p. 410:

• Ruled Japan from 1926 to 1989.
• When he ascended the throne, he promised his ancestors and the Japanese people to
– “preserve world peace”
– “benefit the welfare of the human race.”

• EC: For them there was a rapid rising standard of living (3)
– Cities were growing
• full of job opportunities and excitement.
– The military was comparable to any Western imperialist power.

Japan was very vulnerable in that (3)…
• it had no natural resources to sustain its rapid industrial and economic growth.
– It depended heavily on the world economy to supply them.
– Foreign resources expensive

• EC: Politically, Japan was moving toward democratic practices: (4)
– Strong political parties
– The Diet (legislature) grew more powerful, compared to the emperor.
– Universal male suffrage in 1925.
– Women made some gains in rights, but were still socially lower than men.

• Most political parties were influenced by the ______________ (business families).
– zaibatsu
• The politicians made laws and policies favoring the zaibatsu.
• Military leaders could be bought by the zaibatsu.

Other economic and social problems:
• Rural areas were still suffering economically.
• City workers were still paid very low wages.
– EC: What problem did that cause for Japanese leaders?
• Some workers and unemployed were joining socialist and communist groups
• EC: Japanese youth were rebelling against traditions (3)
– Adopted Western fads and traditions
– Rejected family authority
– Explored Western individual freedom

• Japan’s economy was vulnerable to economic recessions
– Natural business cycle of the world and local economies.
• EC: How did this make Japan vulnerable?
• If Japan’s major trade partners suffered recessions, they purchased less from Japan.

• EC: The Tokyo ___________ in 1923. (3)
– earthquake
• Killed 100,000
• Many businesses were destroyed
– Caused 45% unemployment
• EC: Tokyo recovered around ____
– 1929.
– EC: Just in time for the beginning of the _____
• Great Depression

• Ultranationalists:
• Extreme nationalists and military leaders.

• US, Canada, and Australia of racist policies against Japanese immigrants
• liberal politicians of selling out or being weak with the Western powers.
– Wanted to resume imperialist expansion.
• Wanted Japan to be respected as a firstclass power in the world.
– Were outraged by liberal government reducing the military

• Northeast region of China.
• Resources
– Iron,
– Oil
– Copper
– Coal
– Land for Japanese colonists

• Nationalists took over the government in Tokyo by 1936.
• Revived Japanese culture
– EC: “samurai” principles (5)
• Serve the emperor as a living god
• Absolute obedience, no individuality
– Die for the emperor and state, no surrender
• Attack the enemies of Japan (China, the Western powers.)
• Put nationalism and warrior skills in the Japanese school system.

• Germany and Italy were taken over by ultranationalists as well.
• Japan joined them in 1936, by 1940 the three nations formed the Axis Pact.
– All sought to create self-reliant economic and racial empires.
– 1940

• Begin class work

Review: What problems plagued China in the 1920s and 30s. (5)
• Warlords
• Foreign Control
• Corrupt Nationalist Government
• Chinese Civil War
• Japanese Invasion

• Korea,
• Formosa (Taiwan),
• and holdings in China
• Many Western Pacific Islands.

• Japanese arts entered an experimental phase ; 2 (industrial); 3 (workers; nationalist work force)
• EC: Japanese business had successful exports: (2)
– Silk and ceramics to rich allied nations
– Heavy machinery to much of Asia

• Japan’s militarist aggression worried the Allied powers.
• EC: Tokyo decided to reduce military activity:
(3)
– Japan signed the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922, to show she was willing to work for world peace and limit warships.
– The Diet passed legislation to remove troops from
China
– The government reduced military spending.

• Question:
• All men were allowed to vote in 1925
• Rich zaibatsu had excessive influence on party politicians.

• 2
• Near
– Tokyo
– Osaka
– Areas to the south
• 3
– Petroleum
– Bauxite

• EC: Japan faced its worst economic crisis.
• A global economic depression began in the United States.
– Many US banks failed
– Japan depended on US banks for
• loans
• purchases.

– Soon, money dried up in Japan’s economy causing (4)
• business shutdowns,
• massive unemployment,
• and food prices skyrocketed.
• The countryside was devastated as the poor got poorer.

• EC: Ultranationalists blamed Japan’s economic problems on (3)
• United States, Britain, and France
– They failed to control of the world economy.
• Japanese ultranationalists felt that Japan must be economically independent
• EC: They felt the answer was to (3)
– make their empire large and strong to
» gain the resources they needed
» make foreign markets buy Japanese products.

• Question:
• The export industry suffered
• Nationalists argued that expansion could provide new resources.

• EC: The __________ criticized Japan for the invasion of Manchuria.
• League of Nations
• Japan quit the League.
– This showed the world that Japan no longer cared about world opinion or world peace.
• It became a “rogue” nation.

– Iron,
– Oil
– Copper
– Coal
– Land for Japanese colonists

• EC: As nationalists took control, they set strict policies: (2)
• Forbid foreign culture, only Japanese culture was allowed
– Japanese people would not give up American baseball
• Used secret police (Kempeitai) to arrest/kill pro-Western politicians, socialists, communists, and democrats.

• Question
• According to Japanese tradition he was
– A living god
– The nation’s supreme authority

• EC: In 1937, Japan brutally invaded
_____ while that country was locked in civil war.
• China,
• Japan’s road to another world war had begun.

• No natural resources
• Rural areas still poor
• Low wages and unemployment in cities
• Japanese youth rebelling
• Economy depended on foreigners
• Tokyo earthquake, 1923
• Powerful business families controlling the government.

• Question:
• They restricted freedoms and imposed traditional culture on the Japanese people.
• They also invaded and tried to expand into
China
– Claiming to free Asians from White Imperialist rule

• World at War: Japan…..
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