Japan Builds an Empire
WWII notes
• During WWI Japan joined the Allies
• Conquered several areas in the pacific
• After the war they began a parliamentary
system and increased the number of
people who could vote
• Helped found the League of Nations
– Pledged to solve all disagreements peacefully
(Kellogg-Briand Pact)
Manchurian Incident
• Japan took over
Manchuria because…
– Needed land and
resources for its
growing population
– Claimed that Chinese
soldiers tried to blow up
a railway line
• Manchuria was now
the independent sate
of Manchukuo, under
Japanese protection
– Became a puppet state
Manchurian Incident
• League of Nations ordered Japan to give up Manchukuo
– Japan refuses and withdraws from the League of Nations
• This incident increased the power of the Japanese army
– Radicals wanted complete control so they assassinated the
prime minister
– An uprising in 1936 led to murder of government officials
• Civilian politicians feared for their lives so they did not criticize the
military
• Military gains complete control of government and uses
Manchuria as a base for further expansion in Asia
War against China
• Japan wanted to expand
and looked toward Beijing
and Tianjing
• Japan’s superior weapons
were able to beat the size
of China’s army
• Japan’s planed bombed
cities
• “Rape of Nanjing”Japanese soldiers
brutalized or killed at least
100,000 citizens
– US and other nations spoke
out against Japan and
international aggression
• “the epidemic of world
lawlessness is spreading”-FDR
War Against China
• Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts to keep US
out of foreign conflicts
• Soviets also concerned and gave arms, military advisors,
and war planes to China
• Britain sent supplies through the Burma Road
• By 1939 the war with China reached a stalemate
• Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere- Statement
from the prime minister that they would expand territory
to Dutch East Indies
– Declared that they would liberate Asia from European control
• But really wanted natural resources to continue war with China
• In 1940 Japan allied with Germany and Italy through the
Tripartite Pact