1. World War II: The Road to War
III. Japan Builds an Empire

2. Objectives
Discover the causes and effects of Japan’s growing military power.
See why the Manchurian Incident was a turning point for Japan’s civilian government.
Find out about the initial outcome of Japan’s war against China.
Lean why Japan looked beyond China for future expansion.

3. A) Setting the Scene Japan forced by US to trade by Perry in 1853.
Became modern to defend itself.
Government went from monarchy to constitutional monarchy
Beat China in and Russia in
Gained Korea, and part of Manchuria
Became very powerful in late 1930s.

4. B) Growing Military Power
After WWI policy was peace – joined the League of Nations and signed the Kellog-Briand Pact that condemned war
Economic recession in Japan (1920s) caused many Japanese to resent the new democracy – government also limited the size of the military by accepting the limits of the Washington Conference (1922)
Radicals began to assassinated leaders hoping for chaos to get the military to take over.

5. C) The Manchurian Incident
Japan’s population growing – need more room (living space?)
11) Manchurian Incident: Japan’s army without permission take Manchuria in China.
Puppet State: supposedly independent country under the control of a powerful neighbor.
US and UK did nothing – League of Nations ordered them out of China – Japan left League
1932 navy officers assassinated Prime Minister – ends multiparty government – 1936 uprising of junior officers almost topples government – people began to be afraid of the military (583)
Military gains power.

6. D) War Against China
1937 Japan again attacked China –soon took Beijing and Tianjin.
2 enemies in China – Jiang Jieshi (Nationalist) and Mao Zedong (Communist) quit fighting each other and fought the Japanese.
Japans superior technology forced them both back
“Rape of Nanjing” – Japanese soldiers brutalized or killed 100,000 civilians
Burma Road: Britain supplied Chinese with weapons along a 700 mile road
1939 war in China a stalemate

7. E) Looking Beyond China
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere: Japanese control from Manchuria to Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
Needed oil and rubber to finish off China
1940 – sign the Tripartite Pact – join Germany and Italy.
Take French Indochina – sign peace with USSR – ready to take on US

8. Review
What were the causes and effects of Japan’s growing military power?
Why was the Manchurian Incident a turning point for Japan’s civilian government?
What was the initial outcome of Japan's war against China?
Why did Japan look beyond China for future expansion?