History - Move to Global War

1853: US Matthew Perry arrives

• Offers to open trade between nations, successful

1868: Meiji restoration, period of modernisation

• Impacts: western model reforms, constitution installed, industrialisation, education and military reforms

1894-95: First Sino-Japanese War

• Won by Japan, took lands in Taiwan and concessions in Manchuria

1904-05: Russo-Japanese War

• Won by Japan

• USSR w/ weakened political system nearing revolution, Japan took some land

1914: Entered WWI

• Aftermath

  • In Treaty of Versailles, received some German holdings of land but had equality clause denied by Western powers which would have established Japan as an equal World Power

Problems of the period

• Fragile government, fears of communism, conservatives and army questioning internationalism, post-war economy slumped and worsened w/ 1929 Great Depression

1921-22: Washington conference

• 4 Power Treaty: UK, US, France + Japan, agreement around threats of Asian territory

• 9 Power Treaty: keep China as open land for all 9 powers

• 5 Power Naval Agreement: Japan agreed to limit navy, other didn’t limit as much making it feel discriminated against

Pre-Expansion state

• Instability in China

  • 1926 Northern Expedition (GMD attempts at unifying)

  • 1927 Civil War between GMD and CCP

• Instability in Japan

  • Conflicting government and military

  • Dark Valley: political and military divisions

Period of Expansion

Causes of expansion

• 1929 Great Depression

  • Worsening economy, high unemployment, crushed exports

• Why Manchuria?

  • Raw materials: offered chance for autarky

Expansions

• 1931 Manchurian Crisis

  • 1931 Mukden Incident

    • Army exploded railway, blamed Chinese, moved into Manchuria

  • Fighting in Shanghai

  • Japanese air force bombings

  • 1933 Treaty of Tanggu

    • China concedes control to Japan making Manchuria → Manchukuo and a Japanese puppet state

    • Hopes that this would be enough for Japan

    • China then prioritised dealing w/ communism

  • LoN sent Lytton Commission (requested withdrawal of Japan)

    • Japan refused, left LoN

  • Results

    • Worsened relations between Japan & China

    • Stopped internationalism

    • Showed control of army

• 1937 Second Sino-Japanese war

  • Marco Polo Bridge Incident: Japan soldiers attacked Chinese

  • Rape of Nanjing: Japanese soldiers in Nanjing raped, tortured and killed countless women

  • US interventions

    • 1938 offered aid to China

    • 1939 established moral embargo, no planes

    • 1941 sent fighter planes to China, froze Japanese assets in US

  • Results

    • GMD and CCP joined to stop Japan, international outrage, showed control of military over government

Period of continued expansion

1940 Tripartite Axis Pact

• Germany, Italy + Japan

• Germany/Italy → European expansion

• Japan → Asian expansion

1941 Neutrality Act

• USSR + Japan

• Eased Japanese concerns on Northern Border

US, UK and Netherlands Attacks

• Pearl Harbor & Philipines (US territories)

• Hong Kong & Singapore (UK territories)

• Aims

  • Incapacitate western navies

• Results

  • Destroyed 90% of US air and sea power

Rise of Fascism

• Divided nation: unified in 1860 but w/ great divisions, no national identity

• 1914 WWI

  • Exacerbated divisions

  • Killed millions, larger political divisions, war cost much more than gains received

Problems

• Public anger over war settlements, high unemployment, economic crisis, restricted emigration due to US bans, fear of communism

1921 National Fascist Party Initiated

• Established by Mussolini

• Promoted nationalism, dictatorship, glorification of war, anti-communism, anti-internationalism

1922 March on Rome

• Fascist ‘Black Shirts’ marched to Rome in attempted coup

• Violence led by fascist members, government not able to suppress

• King sided w Mussolini, named him Prime Minister

1923 Party Merges & Corfu Affair

• Fascist party merged w/ Nationalist

• Acerbo Law: party w/ most votes receives most seats in parliament

• Corfu Affair: italian official killed in Greece, entire army sent to Greece, withdrawal ordered by LoN

1924 Elections & Seizure of Fiume & Treaty w/ Albania

• Elections: marred by political violence, fascists grow from 7% to 67%

• Seizure of Fiume: town held by Yugoslavia

• Treaty of Friendship: w/ Albania, gave protectorate status (one protects other)

1925 Mussolini as il Duce & Locarno Treaty

• Claimed himself head of government, duke of Fascism

• Law on Powers of Head of Government

  • Supreme powers that could only be removed by King

• Political parties banned, press controlled, OVRA (secret police) established, juries controlled, creation of Fascist Youth Movement

• Locarno Treaty: confirmed Western borders

1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact

• International pact, countries agreed not to go to war

Period of Aggression

Leading Factors

• Fascism (glorified war, expansionism) and economic crisis

1933 Four Power Pact / Quadripartite Agreement

• UK, France, Germany + Italy

• Reaffirmed Great Power influence in Europe

1934 Austria

• Supported their independence

• Moved troops to Northern border as show of force to German threat

1935 Stressa Conference

• Italy, UK + France

• Maintained status quo in Europe preventing Germany from violations of Versailles

1935-36 Invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

• Why?

  • Region was between Italian territories, wanted to gain colonial troops, demonstrate Italian strength

• 1934 Clash of forces in Wal Wal Oasis

  • Similar to Mukden Incident

  • Mussolini wants apology

  • Selassie (chancellor of Abyssinia) refuses, calls for LoN intervention

  • Italy, as member of LoN refuses intervention

• 1935 troops invade

  • Lots of violence, economic sanctions from LoN placed

• Results

  • Many ethiopian losses

  • Increased tensions w/ UK

  • End of Stressa Front

1936 Spanish Civil War

• Opportunity to support fascists over communists, expanded fascist government support

• Hopes to gain naval bases in Mediterranean

• Violates non-intervention pledges alongside USSR+ Germany, 7000 troops sent

• Results

  • High economic costs, weakened Italy (depletion of arms)

  • New alliances: Rome-Berlin Axis 1936, Anti-Cominterm Pact w/ Germany + Japan 1937

  • Italy leaves LoN

1938 Nearing WWII

• Supports Germany and its occupation of Sudetenland

• 1939 Pact of Steel: w/ Germany, military defensive alliance

1940 Joins War

• Not prepared but wants to be seen as Great Power + territorial gains

• To avoid Germany dominated Europe

• Invasions of Egypt (UK) from Libya, Greece from Albania, France from Alps