What were the causes of the Second World War in the Pacific?

1. What were the causes of the Second World War in the Pacific?

2. Background: 1. Japanese Grievances

3. Japans aims: • Territorial gains of the Pacific islands • Rights and concessions won at Shandong to be retained • Current issues in Siberia to be kept off the table • In short acc to Michael Barnhart Japan sought to have it enlarged imperial position recognized by the itnernational community

4. Japan’s obstacles • Woodrow Wilson arrived in Paris with the idea of bringing in a new world order • He wanted the creation of the LON where all nations would be represented as equals • Wilson meant to revolutionize the rules of the game of international relations is ways nearly always detrimental to Japan’s hard won gains of the last 25 years • Japan’s gains and actions were not in keeping with those rules

5. Japan domestic issues • For Hara the PM , a diplomatic victory at Versailles very important • It was the failure of the govt in 1905 which had catapulted Hara’s party the Seiyukai to power. • Hara determined not to have the opposition unseat him • Thus Japan approached the Conference defensively

6. Japan and China at Versailles • Japan attacked by China as the violator of the principles of the LON • Aus and NZ objected to Japan in the Pacific • Japan’s racial equality clause idea blocked • Finally Japan threatened not to join the LON • Price to join LON was granting of Shandong and receive Pacific territories as Mandates • This was not acceptable to China and when these terms were revealed in May 1919 it led to a massive protest in China> Called the May 4th Movement

7. Treaty of Versailles • Japanese delegates felt that they were slighted when their demands for the ‘racial equality clause ‘ were ignored. • USA withdrew from Treaty of Versailles and League • Yet it maintained a presence in the Pacific, claimed Open Door Policy in trade with China

8. Michael Barnhart… • Hara convinced that the US would be the key player in the region • To maintain that relationship and to be a part of the new order, Hara sacrificed some of the aims at the Conference • Hara would continue to pay over the next two years to secure that membership

9. Japan’s tensions with the US • Hinged on three issues • Japans involvement in Siberia • Japans growing naval power was seen as a threat by GB and USA • Japan’s gains in China worried GB • To resolve part of the tensions Japan at America’s insistence recognized the right of the GB, French, US and Japanese banks to form a consortium and lend money to China • Hara also agreed to a partial withdrawal from some areas in Shandong. China refused to discuss this with Japan • IN addition Hara had to face tensions as the army was beginning to play an increasingly important role. It was reluctant to withdraw from Siberia and Manchuria

10. Japan’s domestic tensions • It is to be noted here that much of Japan’s policy is determined by its domestic tensions. • Army, fortunately Hara’s War Minster an ex-Admiral Tanaka. He was able to convince the army to withdraw from Siberia • Growing inflation and rice riots • Navy also now wanted an enlarged role like the army. Its demands of 8-8 was a major issue and nearly destabilised the govt.

11. Washington Naval Conference 1922 • On the surface the conference was about Naval disarmament as stated in the Treaty of Versailles • Reality was it was about containing the power of Japan • Both GB and USA worried about the growing power of Japan in the Pacific region • USA wanted to contain its power and GB wanted to opt out of its alliance • Japan gained in this with the ratio of 5:5: 3:1.75:1.75

12. Japanese gains at the Washington Naval Conference • Japanese gain the advantage in the Pacific as its fleet was to police only one ocean • Japan agreed to lower ratio in return for being able to keep its latest battleship and dismantling of fortifications on German Pacific colonies • US and UK agreed in turn not to develop any new military bases with the exception of Hawaii, Singapore and Japanese home waters • Japan was the gainer because the nearest hostile base the Hawaii was 6,000 miles away from Japan • Japanese were upset by these decisions. Hara was assassinated by a fanatic in 1921

13. Japanese losses and stalemate • Accept a lower ratio • End of Anglo Japanese alliance • The alliance was replaced by a ambiguous 4 Power Pact. It was consultative but did not apply to China, thereby signaling that the US did not endorse Japan’s claims on China • Signed the 9 power treaty respecting China’s sovereignty • This bound all the powers not to enlarge their rights in China in the future but it did not challenge positions and rights gained in the past.

14. What did Washington Conference achieve? • A decade of stability to Japan’s relations with the West • Relations and events in China were tumultous and Japan had to take some key decisions • Who would govern Japan? The parties?the Army? The Navy?

15. Summing up • Hara’s death meant that Japanese politics was fractured • No political party or the army would unite Japanese politics • As a result Japan did not have a unified or even consistent foreign policy for the end of WW1 to the 2nd ( Barnhart)

16. Japan Domestic Issues 1921-1931 • Tokyo Earthquake 1923 • Riots were believed to be masterminded by Koreans • A time of tensions, arrests, riots • More domestic instability for Japan • In 1924 Kato became PM • Attempted domestic reforms • Responsible for voting rights for all Japanese males over the age of 25 • Reduced the size of the Imperial Army • Relations with Moscow restored but tensions with Communists remained • Peace Preservation Law passed….censorship, arrests etc.

17. Japan Foreign Policy 1921-1929 • Foreign Minister Shidehara tried to maintain good relations with the US inspite of a humiliating law in 1924 which barred Orientals from entering the US • Shidehara wanted to build on trade and investment with China • However by this time the Army was beginning to take control and the government and army often at odds and followed contradictory policies • The army was determined to hold on to Manchuria at all costs, to the point where it even tried to topple the Kato Government

18. Japan Govt and the Army • From 1924 onwards the government and army pursued contradictory policies • From 1924 when Chiang Kai Shek wanted Japan and Kwantung army to help him regain control, the govt refused but the Army began to look for allies against Shidehara. • Confrontation with govt and govt won • Army was secretly supporting China • But by 1924 China was allied with USSR and Japanese businesses were targeted • Shidehara’s refusal to deal effectively with this lost him his power and in Shanghai the May 30th incident • Shidehara chose to deal with China. China granted tarriffautonmoy

19. Japan and China 1926 onwards • 1926 CKS makes a bid for control of China • He announced the ‘Northern Expedition’ • Shidehara chose to be uninvolved • Chang Tsolin the pro Japanese warlord felt that the imperial army ( IJA )would not abandon him • CKS gained control of key cities except Manchuria • By then Shidehara no longer in control as he was ousted from power. • Tanaka became the PM

20. Tanaka and China • Unlike Shidehara , Tanaka wanted to negotiate with China to get control of Manchuria • Tanaka Chiang Kai Shek agreement. Chiang agreed not to take Manchuria in return from Chiang’s taking control of China • By 1927 Tanaka’s position weak the politics in Japan weakened his position • Tanaka unable to prevent army from interfering in China’s affairs, the ‘Tsinan Incident’ in Shandong was caused by the IJA • By mid 1927 the government of Japan had no control over the army • Tanaka wanted to allow China to take control of Manchuria as long as Japanese interests were not harmed • Army wanted to control Manchuria

21. IJA and Manchuria • Over and over again the IJA demonstrated that it controlled issues in China and not the Japanese govt. • IJA did not want that China should regain control of Manchuria, not even token control • IJA afraid that Chang Tsolin would give in to Chiang Kai Shek , so his train was blown up • Rioting in Manchuria incited by the IJA • IJA miscalculated…. Chang Tsolin’s son went over to Chiang Kai Shek’sside when he learned that his father’s murderers were Japanese

22. London Naval ConferenceIssue

23. Japan’s tensions with the West • Shidehara who came back to office a second time, wanted to maintain ties with the west • Japan back on the Gold Standard: this was significant • However, naval disarmament on hold since 1922 was becoming an issue • London Naval Confernce held in 1929

24. Manchuria 1931 • Japan maintained control of Manchuria through its support with Zhang Tsolin • CKS attempts to unify China and the rise fo Chinese nationalism prompted fears in Japan and posed a challenge to Japanese control of the mainland China • 18/9/1931, Japanese army staged an ‘incident’. A bomb went off in Mukden. The Japanese Kwantung army claimed the Chinese did it.

25. Why Manchuria?

26. Manchuria 1932 • By 1932 Manchuria under Japanese control • Pu Yi last Emperor became the puppet emperor of ManchuGuo • This action a clear breach of LON mandate • LON declaimed that ManchuGuo was illegal and demanded Japanese withdrawal • Japan chose to ignore LON and withdraw from League

27. US reaction to Japanese aggression • Introduction of the Stimson Doctrine • Stimson Doctrine refused to recogniseManchuGuo or any arrangement imposed on China by force

28. Impact of the Depression • Japan hit very hard by the Depression • Its rice , silk and textile markets collapsed because of US policy

29. US Neutrality ACts • These a major contributing factor to WW2 in the Pacific • Issued in response to Japanese aggression in China in 1937 • Refused loans and armaments to countries at war • Travel on belligerent vessels was illegal • US anger at the sinking of the PANAY a US gunboat. It was sunk by the Japanese off Nanjing • US supported China and criticised Japanese actions in China • US not willing to commit to war to help China but demanded and received compensation for the PANAY incident

30. Neutrality Act • In reality the Act had little legal claim because War had not been declared • Roosevelt did not invoke the act, because it would close doors to China • Since the act was not implemented Japan was able to get supplies

31. Roosevelts Quarantine Speech • A factor that exacerbated tensions • Message to isolationists in US was War was coming and that there was no escape through neutrality or isolation • Japan took it to mean that it was a warning

35. Japanese Foreign Policy • A direct contributor to WW2 in the Pacific • A combination of militant nationalism • Desire to be a regional power • A new modern army and navy set up since the Meiji Restoration • Armed forces to play a role in govt. • By 1936 army and navy ministers to be ranked offices • Cabinet to include service men

36. Armed forces to be king-makers • Cabinet members were to be represented by armed forces • A cabinet could be toppled if a navy or army minister resigned • Increased budget spending on armed forces • Gradually as the Depression worsened there seemed to be the perception that civilian governments could not cope

37. Militarism in Japan • Japanese armed forces relied on 2 principles: absolute obedience to superiors and do not be taken alive in battle. • Training of Japanese soldiers very harsh and brutal • This brutality was reflected in Japanese attitudes in its war with China and S.E.Asia • Ironically in the Russo Japanese war, the Japanese were respected for their honorable treatment of troops!!!

38. Impact of the Depression • Rise of dictatorships seen by Japan as the answer to its problems • Japanese politicians blamed • Affected by Chinese nationalism because its investments in China, especially Manchuria were threatened • Furthermore the thinking evolved that if Japan had an empire it could create its own trade barriers and protectionist policies

39. Fairbanks’ View Reasons for Japanese militarism? • Japanese government had elites which included Cabinet and the armed forces • There was no tradition of democracy where the will of the people could counter the role of the military • ‘Military services in modernizing states tend to be politically strong in modernising states and weak in fully modern states’ • Japan was the former case, its military had never been subordinated to civilian control and as the most dynamic group in the sociteytthey rose to power.

43. Sino Japanese War 1937-1945 • Attack begins with Marco Polo Bridge incident • Fear of USSR which had 240,000 troops as compared to Japanese 160,000 • Japan attempted to capture Nanjing the capital to end the war and not ally with USSR • Rape of Nanjing followed 12/12/37 • CKS withdrew to Chongqing • Japanese set up a puppet government in Nanjing with Wang Jingwei in March 1940 • SO now there were 4 centres of power in China