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