1. Chapter 5 Fascist Japan

2. Focuses What led to the rise of Fascism in Japan?
Failure of democratic govt.
Corruption within govt.
Failure of govt to solve economic problems.
Rise of alternate power
Worsening relations between the Japan & the West
What was the impact of militarism on the lives of Japanese?
Political Control – Foreign aggression policy
Social Control – Education policies
Economic Policies – Increase in number of factories and production

3. A Quick Glimpse History of Japan 1868 1912 1926 1989
Meiji Period (Meiji Restoration)
1912
Taisho Period - Democracy
1926
Showa Period - Military
1989

4. United Japan around the Emperor Accomplished a flourishing economy
Started up a powerful Army & Navy
Meiji Period (Meiji Restoration)
Taisho Period - Democracy
Democratic government elected
Faced setbacks due to internal & external factors
- With increasing emphasis on the Emperor & greatness of Japan, focus turned to their military might
Showa Period - Military

5. Signs of Westernisation during Meiji Restoration

6. All groups & individuals must put aside self-interests for the nation.
Fascism
We all have a sense of belonging to our nation. We know that we are citizens of a great place.
All groups & individuals must put aside self-interests for the nation.
A strong leader is needed to create a strong nation. He cannot be answerable to anyone, not even a government.

7. The Rise of Fascism
There were other factors and events that pushed the Japanese people to support Fascism.
Recall: Fascism calls for a strong and united nation. All people must put aside their interests and put the Nation first

8. National Reconstruction!
By the end of this chapter, We, the people of Japan, would believe in:
National Reconstruction!
Military Strength!
Respect for Authority!

9. What led to the rise of Fascism?
External Factors
Internal Factors
Worsening Relations between Japan & the West
Changes within Japan

10. Internal Reasons

11. Genro (retired Japanese statesmen)
1. Failure of the Democratic Government
Set up in the 19th Century (Meiji Restoration)
Members of the Democratic Government
Emperor
Diet (Parliament)
Genro (retired Japanese statesmen)

12. Taisho Emperor

13. Diet – Limited Power
Diet met every 3 months to discuss national issues.
But they could only question decisions made by cabinet ministers.
They could not make any changes to the decisions.
Real power was with the Emperor and Genro
The Army & Navy ministers were more powerful than the rest of the cabinet. Had direct access to the Emperor and had veto power.
E.g.
Senior Army officers suggested using large part of the budget for Japanese Army. The Diet disagreed, but could not change the decision.

14. 2. Corruption within Government
1920, Taisho Period, also known as Taisho Democracy, power transferred to the Diet from the Genro.
To get into the Diet, one had to be elected.
Participate in election campaigns.
Zaibatsus were necessary to fund campaigns
large, wealthy Japanese companies

15. As a result, the public lost confidence in the Democratic Government.
Zaibatsus, who helped finance election campaigns, used their influence to pass policies that benefit big companies
As a result, the public lost confidence in the Democratic Government.
They no longer supported the government.
I need your help in financing my election campaign. Can you assist me?
I can only help you if you do me a little favour…
Candidate
Zaibatsus

16. 3. Failure to solve Economic Problems
In the 1920’s, Japan was facing severe economic problems. The democratic government could not solve these problems effectively.
Farmer’s difficult living conditions
Worker’s difficult living conditions
Trade Imbalance
Great Depression

17. New economic industries early 20th Century
Shipping industries
Textiles – silk and cotton goods
Production of gas, electricity, glass and chemical
Agriculture modernised
Communication modernised
Outcome – output & export shrank after WWI when European countries could not fulfil their supply orders.

18. Problems with Economic Development
Population boom
1900 – 45 million
1930 – 64 million
Limited land
Mountainous area – little land for food production
- Low food production, eg. Rice
No natural resources
Raw materials needed to be imported to drive industrial sector.

19. (a) Farmer’s Difficult living conditions
- Half of all farmers had less than 1 ¼ acres of land (size of a soccer field)
Could only grow limited amount of rice, therefore hardly any profit
- Other half rented lands from landlords. They paid very high prices.

20. (b) Worker’s Difficult working conditions
1920’s - Working conditions:
Lived in crowded, unhygienic rooms provided by company
Worked more than 10 hours a day
Could only leave workplace a few times a month
Workers felt abandoned by their government (Democratic government did not care for them)
Why such long hours?

21. Cheap electronic goods & textiles
(c) Trade Imbalance
Before 1926, Japan actually prospered from global trade.
Cheap electronic goods & textiles
Raw materials to run their major industries eg fuel
(import)
(export)

22. But, by 1921, most European countries had recovered from WWI, Japan began to face economic problems.
Japan did not have enough raw materials to run its industries.
Most had to be imported.
Therefore, Japan suffered from a trade imbalance
Imbalance was made worse when Japan had to import more food for its population

23. Great Depression happened in 1929.
(d) Great Depression
Great Depression happened in 1929.
Countries wanted to protect their locally-produced goods, so they adopted a policy of Protectionism
Protectionism is when a country taxes foreign goods. They do this so that their local goods will be cheaper and people will buy local goods, thus ‘protecting’ their own industries.

24. How did Protectionism affect Japan?
High taxes on Japanese silk imported to USA
Japan cannot sell as much silk
Price of Japanese silk in USA rises
Americans either bought silk or other clothes made in their own country
Americans cannot afford to buy Japanese silk

25. Effects of Great Depression
In 1932, price of Japanese silk was less than 1/5 of price in 1923.
Led to economic depression in Japan
How did economic depression happen in Japan? Read page 131 of your textbook

26. Fall in price of Japanese silk…
Caused fewer goods being produced
Caused businessmen who owned silk factories to go bankrupt
Caused increased in unemployment as less workers were needed
Caused Japanese to have lesser money in general
Caused other businesses in Japan to lose profits

27. Japan was now going through an economic depression of its own.
Unemployed farmers then joined the army and patriotic societies to bring changes to the country.
National reconstruction, military strength & respect for authority were becoming more and more popular… (bring back the glory days)
What did this mean for the Democratic Government?

28. 4. Rise of Alternate Powers
Showa Restoration
Patriotic Societies
Militarism as an option
= RISE of NATIONALISM

29. a. Showa Restoration 1930’s in Japan Education System that taught:
Nationalism
Loyalty to Emperor
Self-sacrifice
Obedience
Economic Effects of the Great Depression
Foreign Opposition to growing empire

30. Sonno Joi! Emperor was glorified
Promoted Japanese virtues of self-sacrifice & service to the nation
Youths were blindly loyal to the Emperor and Nation.
Militarism!
Aggressive foreign policy!

31. b. Patriotic societies
Extremely nationalistic and believes that Japan was superior to other countries
Some societies wanted to set up a military dictatorship for the Emperor
Some were either members or had close connections with Army and Navy

35. c. Army’s & Navy’s influence over the government
Had a lot of independence from government
Successful in acquiring more colonies in China & Manchuria (following the West)
As their popularity grew, so did their influence
Leaders that did not support their actions were shot

40. External Factors 1. Worsening relations between Japan & the West
General Trends:
i. America’s policies
ii. Unfair Treatment
2. Resurgence of Chinese Nationalism

41. American Expansionism
i. America’s policies
- United States started to control many smaller islands in the Asia-Pacific region that were rich in resources
Looks like they are threatening to control the region. We must do something about this!
American Expansionism

42. (a) Discriminatory Immigration Laws
1924, USA tried to prevent Asian immigration as part of their Protectionism actions
Asians could not marry Caucasians
Asians attending separate schools
No entry to all Asian immigrants
In some states, Asians are segregated from the Americans
Immigrants cannot become American citizens

43. Why did the Japanese feel insulted?
(b) Washington Naval Conference,
Aim was to reduce the naval forces of USA, Britain, France, Italy & Japan.
Japan was allowed less ships than the Americans or the British
However, Japanese felt that it still was unfair and an insult to their nation.
Why did the Japanese feel insulted?

44. Why should we treat you equally?
ii. Unfair Treatment
(a) Paris Peace Conference, 1919
Japanese representatives requested to the League of Nations for all races to be treated equally, but the League refused.
Why should we treat you equally?

45. Prime Minister, Hamaguchi Osachi agreed to:
(b) London Disarmament Conference, 1930
Prime Minister, Hamaguchi Osachi agreed to:
Further limit number of smaller battleships
Accused of BETRAYING JAPAN
Reduce spending on Army

46. 2. Resurgence of Chinese Nationalism
Japan gained from China’s weak & disunited government – Special rights to trade & controlled some Chinese territories. Eg.21 Demands
Before 1927,
Disunited since 1894
Could not effectively rule its territories
After fall of Qing Dynasty, different warlords ruled different parts of China
What happened after 1927?

47. Chinese Communist Party
- 2 political parties tried to unify China
Chinese Communist Party
Kuomintang
Initially, they fought among themselves, keeping China weak and disunited
Decided to join forces in 1927 to unite China
Japan’s control in China was now threatened. They wanted military action to occupy Manchuria & North China

49. Read page 138 of your textbook.
Which new colonies did Japan take over?
How did this lead to the Army & Navy becoming more popular?

50. Focus 2 What was the impact of militarism on the lives of Japanese?
Providing Work
Control of Workers
Control of Opposition
Control of Education

51. (i) Providing Work
Provided employment for more people by expanding building programmes
- Young men served national service, increased employment
Women had the opportunity to work
- No. of women working rose from 1,370,000 to 2,260,000.
But they often lived in blocks of flats made for working women.
Government could keep an eye on them both at work and at home

52. (i) Providing Work Impact? Economically
– Increased employment and income made
Socially
– Women treated as more of equals
- Govt monitored its citizens

56. (ii) Control of Workers
- After WWI, rise in number of workers in trade unions
- Govt did not ban these trade unions
- Spread message of nationalism and need to self-sacrifice for the good of the nations through the workers’ unions.
Impact?
Socially – Provided the workers with an avenue to air their grievances and express their concerns.
- Propagated their beliefs through this avenue

57. (iii) Control of Opposition
- In 1925, government passed a Peace Preservation Law
- It allowed the government to arrest and imprison anyone they thought was a danger to the government
- Initially used as an emergency measure, but later used as a method to suppress political opposition
- Government also made sure that its critics lost their jobs (eg Prof Minobe)

58. (iii) Control of Opposition
Impact? –
Politically
- Government gained more control over its opposers and critics.
- Governments’ power greater
Socially
People of Japan cannot openly criticize the government or make their views known publicly
They would be arrested or lose their jobs.
This instilled fear. (no freedom to express themselves)

59. (iv) Control of Education
- Government provided six years of free compulsory education
The government insisted on changing the curriculum to include more time to teach traditional values and skills.
They used the schools as a place to spread government values
- The curriculum also included exercise. Boys had to undergo military training exercises while at school.
Universities and colleges also had to include military training into their curriculum

60. (iv) Control of Education
Impact?
Socially
More of the population became educated as the government provided free education.
This help in the development of its people.
Political
– Government could tighten control its people through the use of propaganda and specifically chosen information.