Authoritarian Regimes

Authoritarian Regimes

Case Study: Fascist Japan

Chapter 5

Chapter Objectives

• The beginnings of Fascism and how it became popular

• Factors contributing to the failure of the democratic government in Japan

• Reasons for the rise of Fascism in

Japan

Essentially…The Chapter is about…

Failure of the Democratic Government

• Weakness of the Japanese Parliament

• Corrupt Politicians

• Lacked Support of Workers and Peasants

Impact of Economic

Problems

• Problems at the end of

World War I

• 1929 Great Depression

WHAT LED TO THE RISE

OF FASCISM IN

JAPAN

Unhappiness with Japanese

Leaders who wanted Friendly

Ties with the former

Allied Powers

Fear of Chinese Nationalism

• Anti-Japanese Protests

Unhappiness with Former Allied

Powers

1919 Versailles Treaty

1921-22 Washington Naval Conference

Mid-1920s Immigration Issues

Chapter Assignment

Due in Week 4 a) To what extent did a weak Japanese parliament contribute to the failure of the democratic government in Japan?

Explain your answer. (12m) b) “Unhappiness with the former Allied

Powers was the most important reason that led to the rise of fascism in Japan.”

How far do you agree with this statement?

Explain your answer. (13m)

Activity 1

• What is Fascism?

• In groups of 4, come up with a mind-map on what Fascism is about

• You may use your textbook as a guide

• You have 10 minutes

What is Fascism?

FASCISM

Fascism was spread throughout the world and in Japan, the idea was strongly influenced by the

Military

Fascism also brought

About a sense of belonging

What led to the Failure of the

Democratic Government in Japan?

• Why did Fascism seem so attractive?

• The Japanese democratic leaders were weak, corrupt and inefficient

• As a result, they were unable to solve the economic problems that plagued the people of

Japan

• Since Fascism valued the nation and worked towards its progress through strong leadership, the idea appealed to many

Japanese



• The Factors:

1.

The Limited Power of the Diet

2.

The Damage of Democracy’s Reputation by Corruption

3.

Failure to Solve Economic Problems

• Farmer’s Economic Problems

• Workers’ Economic Problems

• Trade Imbalance

• Great Depression of 1929



1.


• Although there was a parliament (Diet), power remained with the Emperor and the Genro (retired statesmen who served the Emperor)

• No power to make decisions or policies

• Could not control the ministers as they were under the control of the Emperor



1.


• As the Diet had no control over the government, it’s recommendations were usually overruled

• As a result, the military wielded much power over the government



2.

The Damage of Democracy’s Reputation by Corruption

• As Democratic leaders had to be elected into the Diet, political parties were formed with large sponsorship from the

Zaibatsus

• The Zaibatsus sponsored politicians in order to use the close ties to make the government pass laws that would benefit them



2.

The Damage of Democracy’s

Reputation by Corruption

• Because of these close ties, there were many rumours of corruption

• Due to these accusations, many political parties fought in parliament and disillusioned the

Japanese people



3.

Failure to Solve Economic

Problems

• Farmers’ Economic Problems

• Lack of land which led to a lack of profits as the plots were too small to grow more rice

• Landlords rented land at very high prices which made life difficult for the farmers

• Tenant unions used violence and tenantlandlord violence was very common



3.


Problems

• Workers’ Economic Problems

• Poor living and working conditions

• Crowded and unhygienic quarters

• Worked long hours

• Locked in working compounds

• Could only leave their working compounds a few times each month

• Fed up, most workers joined Communistsponsored unions



3.


Problems

• Trade Imbalance

• Despite its internal problems, Japan prospered from global trade

• Japan exported silk textiles, china (plates, cups, etc) and porcelain

• However, there was a trade imbalance because Japan had to import many raw materials and food from abroad to feed its growing population



3.


Problems

• The Great Depression of 1929

• Led to a decrease in Japan exports due to protectionism policies (increase in taxes on foreign goods to protect home-made products in difficult economic times)

• Japan was badly affected because the demand for Japanese silk fell drastically

• This led to economic depression



High Taxes on Japanese Silk

More people bought silk or other type of cloths produced by their home countries thus reducing the demand for

Japanese silk

Effect of

Protectionism on

Japan

High prices of

Japanese silk

People in other countries could not afford to buy

Japanese silk



80%

Fall in

Silk Prices

Other businesses were affected

Businessmen who

Owned silk factories

Went bankrupt

Impact of decrease in silk Price

The Japanese had less money to buy other goods

Lower prices led to fewer goods being produced

Fewer workers were needed in factories and more Japanese became unemployed

Effects of the Great

Depression on Japan

CRASH!

Loss of Paper Profits

Less Employment

Less Demand

Lower Prices

Less Production

Less Money in Circulation

DEPRESSION

Less Bank Credit

Less Employment

Less Demand

Less Building of Factories and Homes



3.


Problems


• The farmers were very badly hit because they produced silk to earn more income

• Worse still, they were hit by a drought in

1932 and made even less money

• Desperate they even resorted to selling their daughters to make ends meet



3.


Problems


• When the economy failed to improve, they joined the army or patriotic societies

• The peasants felt that democracy wasn’t working and instead believed in national reconstruction, military strength and respect for authority

• Many young rural men enlisted in the

Japanese army



a) To what extent did a weak Japanese parliament contribute to the failure of the democratic government in

Japan? Explain your answer. (12m)

• Step 1: Explain how the weak Japanese parliament contributed to the failure of the democratic government in Japan (Remember to EXPLAIN HOW IT HAPPENED and

NOT WHAT IT IS…)

• Step 2: Explain 2 OTHER FACTORS In this case, Damage to Democracy’s Reputation and the Failure to Solve

Economic Problems

• Step 3: Weigh your answer. How far was the weak

Japanese parliament responsible for the failure of the democratic government AS COMPARED TO the 2 OTHER

FACTORS?

What led to the Rise of

Fascism in Japan?

External Reasons

• American expansion in the

Asia-Pacific region threatened Japanese plans to control the area

• Paris Peace Conference

1919

• Washington Naval

Conference 1921-22

• London Disarmament

Conference 1930

• Immigration Laws in the

USA in the mid 1930s

• Resurgence of Chinese

Nationalism

Internal Reasons

• The Showa Restoration

• Patriotic Societies

• Military’s great influence over the government

• Military take-over of Japan




• American expansion in the Asia-Pacific region threatened Japanese plans to control the area

• Since the opening of trade with Japan by the American

Commodore, Matthew Perry, American businessmen were interested in doing business in the Asia-Pacific

• The US took control of many Pacific islands to obtain

Guano (bat shit)

• Other islands were used as bases for American trading ships

• By the 1930s, more of the Pacific region came under

American control including Hawaii and the Philippines

• Japanese militarists believed that Japanese and

American economic and military interests would come into conflict over who would control the Asia-Pacific




• Paris Peace Conference 1919

• As Japan had fought with the Allied

Powers in WWI, they requested that the

League of Nations formally recognise that all races were equal

• As the League of Nations refused, the

Japanese, particularly the Japanese

Army, were unhappy




• Washington Naval Conference 1921-

1922

• The WNC aimed to reduce the naval forces of the world’s major powers

• For every 5 ships Britain and the USA could build, Japan could only build 3

• The Japanese felt that this was an unfair treaty and an attempt to restrict

Japanese naval power




• London Disarmament Conference 1930

• Many Japanese were unhappy when PM Hamaguchi

Osachi wanted to ensure further naval arms reduction with Britain and the USA where he agreed, at the LDC to further limit Japan’s smaller battleships

• They were also unhappy that he was trying to improve ties with China

• The PM also reduced spending on the Army to end the

Great Depression

• He was accused by the Army of being too soft and betraying the country

• He died in 1931 from wounds sustained in an assassination attempt in 1930




• Immigration Laws in the USA in the mid

1930s

• In 1924, the USA restricted Asian immigration as part of its isolationist and protectionist policies

• All Asian immigration (except for

Filipinos) was banned

• Asian immigrants could not become US citizens even if they had been living there for a long time

• Asians could not marry Caucasians and were not allowed to own land




• Immigration Laws in the USA in the mid

1930s

• There was also Asian Segregation

(California Alien Law 1931)

• These new immigration laws angered the Japanese who saw these policies as a sign that the Americans thought the

Japanese were inferior

• These laws combined with the effects of the Great Depression caused many

Japanese to turn away from Democracy and support Japanese expansion overseas




• Resurgence of Chinese Nationalism

• Since 1894, Japan had taken advantage of China’s weak political situation to gain special trading rights and privileges within China

• The Chinese were angered by the dynastic decline and the giving of foreign concessions

• Subsequently, there were struggles between the Chinese warlords and the

KMT and CCP (who both tried to unite

China). These struggles weakened the country





• When the KMT succeeded in uniting China, the Chinese demanded an end to the special concessions to Westerners and

Japanese in China and Manchuria

• Strikes and boycotts hurt

Japanese economic interests in

China and Manchuria





• Japanese Kwantung Army Officers in

Manchuria realised that a strong and united China could prevent further

Japanese expansion in the country

• They urged Japan to occupy

Manchuria and North China before anti-Japanese feelings became too strong

• The Japanese military’s call for action was supported by many

Japanese





• From the 1890s the Japanese education system emphasised:

• Nationalism

• Loyalty to the Emperor

• Self-Sacrifice

• Obedience

• Japan’s response to the Great Depression and foreign opposition to its growing empire was the “Showa Restoration” (Bright Harmony)

• Western values were characterised to be selfish, greedy and individualistic and

Japanese virtues such as self-sacrifice for the nation were promoted





• The slogan “Sonno Joi” (Restore the Emperor and Expel the

Barbarian!)

• The SR produced youths who were blindly loyal to the Emperor and the nation

• These youths also believed in militarism and an aggressive military policy





• Since the 1920s, many patriotic societies with links to the military were set up in Japan

(Black Dragon Society, Cherry Blossom

Society)

• They were extremely nationalistic and believed in Japan’s superiority to other nations

• They wanted to use an aggressive foreign policy to make Japan strong again

• These societies wanted to get rid of democratic leaders and set up a military dictatorship on behalf of the Emperor




• Army and Navy’s Great Influence over the

Government

• The Army and Navy had a great influence over political decisions and acted independently from the government

• They wanted to copy the West and acquire more colonies in China and Manchuria

• Military success made the Army and Navy popular (e.g. Russo-Japanese War) and helped them gain even more influence over the government.

• Leaders who did not support the military’s ambitions were often assassinated

Japanese Military Gains

1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War

•

Japan defeated China

•

It took over Taiwan and demanded that

China give up control over the

Liaodung Peninsula in Manchuria

• This started the Japanese presence in

Manchuria

1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War

• Japan defeated Russia

• First Asian power to defeat a major

European power

•

Signed the Treaty of Portsmouth in

1905

1914 Japan joined the Allies in WWI

•

When Japan entered the war on the side of the Allies, it occupied the

German territories of Shantung and parts of the Pacific islands

1905 Treaty of Portsmouth

•

Gained the right to build a railway in Manchuria which was rich in oil and coal

•

Took over Port Arthur, the

Liaodung Peninsula and the southern Sakhalin Island from

Russia

1915

– Japan Issues the 21 Demands to

China

• Weak Chinese government is forced to accept Japanese advisors

• Japan is able to keep Shantung

1905-1910

• Japan’s control of Korea is achieved




• Military Take-over of Japan

• In 1930, the military brought down the

Hamaguchi government by shooting the

PM

• In May 1932, the new PM, Inukai, was killed for criticising the actions of the Japanese

Army in Manchuria

• Succeeding PMs felt pressurised to support the Kwantung Army in Manchuria or were already strong supporters of the military

• After 1932, after the Manchurian Incident, the Japanese government began to follow the aims of the Army



b) “Unhappiness with the former Allied Powers was the most important reason that led to the rise of fascism in

Japan.” How far do you agree with this statement?

Explain your answer. (13m)

• Step 1: You can start by saying that “Unhappiness with the former Allied Powers was a reason for the rise of fascism in Japan” BUT there are other factors as well (e.g.

See Slide 23)

• Explain how unhappiness with the former Allied Powers was led to the rise of fascism in Japan.” Remember to

EXPLAIN HOW IT HAPPENED and NOT WHAT IT IS…)

• Step 2: Explain 2 OTHER FACTORS (Aqmal ~ 2 more factors…not ONE…)

• Step 3: Weigh your answer. How important was unhappiness with the former Allied Powers responsible for the rise of fascism in Japan AS COMPARED TO the 2

OTHER FACTORS?




• American expansion in the

Asia-Pacific region threatened Japanese plans to control the area

• Paris Peace Conference

1919

• Washington Naval

Conference 1921-22

• London Disarmament

Conference 1930

• Immigration Laws in the

USA in the mid 1930s

• Resurgence of Chinese

Nationalism




• Military’s great influence over the government

• Military take-over of Japan

Authoritarian Regimes

Authoritarian Regimes

Chapter Objectives

Activity 1

What is Fascism?

CRASH!

• The Showa Restoration

Japanese Military Gains

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