closer to Germany.
What was the February 26 Incident (1936)?
Failed coup showed military division; purged moderate officers; increased radical military influence.
What was the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (1937)?
Sparked full-scale war with China; military made decisions without civilian oversight; international condemnation.
What was the role of Genro (Elder Statesmen) post-1920s?
Declining influence; unable to check military power; symbolized weakness of traditional authority.
How did the Emperor System evolve?
Symbolic power used by military; unable to prevent military dominance; constitutional monarchy weakened.
What was the Diet’s Diminishing Power?
Unable to control military budget; couldn’t prevent unauthorized military actions; showed weakness of democratic institutions.
What was the Zaibatsu Influence?
Supported military expansion for profits; provided economic basis for imperialism; contributed to military-industrial complex.
What was the Anti-Communist Policy?
Used to suppress political opposition; strengthened military control; justified expansion into China.
What does ‘Government by Assassination’ refer to?
Military/ultranationalist intimidation of politicians; weakened civilian authority; showed breakdown of democratic process.
What was the Economic Planning Board established in 1937?
Shifted economy to war footing; increased military control of economy; reduced civilian oversight.
What did the National Mobilization Law (1938) do?
Gave government control over economy/society; reduced individual rights; strengthened military influence.
What was the Imperial Rule Assistance Association (1940)?
Eliminated political parties; created one-party state; completed military control of government.
What was the Tripartite Pact (1940)?
Aligned Japan with Nazi Germany and Italy; diplomatic isolation from West; moved toward war path.
What were the Oil Embargo Effects (1941)?
Economic pressure led to military solutions; strengthened hard-liners; pushed toward Pearl Harbor.
What was the Army-Navy Rivalry?
Competed for resources; affected strategic planning; contributed to poor decision-making.
What was the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?
Justified imperial expansion; anti-Western propaganda tool; masked colonial exploitation.
Kwantung Army’s Role in Manchuko
Orchestrated Mukden Incident without Tokyo’s approval; established pattern of insubordination; showed real power lay with field commanders not civilian government
Zhang Zuolin Assassination 1928
Kwantung Army’s assassination of Chinese warlord; revealed military’s willingness to act independently; test run for larger Manchurian operation
Economic Motivations for Manchuko
Iron and coal resources needed for Japanese industry; agricultural land for population pressure; demonstrated military’s focus on economic self-sufficiency
Lytton Commission 1932
International investigation condemned Japan; Japanese military ignored findings; showed Japan’s growing defiance of international order
Political Structure of Manchuko
Puyi installed as puppet ruler; Japanese advisors held real power; demonstrated Japan’s colonial administration model and “Pan-Asian” propaganda
