1921-1922

Washington Naval Conference

① United States② Great Britain③ Japan④ France⑤ Italy⑥ Belgium⑦ China⑧ The Netherlands⑨ Portugal

Who?

o To discuss naval reductions and the situation in the Far East

Why?

United StatesI. To restrain Japanese naval

expansion in the waters of the west Pacific

II. To eliminate Anglo-American tensions by dissolving the Anglo-Japanese alliance

III. To agree on a naval ratio with Japan

IV. To push Japan to accept a continuation of the Open Door Policy in China

Ulterior Motives?

Great BritainI. Global position threatened

by a multitude of military obligations that far exceeded possible military capacity

II. To achieve peace and stability in the western Pacific

III. To avoid a naval arms race with the United States

IV. To stop Japanese encroachment onto British territories

A. SingaporeB. Hong Kong

Ulterior Motives?

Ulterior Motives?

JapanI. To sign a naval treaty with

Britain and the United States

II. To obtain official recognition of Japanese presence in Manchuria and Mongolia

A. Desire to remain in control of Yap, Siberia, Tsingtao

When?

November 12, 1921 – February 6, 1922

o In Washington D.C.

o Called by President Warren G. Harding

Three major treaties emerged from the conference

1. The Five-Power Treaty2. The Four-Power Treaty3. The Nine-Power Treaty

What Happened?

Signatories at the Washington Naval Conference

Short Termo Froze the construction of new fortifications

and naval facilities in the Western Pacifico Japan was left supreme power in the Far Easto Led to the decommission of several naval shipso Upheld the status quo in the Pacific

Ramifications?

Long Termo Made US defense of the

Philippines from a Japanese attack nearly impossible

o Improved relations between the major world powers

o Spread the navies of Britain and the United States widely

Unfortunate consequences for China in the 1930’s when the US refused to become involved with Japanese aggression

o Treaties were later modified (London Naval Treaty of 1930, Second London Naval Treaty of 1936)

o Led to new and innovative battleships as only certain ships were limited by the Naval Treaty

Ramifications?

The Hipper Class of Naval Ships were built to flout the conditions of the Washington Naval Treaty

Thank You!