The Road to War in the

Pacific

What is an Expansionist Power?

A state that takes over countries & keeps extending

territory whenever & wherever it can.

Imperialism - the policy of extending the power

and dominion of a nation especially by direct

territorial acquisitions

The revamped

Japanese military

was hungry for

more action

Japanese Imperialism before

1930

1st Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) – Gained Formosa or Taiwan

Russo – Japanese War (1905) – Gained Port Arthur in Manchuria, S. Sakhalin & Liaotung

1910 – Annexed Korea

1919 – Gained Shantung Peninsula from WW I settlement Korea as the “dagger pointing to the

heart of Japan”

Japan’s Foreign Policy Aims

To build an empire in the

Asia – Pacific

To free Asians from

western control

To find room for Japan’s

growing population

To control resources &

raw materials By the 1930s, the Japanese

military was one of the most

advanced in the world &

was ready for action

Building an Empire in the

Pacific

Japan wanted to

become the leading

power in the Asia

Pacific region

To do this, it needed

to build an empire

Japan was casting glances over

territories in the Far East.

To “Liberate” Asia

Most of SE Asia under western colonial control

Japan initiated propaganda to “liberate” them

“Asia for Asians” – Asians should stand up against western imperialism

“Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” – Resources should be for the benefit of Asia, not westerners.

Japan as the leader of Asia, should lead the fight against western colonial powers.

A propaganda poster on Asian

cooperation

Colonialism in South East Asia

Find Room for Population

Population in 1870: 30

million

Population in 1930: 70

million

Japan could no longer

find living space & food

for its exploding

population

Needed to resettle its

population elsewhere Tokyo in the early 1900s. Japan

was fast becoming over-crowded

Japan’s Population

Control Natural Resources

The Great Depression made it hard for Japan

to import resources & export its goods

Overseas territories would provide resources

& give Japan a market to sell its goods.

Manchuria was a prime target:

Cheap abundant manpower

Raw materials like coal, timber, iron, grain & gold

An overseas market

Where in the world is

Manchuria?

Manchuria was extremely rich

in natural resources which

Japan coveted. Only problem:

it belonged to China

Mukden Incident, 1931

A bomb exploded on the S. Manchurian Railway

track in Mukden which was owned by Japan

The Japanese army accused the Chinese

government of sabotage.

Events shrouded with controversy

The scene of the railway

“sabotage”

Kwantung Army Acts

In retaliation, the Kwantung

Army stationed in Manchuria

attacks Chinese positions

It’s excuse was to “defend

Japanese interests” in the

region

Manchuria is soon captured

They established the state of

Manchukuo with the last Qing

emperor, Pu Yi, installed as its

puppet ruler

Kwantung Army marches

into Manchurian cities

Henry Pu Yi,

The last

Emperor of

China

Japanese Govt Powerless

Kwantung army acted

independently of

Japanese Government

Prime Minister Ki Inukai

protested against the

invasion, but was

powerless to do anything

Inukai’s opposition to the

Kwantung Army would cost

him dearly.

League of Nation’s Response

(or lack of)

Convened the Lytton commission to Manchuria

to investigate

Commission declared Manchurian invasion

illegal & that Japan should withdraw immediately

Japan did withdraw… but from the League Of

Nations in 1932

League Of Nations took no further action &

Japan was convinced the west was too weak to

prevent its expansionist ambitions

League of Nation’s Response

(or lack of)

West were too busy

recovering from Great

Depression to care

about Manchuria

League Of Nations

also had no army to

force Japan to do

anything

Newspaper article on the

Mukden Incident

Fascists Unite!

Anti – Comintern Pact

(1936)

Nazi Germany & Japan

pledge to fight

communism

However, Japan was

concerned with the Nazi-

Soviet Non-Aggression

Pact in 1940.

Tripartite Pact (1940)

Italy, Germany & Japan

become allies

Axis representatives signing the

Tripartite Agreement.

Why did War break out in the

Pacific?

Japan’s desire to conquer China

Japan’s neutrality with the Soviets

Europeans more worried about Hitler

Worsening relations with the U.S.

Appointment of Hideki Tojo as Prime

Minister.

Japan’s Desire to Conquer

China

Historically, Japan had always been China’s

tributary.

Wanted to assert its dominance over China once

and for all.

Wanted access to China’s rich port cities &

resources

China was also weak, having civil war.

Zaibatsus were also pushing for war to gain assess

to lucrative Chinese markets, industries & resources

China in Turmoil

The Chinese were too busy fighting among themselves than to worry about

the Japanese threat. Left: Mao Zedong leads the Chinese Communist Party

while Chiang Kai shek on the right leads the Nationalists.

Marco Polo Bridge Incident –

7th July 1937

A misunderstanding led

to an exchange of fire

between both sides at

Marco Polo Bridge.

Japan demanded that

Chinese troops withdraw

but the latter refused.

Became a full-scale

invasion of China

The Pacific War had

begun

Chinese troops engage Japanese

forces at Marco Polo bridge

Neutrality with Soviets

Japan initially coveted

Soviet lands as well.

However they were

defeated in battles at

Changkufeng &

Nomonhan.

Sued for peace &

signed neutrality pact

with Soviets in 1941 to

concentrate on China

The Imperial Japanese Army took a

beating at Nomonhan by the

Soviets.

European pre-occupation with

Hitler

Hitler had been re-

arming Germany since

the mid 1930s

Britain, France & Holland

were more concerned

about defending their

own countries.

Could spare little

resources to defend

South East Asian

colonies.

The west obviously gave priority to

Europe rather than Asia. This would

come back to bite them later.

General Tojo Becomes PM

With the appointment of a

general as Prime Minister, it

was obvious that Japan would

pursue an aggressive foreign

policy stance

Tojo, a former Kwantung Army

commander, believed war with

the U.S. could not be avoided. General (later PM) Hideki

Tojo – 1884 – 1948

Worsening Relations with the

U.S.

U.S. declared Chinese invasion illegal.

Placed trade embargo on oil, steel & scrap iron to Japan.

Forced Japan to look at South East Asia for for resources.

American “mercenary” fighters – Flying Tigers aid China’s Nationalist Government.

Despite this, both sides were keen to avoid war & had last ditch talks

However, Japan refused American demands to withdraw from China & talks broke down.

American Pacific Fleet

U.S. had a powerful

fleet stationed at

Pearl Harbour,

Hawaii

This posed a huge

obstacle to Japanese

advance into South

East Asia.

The solution was

obvious…..

American President Franklin

Roosevelt pushed for a tough stance

on Japanese aggression in the

Pacific.

Japan vs. China

After Marco Polo. bridge,

Japan’s forces pour into

China

However, realized China

was too huge for Japan to

conquer.

Had to settle for China’s

rich coastal cities like

Beijing, Nanjing,

Shanghai etc...

Japanese rule was

extremely brutal

Japan’s forces march into Nanjing,

the capital of the Nationalist govt.

Rape of Nanjing

Wanton looting, murder & rape by Japanese army

Casualties ranged from 100,000 – 300,000

Even infants & elderly women were not spared rape

Japanese textbooks today play down the Nanjing Massacre, a source of contention between Japan & China.

These 2 Japanese Officers had a

contest to see who can collect 100

Chinese heads first

Sons were forced to rape their mothers, fathers

were forced to rape daughters. One pregnant

woman who was gang-raped by Japanese

soldiers gave birth only a few hours later;

although the baby appeared to be physically

unharmed. Monks who had declared a life of

celibacy were also forced to rape women.

An eye-witness account of the Rape of Nanjing

Mass graves containing massacred

Chinese infants

Japan Sweeps into South East

Asia

Attack on Pearl Harbor coordinated with advance into South East Asia.

1941 – Hong Kong, Malaya, Philippines & Burma fell

1942 – Singapore & Dutch East Indies fell

Thailand signed alliance with Japanese to avoid being conquered

French Indo-China became Japan’s ally as well.

South East Asia came under Japanese control by 1942