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War In Asia Pacific

This article explores the reasons why peace in the Asia-Pacific region was threatened before and during World War II, focusing on Japan's foreign policy aims, military aggression, and poor relations with the West. It examines Japan's desire to build an empire, control resources, and house its growing population, as well as its goal to create a "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The article also highlights key events such as the Mukden Incident, Marco Polo Bridge Incident, and the Japanese invasion of China.

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War In Asia Pacific

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  1. War In Asia Pacific

  2. Focuses Why was peace in the Asia- Pacific region threatened? -Japan’s foreign policy aims (1931-1941) -Japan’s military aggression -Failure of LON to deal with Japan’s aggression -Poor relations between Japan and the West 2. Why did World War II break out in the Asia- Pacific region? -Japan’s war against China -The international situation -Worsening relations between USA and Japan -Increasing militarism (Tojo became PM)

  3. Japan’s foreign policy (1931-41) • To build an empire in the Asia- Pacific region • Want to be leading country in the region > needed to expand her empire • Expansion into Russia, China, Malaya, Indochina and the East Indies

  4. Japan’s foreign policy (1931-41) To free Asians from Western control • As the strongest military power, Japan wanted to lead Asia in removing Western imperialism • Felt it was Japan’s destiny to lead Asia >> created instability in the region as this meant that Japan has got to fight with the Western colonial powers

  5. Japan’s foreign policy (1931-41) To create a ‘Greater East Asia Co- Prosperity Sphere’ • Greater East Asia- Australia, New Zealand, Malaya, Burma, Indochina, East Indies, China and India. • These countries had resources that were scarce in Japan e.g. oil, tin and rubber. • These countries would also serve as markets for Japanese goods. QN: Were the Japanese sincere about ‘Co-Prosperity’?

  6. Japan’s foreign policy (1931-41) To house Japan’s growing population • Japan is a mountainous region- shortage of living area and arable land • Rapid increase in Japan’s population- 30 million in 1870 to 70 million by 1937 • Unable to house and feed the large population on mainland Japan • Therefore, overseas expansion is required to provide living areas and arable land for the increasing population

  7. Japan’s foreign policy (1931-41) To control resources • Japan’s economy was badly affected by the Great Depression >>needed raw materials and markets to sell their goods • Japan had her eyes on Manchuria (map on p. 179) • Manchuria can provide Japan with - cheap manpower - raw materials - overseas market for Japan’s goods

  8. Japan’s military aggression • Growing influence in the region • Japan managed to get control of Port Arthur, Southern Manchuria Railway and secured economic privileges in Manchuria • After World War I, Japan was given control of German colonies in the Pacific • Japan was increasingly extending its control over the Asia-Pacific region

  9. Japan’s military aggression Military started acting without government’s permission The Japanese Army was naturally inclined to use force for Japanese expansion and to solve economic problems. The army leaders were eager to exert control over the region and acted independently of the government. 2 incidents in the late 1920s and 1930s • Mukden Incident • Marco Polo Bridge Incident

  10. Japan’s military aggression • Mukden Incident • 18 Sept 1931, a train carrying Japanese passengers exploded outside Mukden. • Japanese Army accused the Chinese of attacking them and used the incident as an excuse to take over Mukden and Southern Manchuria

  11. Japan’s military aggression • Background: • In 1928, the Japanese Army bombed the train in which Manchurian warlord, Zhang Zuo Lin was travelling in. • >> hoped to pressure the Japan government to invade Manchuria. • Japanese army officers had acted without permission but were not punished. • QN: What does this incident tell you about the Japanese government?

  12. Japan’s military aggression • Zhang Xue Liang came to power in Manchuria • Formed an alliance with Chiang Kai Shek to fight the Japanese • The Japanese Army felt threatened by this alliance and reacted with aggression (leading to the Mukden Incident in 18 September 1931)

  13. Japan’s military aggression • Invasion of Manchuria followed the Mukden Incident • Japanese Army established a Japanese government in Manchuria • Renamed it Manchukuo in February 1932 • The last Manchu Emperor of Qing Dynasty Pu-Yi was installed as the new leader of Manchukuo. (a puppet government) • The Japanese Army filled all the important positions in the new state.

  14. Japan’s military aggression • Significance of the Mukden Incident • Japanese government was too weak to control the army. • With control of Manchuria, Japanese Army next moved into Northern China. • Growth in prestige and strength of the Japanese Army.

  15. Henry Pu-Yi

  16. Propaganda poster in Manchuria Flag of Manchukuo

  17. Japan’s military aggression • Marco Polo Bridge Incident • Marked the beginning of the 2nd Sino- Japanese War • 7 July 1937 • On pretext of looking for a missing soldier, the Japanese Army demanded that they be allowed to search within the Chinese area. • The request was refused and both sides exchanged fire. • Escalated into a full scale war between the Chinese and the Japanese

  18. Japanese Invasion of China The Rape of Nanjing

  19. Japanese Invasion of China

  20. Japanese Invasion of China

  21. Japanese Invasion of China

  22. Japan’s military aggression • Factors leading to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident • Japanese military - not expecting any resistance from the Chinese government - attacked while the Chinese economy and military strength were weak

  23. Japan’s military aggression • International situation - Japanese Army was confident that there would not be a war on the Russo- Japanese border - concentrate all their resources on defeating China

  24. Japan’s military aggression • Japanese political control of the Army was weak - could not stop the Army from escalating the incidents into war • Japanese zaibatsus - encouraging the government to go to war for their own benefits.

  25. Failure of LON Too weak to stop Japan’s invasion of Manchuria Outright violation of LON’s rules by invading another country Why was LON unable to stop Japan’s invasion? • LON slow response to the Manchurian Invasion - took a year to respond to the Lytton Commission

  26. Failure of LON • Weak members - Great Depression weakened leading LON members (Br and Fr) - therefore, unwilling to fight Japan 3. Self interests of members - leading countries more concerned with rebuilding their own economies

  27. Failure of LON 4. LON had no power to stop Japan’s aggression - Lytton Commision criticised the Japanese invasion - no further action from LON - Japan responded by withdrawing from LON - Japanese military leaders were convinced that the Western powers had little interests in going to war to protect China

  28. Poor Relations Between Japan and the West Racism of the West towards Japan Examples of racism • Washington Naval Conference- Japan to keep the size of her navy to 3/5 that of USA and Britain.’ • LON refused to declare that all nations are equal- ‘White Supremacy’

  29. Why did WWII break out in the Asia-Pacific region? • The first part of the chapter showed how and why Japan was threatening the peace of the region. (focus on Japan aggression and expansion in the region) • The second part of the chapter discussed the reasons for the outbreak of WWII in the region. (Japan’s aggression was further fuelled by other factors that eventually lead to war)

  30. Why did WWII break out in the Asia-Pacific region? • War in the Asia- Pacific region breaks out when Japan launched attacks on the US bases in the Philippines, the Pacific Islands and Hawaii. • At the same time, Japan also launched attacks against British Malaya and Hong Kong

  31. Japan’s war against China • The Marco Polo Bridge Incident marked the beginning of a full scale war against China. • Japan had expected a quick victory but the war dragged on for years. • The war drained Japan’s war resources such as oil, rubber, tin and scrap metal. • These resources are necessary for Japan to continue fighting China.

  32. Japan’s war against China • Japan was unable to replenish these resources because • China did not have enough of these raw materials to meet Japan’s needs • War in Europe had caused the prices of these raw materials to increase • Japan had to attack other countries to get these raw materials • British Malaya for rubber • Dutch East Indies for oil

  33. The International Situation Japan’s Neutrality Agreement with the Soviet Union • Many clashes between along the Russo-Japanese borders in 1938 and 1939 - Japan suffered defeats at Changkufeng and Nomohan at the hands of Soviet troops • Given these border disputes, Japan was afraid that any advances into China would allow the Russians to take advantage and attack Japan.

  34. The International Situation • Japan signed a neutrality agreement with Soviet Union in April 1941. • Both countries agreed not to fight each other. • This eliminated Japan’s fears of fighting a war on 2 fronts with China and Soviet Union at the same time.

  35. The International Situation War in Europe left European colonies in Asia undefended • The European countries were occupied with war against Germany in Europe. • The Southeast Asian colonies (British Malaya, French Indochina and Dutch East Indies) were left unprotected as the Western Powers were busy fighting the war in Europe. • This presented an opportunity for Japan to invade the S.E.Asian colonies for the raw materials.

  36. The International Situation • Japan forced the Vietnam government to allow them use of the air and naval bases in Vietnam. • Were training for jungle warfare in Vietnam- preparing for the attack on the rest of S.E.Asia • Signed a neutrality agreement with Siam (Thailand) to allow Japanese troops through unopposed

  37. The International Situation • The international situation was favourable towards an expansionist Japan’s foreign policy as the obstacles (neutrality agreements and Western colonial powers fighting in Europe) were removed and the way paved for increased Japan’s aggression in the region.

  38. Worsening relations between USA and Japan Japan saw the USA as a threat to its building an empire • Throughout the 1930s, US-Japanese relations became hostile and eventually broke down. • Japan considered the USA as being a threat to its ambitions of building up a great empire. • Events that led to the hostility • Mukden Incident- Japan’s invasion of Manchuria USA’s reaction - condemn Japan’s actions and refuse to recognise Manchukuo

  39. Worsening relations between USA and Japan 2. Japan’s expansion into North China 1932-1937 USA’s reaction - Refused to send war materials to countries at war (Neutrality Acts 1935) 3. Japan’s invasion of China USA’s reaction - USA took the side of China’s Nationalist government

  40. Worsening relations between USA and Japan • US opinion turned against Japan after the Japanese attacked an US navy ship near Nanjing 4. Japan’s occupation of Indochina 1940 USA’s reaction - USA expanded its military strength in reaction to Japan’s aggression - USA moved its Pacific Fleet closer to Japan (Pearl Harbor in Hawaii) so as to protect their trading interests in the region

  41. Worsening relations between USA and Japan • US fighter pilots volunteered in China’s war against Japan • US embargo on steel and scrap iron export to Japan to cut off 80% of Japan’s war material • USA froze all Japan’s assets in the USA • US President Franklin Roosevelt demanded for immediate Japan’s withdrawal from Indochina and China • Trade embargo against Japan • Oil embargo against Japan leave it with only a 2 years supply (insufficient for Japan)

  42. Worsening relations between USA and Japan US embargo on raw materials to Japan • USA was a major exporter of oil and metal to Japan • In 1941, USA placed an embargo on sale of steel, scrap iron and oil to Japan • Japan considered this embargo as a threat to Japan’s survival as they could not sustain the war with China without the raw materials

  43. Worsening relations between USA and Japan • USA’s condition to lift the embargo was to leave China immediately • No other countries was willing to sell oil to Japan • Therefore, Japan was left with 2 choices -leave China immediately or to invade the Dutch East Indies for oil

  44. Worsening relations between USA and Japan Breakdown of US-Japan talks in 1941 • A meeting was held between Nomura Kichisaburo and Cordell Hull as a last ditch attempt to prevent war from breaking out in the Asia Pacific. • However, both sides had very different goals for the region. • USA wanted Japan to withdraw from China. • Japan wanted China to accept Japanese occupation in China. >> Given these very different goals, a compromise was impossible to reach.

  45. Tojo became PM • Tojo, who was War Minister in Japan was made PM in 1941. • He believed that Japan’s problems could not be solved through peaceful negotiations and supported an aggressive foreign policy. • This increased the likelihood of war in the region.

  46. Tojo became PM Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour • 7 December 1941, the Japanese fleet launched an attack US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour. • The unprovoked attack was launched without warning. • Destroyed 3 US battleships and 300 aircrafts.

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