1. Japan in WWII

2. Japanese Imperialism
Japan had joined the Allied side of WWI very late in the war and participated in the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
Here they proposed a racial equality clause and were rejected
1924 US passed the Exclusion Act limiting Japanese immigration into the US
Tensions between the Allies and Japan continued to grow throughout the 1930s

3. Early Troubles Between 1928-1932 Japan experienced a series of crises
Falling prices, unemployment, falling exports all led to social unrest
1931 control slipped away from the government and the army took control and invaded Manchuria
League of Nations condemned the action, but had to power to intervene

4. Invading Manchuria Created a puppet state in “Manchukuo”
Japan withdrew from the League of Nations following criticism of the invasion of Manchuria

5. Sino-Japanese War
Kwantung army invaded China and succeeded in occupying most of the coast
Japanese forces treated civilians brutally

6. Sino-Japanese War
Chinese Nationalists and the Chinese Communist Party agreed to work together to fight against Japan
China received aid from Western Democracies
Rape of Nanking
December 1937
Japanese troops slaughtered an estimated 300,000 civilians and raped 80,000 women
War had reached a stalemate by 1940
Economic sanctions against Japan would change the nature of the war

7. Japan Continues to Escalate
1940 Japan occupies French Indochina to block supply lines to China
1940 Japan signed the Tripartite Pact creating the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis
Strengthened the Anti-Comintern Pact signed in 1936