Japan
Dictatorship also came to Japan
-not through a political party but the military
History
-rich military tradition
-feudal clans fought each other for dominance in Japan
-The Emperor presided over the Japanese government
-came form divine origin
-descendent of the Sun Goddess
-played minor role in the government
-he was above politics
-shogun had the political power
-ruled in the name of the Emperor
Japanese society
1. Landowning clans dominated
-protected by the samurai
2. Wealthy merchant class
3. Peasants
-most of the people of Japan
Japan was very isolated until 1853 when US Commodore Matthew Perry sailed in to Japan and forced them to open their ports
In the late 1800’s many Japanese were tired of being controlled by foreign countries.
-adopted western ways in hopes to keep Western Powers out of their country
1. heavy industry
2. modern army
3. strong navy
Showed off new power in several wars
1. Sino-Japanese War
-1894-95
-Japan won
2. Russo-Japanese War
-1904-05
-Japan shocked the world by beating Russia
-gained partial control of Manchuria
3. World War I
-allied with the US
-gained German Islands in the Pacific after the war
1920’s
-gave all men the right to vote
-signed the 4, 5 and 9 Power Pacts
-joined the League of Nations
-signed the Kellog-Briand Pact
1930’s
-Great Depression changed everything
-people blamed the government for tough times
-military leaders stepped in and took control
-said Japan had to expand in to Asia to help economy
-assassinated political leaders that opposed them
-took away people’s rights
Japanese Military Honor
1. fight to the death
2. commit suicide rather than surrender
3. gekokujo (have the desire to do something for your country without permission)
-open defiance of superior officers by junior officers
-seen as a positive thing
-shows the spirit of the soldier
Japanese Invasion on Manchuria
-What did the situation prove?
1) That the League of Nations couldn't eforce its authority.
2)A major power could get away with using force
3)Great Britain and France wanted to avoid war at all costs.
4)the League of Nations also lost its most powerful member in the Far East - Japan
Good Neighbor Policy
-to keep Hitler and Musilini out of Latin America
Ethiopia invaded by Mussolini 1936
-Itally lost its Ethiopia colony in Africa at the 1896 battle of Adua
-one of the worst colonial disaster of modern history
-Feb. 23, 1935. Italy sends large forces into Ethiopia
-Oct. 7, 1935 League declares Italy the agressor
- Nov. 18 1935 - Leagues sanctions begin
-arms emargo, financial embargo, nonimportation of Italian Goods.
-Feb. 29, 1936 - League clound't agree on curtcial oil sanctions mainly because FDR refused - US controlled 50% world oil trade
-FEb, 29, 1936 -FDR signed the 1936 Neutrality Act
1)Mandatory arms embargo with warring nations
2)Mandatory ban on loans to warring nations
-May 5, - Italy occupied Addis Ababa - Annexed all Ethiopia May 9.
Hitler liked the Gerneral Francisco Franco.
Rome-Berlin Axis 1936
-Musilini & Hitler thinks the world woud rotate around their two cities.
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Panay Incident 1937
- boat that was sunk because people bombed it with planes or whatever.
-The Japanese didn't know it was an American ship (do we believe them? idk. but we excepted it.)
-it was their first aggressive act towards us.
Anschiuss with Austria 1938
-Austrians are ethnic Germans
ex. of Appeasment: (to please) Let Hitler take Austria.
-Germany is biting the kneck off of Chzeslosovakia/
Sudentenland/Munich Conference - 1938
-Chamberlin - GB
-Hitler - Germany
-Mussolini - Italy
-Daladier - France
appeasment ex: germany was given the Sudentanland of Czechoslovakia. Czech had the option to accept Pact or deal with Germany itself - so they had to accept.
-Czech lost it's defensible borders and fortifications.
-Wanted to "reunite the German speaking peoples."
-was a vital lost - lost iron, electrical power, and 3.5 million citizens.
Winston Churchhill
Chamberlin: "Peace for our Time"
In March 1939 , Hitler takes rest of Czecholovakia.
-British Prime Minister NEville Chamberlain started taking Nazi Germany and Hitler much more seriously after this.
-winston Churchhill had warned about this happenig (Hitler taking rest of Czech.)
-Great Britain and France started mobolizing(preparing) for war.
Nazi Soviet Non - Agression Pact 1939
- Russia gave reaw materials to Germany in exchange for money and weapons
-Both agreed to stay neutral if the other entered the war.
-Secretly agreed to invade and slpit Poland. Germany would get the western half and USSR would get eastern half.
-Russia would get Finland, Estonia and Latvia and Germany would get Lithuania.
How did the world react to this pact?
-shock
-Poland was in a very tough spot
-Hitler thought it would force GB and France to back out of their promise to help poland if attacked.
Blitzkreig - Lightening War.
-Goal was to win as fast as possible.
1st step is to attack with planes, and to take out other planes.
-Go from behind and circle them so they surrender.
-Dive bombers - made shreaking noises. They were made to terrorize people.
SITZKRIEG - THE PHONY WAR ( THE SITTING WAR)
TRIPARTITE PACT IS SIGNED. (forms the axis powerr)
Axis Powers; Germany Italy Japan. Others:Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Thiland, Hungary
Allied Powers: Britain, Societ Union, US, China, France, Canada, Australia.
Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador.
1940 German Invasion of Denmark and Norway.
-Was harder because they had to go over water.
-went to UBoat warefare.
-didnt gain any control over North Sea
-Defeated them in weeks.
Maginot Line
-a line of concrete fortifications, tank obsticals, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses.
-france constructed this along its borders with Germany and Italy after what happened to them in WW1.
-Built from 1930-40.
Jiracle of Dunkirk-City in Belgum where French British and Belgin forces were evacuated to Great Britain.
pic of hitler by paris tower: One of his huge crowning days. People evacuated france to GB.
Vichy Government:Lead by Marshal Henri Petain. Pro-German government in France.. pro nazi
Free French Underground: Led by Charles de Gaulle. Was our Alli. Their country was taken over but he took part in DDAy invasion. Goal: Free France from German control.
GERMANY NEVER INVADED GREAT BRITAIN.
Battle of Britain wanted to bomb GB into submission.
Nazi Goals
-Destroy the Robal Air Force (before invasion was possible-hopefully by 9-15)
-Attack and destroy the BRitish Navy
-Attack British troops
-After gaining air superiority, the invasion of GB would be begin if GB had not already surrendered.
*Germany never succeeded in achieving #1
*German bombers did so poorly agains the RAF that they started bombing at night only - randomly attacking cities.
*GB was aided heavily by the radar and Ultra.
Operation Sea Lion - Never Happened
Winston Churchhill: Prime Minister. Wanted to fight everywhere!
Luftwaffe: German airforce.
british propaganda: battle of Britain
-tells what should do incase sirens go off. tellling they're not going to surrender.
Bases for Destroyers - 1940
-Great Britain gave us 99 yr leases on some bases because we gave them ships.
-Antigua, British Guiana, Jamaca.
1940 Election:
FDR vs. Wendell Wilkie
FDR Signs the Lend-Lease Act. March 1941
-lent or leased supplies to countries that felt they needed our help.
-billions of dollars worth of goods went out.
-ag. products, industrial things, tanks/guns.
-went to UK, Soviet Union, Africa, China, India.
Germany was doing good with u-boat warefare.
German In vasion of USSR - 1941
-final plan for Operation Barbarossa
-largest military operation in history in both manpower and casualties.
Moscow, Stalingrad, Leningrad. Thought if he could defeat them he could win.
-summary: never got to Moscow, had 90% of Stalingrad but got pushed back, surrounded and bombarded Leningrad.
Scorched Earth Policy
-Stalin demanded this of the soviet troops as they retreated.
-As the soviets retreated, Stalin ordered that they burn everything that the Germans could use.
Battle of Moscow?
-got close but didn't get there.
\-cold snow, low temps.
Why did the Germans lose the war?
-Russians prepared to fight a winter war.
-Germans weren't prepared for snow and cold.
Atlantic Charter: FDR/Churchhill
-August 1941
-Set up war goals of the US and GB, but WE WEREN'T IN THE WAR YET!
.no territorial gain
.no territorial changes without the people support from thos countries
.self determinations
.free trade
.destruction of the Nazis and then setting up a peaceful govermnemt in germany
.freedom of seas
.Abandon the use of force, disarmament and a stronger League of Nation
Pearl Harbor
In July, 1941, Japan invaded French Indochina
In response, the US stops trading with Japan
Due to embargo, Japan felt it had three options:
1. abandon ambitions in South East Asia
2. compromise with the US
3. attack Dutch and British possessions in the Pacific and US bases in the Pacific
Admiral Yamamoto felt that if Japan had any chance of winning a war against the US it must destroy the US Pacific fleet in a surprise attack
A surprise attack would give Japan at least six months to dominate SE Asia unopposed
Japan thought that the US then would face a long, bloody struggle and would settle for a negotiated peace that would allow Japan to do as it pleased in Asia
Tojo replaces Konoye as Premier of Japan. Konoye wanted to negotiate with the US. Tojo didn’t and had a low regard of the US
Tojo wanted war but Emperor Hirohito wanted on last peace attempt.
Japan offered this:
1. Open door policy everywhere and Japan would withdraw from
French Indochina
2. US would stop Lend-Lease Aid to China and start trading with Japan again
3. Japan would start peace talks with China
US refused plan on November 29th
US took a hard line stance with Japan now because we had deciphered their diplomatic code(Magic) and knew that they had some type of attack plan.
Magic Information
“November 29th is the deadline”
“things are automatically going to happen”
Japan felt that the key to success in the Pacific was air and sea power
-especially launching airplanes from aircraft carriers and submarines attacking enemy ships
Japan had ten aircraft carriers to our three in the Pacific(based in Pearl Harbor)
Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack Plan
1. destroy three aircraft carriers, eight battleships, seven cruisers and other small ships at pearl harbor
2. attack Wake Island and Guam (US Territories)
3. attack Malay and Hong Kong(British Territoriess)
4. attack Philippines, Dutch East Indie s and Burma (US, Duch)
Japanese attack force consisted of:
1. Six aircraft carriers
2. 360 airplanes
-Kate High level bombers
-dive and torpedo bombers
-Zero fighters
- 3. two battleships, three cruisers, eight destroyers
Admiral Nagumo commanded the force
To succeed, Japan had to travel 3,500 miles without being detected. That meant absolute radio silence and travelling through a vast, lonely expanse of the Pacific Ocean. This attack had to be a complete surprise.
“Backdoor to War” Conspiracy
-we pushed Japan into a corner where they had no choice but to attack us.
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