Chapter 5

Rise of Japanese Militarism ● Japan embarked on an expansionist foreign policy and expanded overseas ○ The tensions between the civilian politicians and military leaders worsened as the ultranationalist military commanders grew in prominence and influence in Japan’s politics (cuz of the military victories in the early 1900s against China and Russia) → Many Japanese military commanders were ultranationalists ○ They believed that military service was an honour and a noble calling → felt that it was Japan’s destiny to remove the Western powers from Asia and expand its rule over Asia → beliefs would become extremely popular in Japan, especially after the annexation of Manchuria ● On the other hand, the civilian politicians increasingly lost the trust of the people who perceived them to be weak ○ During the 1930s the military became increasingly dominant, and by 1936 it was effectively running Japan → The Japanese saw B,R,US as rivals and Obstacles to achieving their ambitions ○ In their view, the United States had already abandoned them with its economic policies against Japan in 1930s, leaving thousands of Japanese workers in unemployment when it stopped importing goods from Japan ● The USSR was seen as a big threat too, as they were pro-communist , in which communism teaches that societies should not be run by emperors and kings but by the people → communism was a dangerous ideology that had to be combated + USSR’s border with Japan’s empire in Manchuria was a major cause for concern ● In 1936 , Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Italy and Nazi Germany to avoid communism → another powerful reason for Japan to control territories in Asia— to hold back the USSR and gain the resources it would need if it ever warred against the USSR Manchurian Crisis With the changes in domestic politics, worsening relations with the Western powers and the economic problems in Japan, building a new empire was a means to protect their economy → For the great majority of these commanders and politicians, the obvious place for Japan to expand was through the conquest of China’s territory, particularly in Manchuria

● By 1931, the idea that influence and control should be extended over Manchuria had gained a lot of ground in Japan → Manchuria was rich in coal and iron and was seen as the perfect solution to Japan’s lack of natural resources