pt7 Flashcards
(17 cards)
What was a major civil-military issue in managing Japan’s empire?
The Kwantung Army acted independently (e.g., Manchurian Incident), weakening civilian government control.
Why was the empire economically important?
It was seen as vital for securing resources and settling Japan’s growing population, especially post-Great Depression.
How did imperial overreach affect Japan’s global standing?
Aggression led to international isolation and withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933.
How did Japanese foreign policy in China affect domestic politics?
Civilian leaders struggled to control military actions in China, contributing to political instability and collapse of party politics.
What treaties did civilian elites support after WWI to gain international legitimacy?
The Washington Naval Treaty (1922) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928).
How did military and ultranationalist factions view post-WWI treaties?
As humiliating and contrary to Japan’s goal of imperial expansion, especially in China.
What events signaled the collapse of civilian authority in Japan in the 1930s?
Political assassinations (e.g., PM Inukai, 1932) and the February 26 Incident (1936).
What did ultranationalists believe about Japan’s future in the 1930s?
Japan’s destiny lay in continental expansion; party politics were seen as corrupt.
How did Japan exploit China’s internal disunity in the 1920s and 1930s?
By taking advantage of warlordism and the civil war between the KMT and CCP.
Why did the KMT’s unification efforts threaten Japan?
They endangered Japan’s influence in Manchuria, seen as vital for Japanese security.
What marked the shift from diplomacy to military aggression in Japan’s foreign policy?
The seizure of Manchuria and creation of Manchukuo in 1932.
What event started the Second Sino-Japanese War?
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937.
How did Japan justify its expansion in Asia ideologically?
Through Pan-Asianism, claiming to “liberate” Asia from Western colonialism.
How were SCAP’s goals of demilitarization and democratization linked?
Through a new constitution that would prevent rearmament via democratic reforms.
What specific SCAP actions supported demilitarization and democratization?
De-mythologizing the emperor, redistributing land, instituting human rights.
Why did leftist ideas gain appeal in postwar Japan?
Disillusionment with wartime leadership and a desire for peace and equality.
What caused the shift in American Occupation policy after 1947?
The Cold War, the Communist threat, and economic stability concerns.
