World War II

1. World War II Unit 1: Road to War

2. Rise of Japan

3. I. Seclusion • Japan was under feudalism until mid-1800s • Dominated by the shoguns (warlords) and powerful families • Europe was developing empires and industrializing at the time • Christianity was spreading • Shoguns fearful it would begin military conquest and Western domination of Japan • Shoguns were the rulers of Japan from 794 - 1867 • Japan expelled missionaries and foreigners and secluded itself in 1635

4. USA sent Commodore Matthew Perry to open Japan’s ports in 1853 • USA wanted to include Japan in its “empire” and open it to trade with the West • He approached Tokyo with 4 gun boats displaying the USA’s military power • Japanese couldn’t fight the modern guns • Perry demanded to be heard • In 1854 the Japanese opened their ports to America with European nations to follow • Soon, foreigners controlled Japanese trade and were granted extraterritoriality (foreigners are not subject to local laws)

6. II. Meiji Restoration (1868) • Power shifted to emperor (had only been a figurehead in the feudal period) • Parliamentary system created • Massive changes: • Samurai class abolished (warrior class who were the only legal military before) • Males conscripted in military (increased military size) and military was modernized • Industrialization and technological developments to become the first industrialized Asian nation • 1898 – Japan became the first Asian nation to be “equal” with West

7. III. World Power • 1904-5 Japan went to war with Russia (over Korea and Manchuria) • Japan wanted to expand • Japan defeated Russia • Became first Asian nation to defeat European power in modern era! • Japan was then viewed as a world power

8. Japan entered WWI with Allies and mainly seized German colonial islands • After WWI, Japan considered part of the Big Five world powers • It controlled much of the Pacific

9. Imperial Japan

10. IV. Asian Power • Japan’s military increased • Naval power was seen as the key to controlling the Pacific and East Asia • Washington Naval Conference (1922): Japan could build 3 tons of ships for every 5 tons of ships England or USA built • This limited Japan’s naval strength to 60% of US or England’s navies • Japan’s economy was growing with its military • It needed outside resources to fuel growth

11. V. Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere • Japan was becoming more ultranationalist! • Belief that one’s own nation is the BEST • Japan wanted to lead a bloc of Asian countries free from Western influence • Under this pretext, Japan became belligerent and issued propaganda to “free” its neighbors from Western power

12. VI. An End to War? • League of Nations was seen as way to stop wars • International forum for leaders to discuss • Kellogg-Briand Act (1928) signed by many nations • This made war illegal! • Prohibited the use of aggressive war and war as national policy except for self defense • Proved to be ineffective

13. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 after a section of Japanese railroad was dynamited in Manchuria • Japanese called this The MukdenIncident. • Staged by the Japanese who then blamed the Chinese • Japanese wanted more living space and resources • League of Nations did nothing except renounce Japan • This showed rest of world that League of Nations was impotent • Other leaders were emboldened to increase their militaries • Japan would resign from League in 1933

14. VII. Japan Invades China • China threatened Japan’s occupation of Manchuria • Many Japanese feared openly defying England and USA by attacking China, a US ally • But it was seen as only way to secure Japanese interests • Japan attacked Chinese cities in July 1937

15. Chiang Kai-shek Vows to Fight Japanese

16. Japanese captured Beijing and launched a huge assault on Shanghai • Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) mobilized 200,000 soldiers to capture city • After 3 months of intense fighting, city falls • International sector still secure from Japanese control • Japanese attacked Nationalist’s (led by Chiang Kai-shek) capital of Nanking • 350,000 IJA attack • Chiang’s government moves further West to Chongqing • “Rape of Nanking” – Japanese soldiers in their belief of their own racial superiority plunder city • Over 200,000 civilians die! • These atrocities only arouse Chinese patriotism

17. “There probably is no crime that has not been committed in this city today. Thirty girls were taken from the language school last night, and today I have heard scores of heartbreaking stories of girls who were taken from their homes last night—one of the girls was but 12 years old… Tonight a truck passed in which there were eight or ten girls, and as it passed they called out ‘Jiu ming! Jiu ming!’”—save our lives. • —Minnie Vautrin's diary, 16 December1937

18. "I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night, and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet... People are hysterical... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases." —Reverend James McCallum

19. Prince Asaka led Japanese troops; he was never prosecuted for war crimes. He claimed he, “never received a complaint about his soldiers.”

20. VIII. Chinese Resistance • Chinese communists and nationalists stopped their civil war • Chiang Kai-shek (nationalists) and Mao Zedong (communists) fought against Japanese invaders rather than each other

21. IX. USA Reaction • USA was VERY much against Japanese actions • USA wanted China as an ally and wanted to halt Japanese expansion • USS Panay was attacked and sunk by “accident” in December 1937 • This would infuriate Americans against Japanese • America planned for a war against Japan • FDR expanded U.S. naval power in preparation