During the Paris Peace Conference, Japan was debating over whether or not Japan should support the international system. Those who supported engaging with the national powers agreed as a means to obtaining natural resources and markets its growing economy needed but those who didn't support it mostly feared Japan wouldn't be treated fairly or with respect by the other countries, who were also competing for resources and economic markets in Asia. Japanese people had a reason to be worried. All over the world the Japanese experienced racist treatment and discrimination. For example, in the U.S. they were prevented from becoming naturalized citizens. The Japanese thought they could use the Paris Peace Conference as an opportunity to to address these issues of international racial discrimination. The Japanese public strongly agreed that an amendment demanding racial equality was needed. Meanwhile the U.S. had strong feelings against this idea, with some even viewing it as a threat to the 'white race'. Surprisingly, at the conference, majority voted for the amendment but it was later rejected by President Wilson. This caused the Japanese to become outraged and warned, that in the future, Japan might be less likely to put its faith in the principles of international cooperation. In the end, because the amendment did not pass, many Japanese turned away from the West and toward a more nationalist position for the coming years.
2. Read the pull-out box on page 4 entitled, "Japan Becomes a Great Power." Cite specific evidence Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European & American interests. And, why specifically was Japan threatened by U.S. actions?
Japan's economy was rapidly growing, while its political and military power were increasing steadily. This made Japan the fifth largest financial contributor to the proposed League of Nations. Japan becoming an economic and military power was recent yet rapid. Japan modelled its navy, army, banking system, and constitution on those of the countries located in the western hemisphere. Gross domestic product, manufacturing, and mining were all increasing at a rather rapid pace. Some people of Japan wanted the country to head towards a democratic future and warned against relying to much on the military, but others argued that the country would need to use military force to achieve its goals. Japan had also defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, which caused it to gain access to parts of Manchuria.
The U.S. had an increasing presence in the Pacific. They had acquired Hawaii, the Philippines, and Guam. Japan was becoming threatened by the U.S. actions because of their growing presence, which had begun to pose a threat to Japan's own plans of expansion.
3. Why was the Washington Naval Conference convened and what was accomplished? (pg. 6) (Note: Japan signs the agreement.)
The Washington Naval Conference was convened because Japan's growth as a naval power threatened U.S. interests. It sought to limit a naval arms race and to discuss issues related to the Pacific Ocean and the Far East. This was accomplished when both parties agreed to limit the size of their naval ships, placed a hold on building new battleships, made it illegal to use poison gases, and restricted the role of submarines in future wars. Also all the nations agreed to sign an agreement affirming China's sovereignty and establishing a a policy of open trade with the country. The nations also agreed to solve disputes by submitting them to a committee for resolution.
4. The Senate's willingness to ratify the Kellogg-Briand Pact reelected two strong and widely held sentiments. What were they? (pgs. 6 - 7)
The two strong and widely held sentiments were the Americans' strong distaste for being dragged into another European war and policy-makers' resistance to the obligations of permanent alliances and wish to preserve the ability to act when and where they wanted.
5. Why did Hitler enjoy popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s? Give three reasons. (pgs. 9 - 10)
Hitler enjoyed popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s because he improved the economic situation and reduced unemployment. He also restored national pride for Germans, who were still humiliated by the defeat of WWI and by how poor they had become.
6. Japan voiced its intentions to invade China for what two reasons? (pg. 10)Japan voiced its intentions to invade China as a means of obtaining raw materials and increasing its power. Japan is an island nation so it depends a lot on foreign trade for raw materials and other supplies, especially for its rapidly growing population and industrial economy. Japan's growing economy was greatly crippled, when the Great Depression reduced foreign trade around the world. Because of this and continuous feelings of discrimination all over the world, Japan was increasingly interested in becoming an economically self-sufficient nation.
7. Compare the Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. What did they accomplish?
The fire in Reichstag occurred soon after the election. Hitler blamed the fire on German communists, saying they were attempting to overthrow the government and start a civil war. This allowed Hitler to use the fire as an excuse to suspend the freedoms guaranteed by the German constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly.
The explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria was in September of 1931. Japan blamed on the Chinese dissidents and called for their military to invade. The Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria both were successful being excuses to gain power. Hitler who put the blame on others and used the attacks as an excuse gained the power to rule, while the Japanese invaded Manchuria and gained its coal and iron ore reserves.
8. Why was the United States unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force? (pgs. 11 - 12)
The United States was unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force because the U.S. had drastically reduced the size of of its military since WWI. In 1932 the U.S. had only 244,900 troops compared to the 2,897,000 military personnel they had in 1918.
9. Describe the major similarities and differences among liberal democracy, fascism, and socialism. (pg. 8)
Liberal democracies have a constitution, with elected representatives whose decision making is regulated by a rule of law the emphasizes the rights and freedoms of individuals. Fascism is an authoritarian form of government which puts the economy under government control, and emphasizes the control of the state over the individual. Many found Fascism to be brutally repressive and morally repugnant. Socialism tried to create a classless society that would end the exploitation of workers. To do this they had to dismantle the capitalistic economic system by taking the means of production from the owners and placing them in the hands of the state.
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