JAPANESE MILITARISM IN ASIA

MUKDEN INCIDENT September 18, 1931: Japanese agents blew up part of the Japanese owned South Manchurian Railroad at Mukden in northeastern China, and blamed it as an act of sabotage by the Chinese forces. Using the incident as a pretext, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria is launched. Resistance fails and within six months the occupation of Manchuria is complete.

MANCHUKUO February, 1932: Manchukuo is announced as an independent nation. In reality, it is a Japanese puppet government under the “leadership” of Pu Yi the last Chinese emperor. It encompassed the three northeastern Chinese provinces occupied by Japan since the Mukden Incident. Japanese control remains direct however, and Japanese owned interests gain considerable power. Additionally, the opium trade is encouraged. Manchukuo was not recognized by the League of Nations and Japan subsequently withdrew from the organization.

WASHINGTON NAVAL TREATY December 29, 1934: Japan abrogates the Washington Naval Treaty Britain, United States, Japan, France and Italy had agreed to limit the displacement and main armament of capital ships, aircraft carriers and cruisers, and total tonnage and age of the first two categories. The USN and RN followed the limits. BB = 35 K ton / 16 in guns South Dakotas scrapped The IJN did not. 72,000 tons 840 ft (l) x 128 ft (w) 27 knots nine - 18.1 in. naval guns w/ 26 mi. range 16 in. to 26 in armor

ANTI-COMINTERN PACT November, 1936: Japan and Germany sign the Anti-Comintern Pact. This pact guaranteed that the signatories would consult and operate in a way that would secure their interests in regards to the USSR. It stated that neither nation could enter into political agreements with the USSR.

MARCO POLO BRIDGE July 7, 1937: Japanese forces conducting military exercises outside Peking claimed that a Japanese soldier participating in the exercise was now missing. After the Japanese request to enter the town to conduct a search was declined by the Chinese, the Japanese launched an all-out assault. The Chinese government in Nanking declared its intent to resist Japan, marking the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

SHANGHAI August-November, 1937: Full scale fighting erupts throughout northern China. Japan overcomes initial failures with landings of reinforcements at Shanghai. The Tokyo government announces that Japan was going to complete the conquest of Shanghai in three days, and all of China within three months. By the end of November, Japanese troops began their march inland on the capital at Nanking.

RAPE OF NANKING November, 1937: Nanking was captured and is subjected to a six week rampage by the IJA. The Rape of Nanking demonstrates the difficulty the Japanese have in controlling their army in the field. Many believe that the atrocities against Chinese civilians by the occupying Japanese forces in Nanking were systematic actions ordered by high level officials in Tokyo by top level military officials in the field. This was done to demonstrate their rage against their inability to defeat China in three months (as they had announced) and also to crush continuing the resistance.

CHINA ISOLATED October, 1938: The Japanese Central China Army captures Hankow, ending their advance up the Yangtze River. Additionally, landing near Hong Kong, Japanese units capture Canton, completely cutting off of the Chinese Nationalists from ocean ports. The Chinese are able to keep supplies coming into the country from French Indochina and Burma.

EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY November: The New Order for East Asia is announced by Japan. The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere represented the plan to create a self-sufficient "block of Asian nations led by the Japanese and free of Western powers". The Japanese plans for the dominance of East Asia further deteriorates their relations with western nations.

Cutting off China from the World June 25, 1940 The Japanese demand access to French Indochina from the Vichy government. The arrival of Japanese forces in the area cuts this Chinese supply line. July 18, 1940 The Japanese demand that the British government stop supplying the Nationalist Chinese. Facing increasing German pressure, Churchill agrees.

Japanese Reliance Upon September FDR ordered that all shipments of steel, scrap iron, airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline to Japan be halted. This is in response to Japan’s takeover of French Indochina. Japanese Reliance Upon US Scrap-Metal Year Percentage 1936 70.0 1937 1938 55.3 1939 75.0

TRIPARTITE PACT The Tripartite Pact, also called the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a in Berlin on September 27, 1940. The three nations agreed that for the next ten years they would "stand by and co-operate with one another in... their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things... to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned."

TREATY WITH THE USSR April 13, 1941. The Japanese signed a neutrality treaty with the Soviet Union to help prevent an attack from that direction if they were to go to war with Britain or the U.S. while taking a bigger bite out of Southeast Asia.

U.S. RESPONDS TO JAPAN July 1939: The United States announces its withdrawal from its commercial treaty with Japan. September 1940: following Japan's takeover of French Indochina the United States halted shipments of steel, scrap iron, airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline to Japan. October 1940: Burma Road reopens due to US encouragement to GB. July 1941: The United States initiates a complete oil embargo. September 1941: The AVG or Flying Tigers established. American mercenaries will now fly for China.

JAPANESE DEPENDENCIES WWJD? What Will Japan Do? JAPANESE DEPENDENCIES (OTHER THAN OIL) 1941 Import % Steel Industry 88 Zinc 50 Tin 80 Cotton 100 Wool 99 Rubber JAPAN’S OIL IMPORTS - 1940 From Amount in KT % United States 3,820-4,366 80 Dutch East Indies 621-709 13

DAY OF INFAMY