Thursday March 8th

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
  • descendant 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

  • Landowning clans dominated
  • -protected by the samurai
  •  Wealthy merchant class
  • 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
  • heavy industry
  • modern army
  • 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 suicificers 
3. Gekokujo

  • open defiance of superior officers by junior officers
  • seen as a positive thing
  • shows the spirit of the soldier

JAPAN INVASION OF MANCHURIA

  • League of nations could not enforce authority
  • major power could get away with using force
  • Great Britain and France wanted to avoid war at all costs
  • League of Nations at its lost its most powerful country

ETHIOPIA INVADED BY MUSSOLINI 1936

  • Italy lost its Ethiopia colony in Africa at the 1896 Battle of Adua
  • one of the worst colonial disasters of modern history
  • February 23, 1935, Italy sends large forces into 

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