At first --->Japanese lag behind Western level
 Development begins
› Silk production in 1860 was about 16 million
lbs then by 1929 it shot up to about 93 million
 Agricultural productivity improved
› Farmers introduced fertilizers and new
equipment
› Ex: Rice production more than doubled
between 1880’s and 1930’s
2nd Industrial Phase in 1920’s
 Zaibatsu sponsored expansion fields;
shipbuilding and metallurgy
› Relying with government bureaucracy
 Use of electric power grew faster in Japan than
anywhere else in the world (1920)
 Education advanced rapidly
 Immense population growth (restricted
improvement in living conditions)
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Military even in more control
› Military were looked up to by the people as “protectors”
› Military even studied in separate and special schools
1920’s Japan experimented with a liberal political pattern
› Did work a little but served for the military to realize that
they wanted more power and not be restricted
› Military officials beginning to make separate decisions
about Munchuria
May 1932- Group of younger army officers attacked the key
government and banking officers and murdered the prime
minister
› Did not take FULL state control but did frustrate the
government with having some control
Another military coup attempt in 1936, but failed
By the end of 1938, Japan controlled a regional empire,
including Manchuria, Korea, and Taiwan
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Japan had firm control over Korea and had economic
policies for them that did little to improve their economy
They disrupted Korea's traditions and had replaced their
Korean king with his son in 1908 and he was assassinated a
year later which led to the abolishment of monarchy
Japan sought to suppress Korean culture and promote the
adoption of Japanese ways
› Korean language news papers were banned
› Korean teachers needed to wear Japanese uniforms, carry
swords
› Japanese money, language, weights and measures where
introduced
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Korean peasant where compelled to concentrate on rice
production for export and the Korean youth were enrolled
into the Japanese armies to help with expanding war effort
Singapore was a city that held a large population of the
Chinese people that belonged to the British as they tried to
build a naval base but was captured by the Japanese in
World War II
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A decade after World War II,
the Philippines, Indonesia, and
Malaysia had gained
independence
Taiwan was still ruled by
Chiang Kai-shek, but Chinese
was in hands of a powerful
communist
Korea remained divided, but
there was a lot of tension and
American presence in South
Korea kept its independence
Japan began to recover
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in 1945 Japan was a mess. the factories where destroyed and
the people where in shock by the surrender from all the
bombing that had been going on including the atomic
devastation of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
like always, Japan was quick to rebound its economy but with
the help of the United States. they intervened to try and help
them rebuild their economy and place without any hint of
military threat anywhere. an American occupation
government led by General Douglas McArthur worked to tear
down Japans wartime political structure.
in 1951 Japan signed a peace treaty with most of its wartime
opponents. this led to;
military forces to be disbanded
police decentralization
many officials removed
and political prisoners released.
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America had pressed to make a Democracy in Japan and
even gave women the right to vote, encouraged labor
unions and abolished shintoism as new economic reforms
where introduced breaking up landed estate for
the benefit of small farmers.
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they helped the Japanese make a constitution that
abolished military that was wartime and guaranteed civil
liberties and the emperor was just a figure with no power now
but the Japanese fit their own values in the constitution to
preserve themselves.
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the Japanese emphasized the importance of learning and
education and tried to make the students prepared to enter
the world of Japans economy. the students where prepared
for their future role in the economy 'whether they like it or not"
a state religion.
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In 1948, the United States helped make a
Republic of Korea in the south, and the People’s
Democratic Republic of Korea in the north
supported by the Soviet.
Kim II-Sung in the north– a communist state
Syngman Rhee in the south– parliamentary
institution, but maintained a strongly authoritarian
form, and had American military presence
North Korea attacks South Korea in June 1950,
trying to unify by force and starting the Korean
war
North Korea is helped by allied forces, including
the United States, and in 1953, peace is reached
North Korea did not change much, and even
after the Soviet liberation, little change happened
IN 1954, a defense treaty was signed between
South Korea and the U.S., and American military
troops were reduced
Went from being authoritarian and then army
officers took over control in 1961
The U.S. gave economic
support to Taiwan until the
1960s
 Singapore gained
independence as a free
port in 1959
 Hong Kong returned to
Chinese control in 1997
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Only had one party, the Liberal Democratic Party,
from 1955 onwards
Strong business, export expansion and economic
growth
Government campaigned birth control and
abortion, slowing down population growth
Poetry, paintings, tea ceremonies, and flower
arrangements still continued
Films were about their history
Japanese painters and architects fused Japanese
styles with Western styles
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By 1983, the total national product was equal
to the totals of China, Korea, Taiwan, India,
Pakistan, Australia, and Brazil
Became one of the top two or three
economic powers in the world
High quality goods, such as cars and
electronics
› High government support and expansion of
education made it possible
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Workers paired to where they fit best
› ensured life time employment
› low unemployment rate
› early retirement age
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Women educated, but did not do much
with their husbands and dedicated
themselves to taking care of the kids and
other domestic duties
Drinking was highly more accepted to
relieve from university or job stress
Baseball, tennis, and golf became
popular
Government encouraged use of
chopsticks since many preferred knives
and forks
Pollution became a huge problem by
the 1960s
Corruption in the 1990s
› Severe economic recession after a
huge economic boom
› Liberal democrats replaced
Syngman Rhee (South Korea’s ruler) and other
taken out of power by student demonstrations
since 1960
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South Korea emphasized economic growth from
1950s onward
› industrial firms created
› by 1970s, Korea was competing successfully in
cheap consumer goods, as well as steel and
cars
› Korea farther more successful in exporting
steel and textile than Japan
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Hyundai created by Chung Ju Yung, and by the
1980s, had 135,000 employees and 42 overseas
offices
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Population soared
› By the 1980s, over 40 million people live in
South Korea, and had the highest population
density on earth
› Soon, birth regulations were encouraged
› Suffered bad pollution like Japan
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Taiwan also experienced a high rate of economic development
Agricultural and industrial productivity increased
Money spent on education, and literacy rates and levels of
technical training increased
Traditional medicinal practices kept, but combined with modern,
more western strategies
Japan was the nation’s biggest trading partner
In 1978, Chiang Ching-kuo took power, and stressed authoritarian
rule and political diversity was not encouraged
Lee Kuan Yew took over Singapore in 1959 for 3 decades, and
established tight control over their citizens
› caused low crime rates
› Singapore world’s 4th largest port
› Education and health improved
Hong Kong was also very active in the trading industry
› Textiles and clothing formed 39% of total exports, along with
heavy industry by the 1980s
A middle class emerged
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The Pacific Rim had more than economic
growth and expansion in common
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believed in hard work
Confucianism morality often used
relied on the government
“Little tigers” such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Thailand had economic growth
In the final years of the 20th century,
unemployment rose, bad economy
› westerners thought this could be resolved if they
turned more to a free market competition
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Indonesia became democratic instead of
authoritarian in 1998
But in 1999, economic rates began to pick up
again
Important people to Remember
Leon Trotsky- recruited able generals and masses of loyal conscripts
Joseph Stalin- undisputed leader of the Soviet state, his victory
brought triumph for party control over all branches of governments
Lenin- set up a Communist International office to guide
international revolutionary activity
Peter the Great -continued the growth of absolutism and conquest
Hitler- Nazi leader of fascist Germany, created a strongly centralized
state in Germany, eliminated all rivals
Nadezhda Mandelstantam- her husband was arrested, she dedicated
her literary life to his memory while staying out of police purview by
teaching English in obscure teachers' training institutes
Important People Continued :
Nikita Khrushchev- attacked Stalinism for its concentration of power
and arbitrary dictatorship
Mikhail Gorbachev- conveyed a new and more Western style, dressing
in more fashionable clothes, held open press conferences and
allowing Soviet media to engage in active debate and to report on
problems as well as successes
Boris Yeltsin- became the leading political figure, struggled to gain a
political base
Vladimir Putin- did not initially clarify Russia's political or economic
directions
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The Pacific Rim experienced a really big
economic growth and many nations
gained independence after World War II