AP World HistoryPOD #23 – Emerging Asia

Japan & the World Wars

Class Discussion Notes

Bulliet – “China and Japan: Contrasting Destinies”, pp. 778-780

Bulliet – “East Asia, 1931-1945”, pp. 805-808

Bulliet – “The Second World War”, pp. 808-814

China & Japan: Contrasting Destinies

“China and Japan were both subject to Western pressures, but their modern histories have been completely opposite. China clung much longer than Japan to a traditional social structure and economy, then collapsed into chaos and revolution. Japan experienced reform from above, acquiring industry and a powerful military, which used to take advantage of China’s weakness. Their different reactions to the pressures of the West put these two great nations on a collision course.” (Bulliet, p. 778)

Japanese Geographic Limitations

Few natural resources Very little arable land for farming Typhoons regularly hit the southern regions Earthquakes and volcanic activity were a

constant threat This made it extremely difficult to meet the

needs and demands of a rising population and to support modernization and industrialization

Modernization vs. Tradition

“Economic growth aggravated social tensions. The narikin (“new rich”) affected Western ways and lifestyles that clashed with the austerity of earlier times. In big cities, mobos (modern boys) and mogas (modern girls) shocked traditionalists with their foreign ways: dancing together, wearing short skirts and tight pants, and behaving like Americans. Students who flirted with dangerous thoughts were called “Marx boys.” (Bulliet, p. 779)

Zaibatsu

Business conglomerates that were the main beneficiaries of the prosperity Japan was experiencing as the result of modernization and industrialization

Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Yasuda and Mutsui controlled most of Japans economy and commerce

Farmers

Comprised half of the population Remained poor Some in an act of desperration sold their

daughters to the textile mills or domestic service

Labor Unions were weak and repressed by the police

Japanese Economic Prosperity

Highly dependent on foreign trade Exported silk and light manufactures Imported nearly all fuel, raw materials,

machine tools and even some food

Japan & WWI

Japan joined in the war on the side of the Allies

After the war they were rewarded for their contributions by gaining control over many of the surrendered German colonies in Asia

These colonies were essential in helping Japan meet its critical resource needs for modernization and industrialization

Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945 July 7, 1937 – Japanese troops attacked the Chinese force near

Beijing (launched by junior officers who were quickly supported by senior officials)

Within weeks Japan seized Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and other coastal cities as the Japanese Navy successfully blockaded the coast

USA & League of Nations denounced Japan, yet the western powers were too preoccupied by Hitler’s rising power in Germany (even though the Japanese sank and American gunboat)

Japan continued their imperial conquest of China (they gained control of Manchuria in 1931) in an effort to gain natural resources to fuel and support their modernization

The Chinese army was large and brave, but poorly led and armed – they lost every battle

Japan gained control of the most valuable, rich and populous land in China within a year (coastal provinces and the river valleys around the Yellow and Yangtze)

Rape of Nanjing

Winter of 1937-1938 Japanese troops took Nanjing and raped 20,000 women 200,000 prisoners and civilians were killed The city was looted and burned In an attempt to slow down the Japanese, Chiang ordered the

Yellow River destroyed leading to a massive flood wiping out 4,000 villages, killing 890,000 people, and leaving 12.5 million homeless

Japan responded with a “kill all, burn all, loot all” campaign

World War II – A Historical Analysis

“Many people feared that the Second World War would be a repetition of the First. Instead, it was much bigger in every way. It was fought around the world, from Norway to New Guinea and from Hawaii to Egypt, and on every ocean. It killed far more people than World War I, involved all civilians and productive forces, and showed how effectively industry, science, and nationalism could be channeled into mass destruction.” (Bulliet, p. 808)

War in Asia & the Pacific

With the fall of France and the German engagement with Great Britain and the Soviet Union, the colonial lands in Asia became an available prize

These colonies possessed abundant supplies of oil, rubber and other strategic materials

Economic Embargo

July 1941 – when the French government allowed Japanese forces to occupy Indochina, the United States stopped shipments of steel, scrap iron, oil, and other products that Japan desperately needed

Japan was left with three choices: (1) give up its conquests; (2) face economic ruin; (3) war

WAR would be the choice

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

“If I am told to fight regardless of the consequences, I shall run wild for the first six months or a year, but I have utterly no confidence for he second or third year …. I hope that you will endeavor to avoid a Japanese-American War.”

Key Battles

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) – United States naval base in Hawaii attacked by Japanese aircraft – much of the American Pacific fleet is sunk – draws the USA into World War II

Battle of Midway – U.S naval victory over the Japanese fleet in June 1942, in which the Japanese lost four of their best aircraft carriers – the United States is no longer on the defensive but is attacking towards Japan with and island hopping campaign

Hirsoshima & Nagasaki (August 6 & 9, 1945) – United States uses an atomic attack to force Japan into unconditional surrender

Constitution of 1947

A democratic government was established in Japan

All Japanese overseas territory is lost Emperor retains figurehead status

(constitutional monarchy) Japan is banned from possessing a military Great effort is placed on rebuilding the

Japanese economy and reestablishing their role in the world marketplace