Reasons For Outbreak Of WW2 - Part 2

Question 1

How do you know that USA was treating Japan badly in these cases?

1. 1905 Japanese & Korean Exclusion League
2. Paris Peace Conference & League of Nations
3. 1921 Washington Naval Conference

Answer 1

1. Restricted Japanese immigrants due to racism
2. LON rejected racial equality clause
3. Japan forced to reduce more of naval power (5:3 ratio to USA)

Question 2

Outline the Mukden Incident

1. Why did Japan want to expand into Manchuria?
2. 1931: Bomb exploded… Where?
3. How did Japan react to the bomb?
4. Impact of Mukden Incident

Answer 2

1. Economic resources & strategic depth (protect Korea)
2. bomb exploded near Japan-owned railway near Mukden
3. Blamed Chinese nationalists, full scale invasion of China
4. Established new state called Manchukuo in Manchuria
   League of Nations Lytton Commission condemned Japan but Japan simply walked out of LON, hence did not abide to rules. Became bolder and more expansionistic

Question 3

What incident started the 2nd Sino-Japanese War?

Clue….it has BRIDGE in its name

Answer 3

1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident

Question 4

USA place a trade embargo on Japan.

1. what is ‘trade embargo’?
2. What year was the embargo?
3. What did the trade embargo do?
4. Why did USA place trade embargo on Japan?

Answer 4

1. Formal ban on exchange of goods (trade) between countries
2. 1940
3. US formally banned exports of steel, iron, fuel, oil
4. Japan expanding rapidly in China + occupied Vietnam in 1940. THREATENED US INTERESTS IN ASIA

Question 5

Japan bombed the US Pacific Fleet @ Pearl Harbor.

1. In which year?
2. For what reasons?
   (Clue: economic, poor relations w USA/West, WW2 in Europe)

Answer 5

1. 1941
2. economic - oil would run out in 2 yrs after trade embargo
   USA racist, discriminated Japan - Japan wanted to prove it was equally powerful
   Pacific Fleet only power to stop Japan in Asia, as European powers fighting w Hitler