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Japanese Expansionism. Rise of Militarism. Japan was an aggressive nation In 1930’s they began a policy of territorial expansion Not enough land to support it’s growing population Depended on U.S. and other countries for essential goods
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Rise of Militarism • Japan was an aggressive nation • In 1930’s they began a policy of territorial expansion • Not enough land to support it’s growing population • Depended on U.S. and other countries for essential goods • Military leaders resented the dependence on foreign countries • Pushed into mainland Asia
Invasion • Manchuria – Japan needed space and raw materials – Manchuria provided both • September 1931 – Japan invaded • Within a few months, Japan had taken over • September 1932 – Japan set up a puppet government and renamed the region Manchukuo
Reaction • Japan was a member of the League of Nations • League of Nations condemned Japan for its aggression • Japan simply withdrew from the League • Argued that its military action was crucial to its long-term security
The “China Incident” • Japan set its sites on China • U.S. did not like this – It’s stake in the Open Door policy was close to $100 million a year • If Japan grew stronger and had more natural resources – they would be able to compete with the U.S. for global trade • U.S. citizens sympathized with the Chinese people • FDR authorized small loans to China to buy military supplies
The “China Incident” • 1937 Japan launched a full scale attack on Shanghai and Nanjing – cities in China • They killed tens of thousands of Chinese civilians • Japanese leaders tried to down play what happened by calling it the “China Incident” • This angered many Americans, however it was nothing more than words
Review • Why did Japan need to expand? • Where did they invade and why? • How did the U.S. feel about Japanese expansionism? • What was the “China Incident”?