1. WWII – Pacific Theatre
Lecture I - CAUSES

2. Japan’s Holy War The war was the fulfillment of a religious mandate
In the early twentieth century, a fervent nationalism developed within State Shintō (emperor as divine being).
This ultranationalism gained widespread military and public support and led to rampant terrorism
Between 1921 and 1936 three serving and two former prime ministers were assassinated
Shintō ultranationalist societies fomented a discourse calling for the abolition of parliamentary government and unlimited Japanese expansion

3. Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Japan wanted East-Asian countries under Japanese sphere of influence
“Once war was done, the sphere would become self sufficient under Japan” – Swan, William
Freed from suppression of white race (western powers)
Mostly seen as propaganda from non-Japanese
defeat of Russia in Russo-Japanese War
Japan gained Korea

4. Mukden (Shenyang) Incident
On September 18, 1931, an explosion occurred on the tracks of the South Manchurian Railroad north of the Chinese city of Mukden (Shenyang)
The Japanese, who owned the railway, blamed Chinese nationalists for the incident and used the opportunity to retaliate and invade Manchuria
Invasion carried out by Japanese railroad security and by troops stationed in Korea
A few short months, the Japanese Army had overrun the region, having encountered next to no resistance from an untrained Chinese Army
Japanese declared the area to be the new autonomous state of Manchukuo – governed by Japanese Army

5. World Response
U.S. interests in the area were nowhere near profound enough to make military intervention necessary or desirable
Little support for economic sanctions to punish the Japanese (Great Depression)
United States sat in on League of Nations council meetings for the first time to try to convince the League to enforce the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which both Japan and China had signed – ineffective
Stimson Doctrine – 1932
United States would not recognize any treaty or agreement between Japan and China that violated U.S. rights or agreements to which the United States subscribed

6. Lytton Report
Divided blame for the conflict in Manchuria equally between Chinese nationalism and Japanese militarism
Would not recognize the new state of Manchukuo on the grounds that its establishment violated the territorial integrity of China, and therefore the Nine-Power Treaty to which many of the prominent league members subscribed
Ratified by the League in 1933, the Japanese delegation walked out and never returned to the League Council. The Chinese and Japanese signed a truce, but that agreement left the Japanese firmly in control of Manchuria.
The Manchurian Crisis of 1931–33 demonstrated the futility of the 1920s-era agreements on peace, nonaggression and disarmament in the face of a power determined to march forward

7. Results for Japan – Manchukuo
Japan set up puppet regime renamed Manchukuo
Japanese Army running country
Gained extraction of minerals, more labor, and access to more natural resources
Mobilization of Labor
About 4,000,000 Koreans and Chinese were shipped to factories to work on Japan's war efforts

8. Western Violations to Japan
Paris Peace Conference - western countries reject Japanese request for racial equality clause to be included in the League of Nations Covenant
Washington Conference Naval Treaty - gave Japan unfair 5:5:3 battleship ratio for U.S., Britain, and Japan respectively
U.S. Japanese Exclusion Act - shut off Japanese immigration to U.S.

9. Japan Invades China China was in Civil War and weak
Chiang Kai-shek (Nationalist) stopped fighting Mao (communists) & created a united Chinese force vs. Japanese expansion.
Second Sino-Japanese War: Jul 7, 1937 – Sep 9, 1945
06s

10. Rape of Nanking (Nanjing)
Began on December 13, 1937 and lasted for about six weeks
Japanese army conquered Shanghai and marched towards Nanking
Imperial Japanese Army forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of people–including both soldiers and civilians
Looting, Raping (20k – 80k), Torture, and Mass execution commenced
Looted and burned at least one-third of Nanking’s buildings
To this day some Japanese politicians say it never happened

11. Tragedy at Yangtze River
On December 13, thousands more refugees desperately attempted to cross the Yangtze River to escape the city
Japanese ruthlessly slaughtered Chinese as they crossed
Over 50,000 bodies counted floating in the river

12. Cultural Reasons
Japanese wished to eliminate western influence throughout East-Asia
“Asia for Asians” - need to liberate Asian countries from western imperialist powers
Believed it was their version of manifest destiny to lead Asia
Religious Mandate
Emperor Hirohito 
(rule from 1926 – 1989)

13. Political Reasons Competitive with Britain – surging industry
Japanese believed they had a right to imperialism just as the western nations did
Acquisition of colonies would increase international prestige
Contemporary print showing a Japanese sumo wrestler tossing a Westerner to the ground

14. Japanese Control of Asian Territories
Local governments were actually puppet regimes with Japanese making all the decisions
Japanese view other Asian groups as inferior
Many native people within sphere died from forced labor, torture, and execution at hands of Japanese

15. Economic Reasons & US Influence
Japan required East Asian raw materials for industry and military
On July 2, 1940, Roosevelt signed the Export Control Act, authorizing the President to license or prohibit the export of essential defense materials
aviation motor fuels and lubricants and No. 1 heavy melting iron and steel scrap were restricted
Britain and Dutch East Indies follow suit
July 26, 1941 – FDR seizes Japanese assets in the US for Japan invasion of French Indo- China
Japan loses ¾ of overseas trade
Pushed Japanese leaders to rely on Asian countries for self-sufficiency
Asian countries would provide Japan with an export for manufactured goods

16. Japan Response to US
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned to immobilize U.S. fleet at outset of war with surprise air strike
Attack force – 6 heavy aircraft carriers accompanied by 24 supporting vessels, submarine fleet

17. Dec 7th 1941 – Pearl Harbor
Japanese aircrews took Americans by surprise
Attacked military airfields and hit the fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor
Losses
U.S. – 21 ships, 188 aircraft destroyed, 159 aircraft damaged, 2403 dead, 1178 wounded
Japan – 29 planes

18. Lucky for U.S.
Japan failed to damage any American aircraft carriers, which had all been absent from the harbor
Failed to damage shore side facilities at Pearl Harbor Naval Base

19. Results of Pearl Harbor
Shock and anger caused Americans to fight against Axis in WWII 12/8
FDR asks for a Declaration of War from congress in his speech, “A Date which will Live in Infamy”
Theodor Seuss Geisel begins political cartoons in January 1941 for the newspaper PM.