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(Taisho) Economic Prosperity 1914-1918 WW1

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(Taisho) Economic Prosperity 1914-1918 WW1

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Japan's Economic Prosperity

Japan's economy prospered from 1914-1918 because many European powers were involved in WW1.

As a result, there was less competition from these European countries & Japan was able to export more of its products.

For example, sale of Japanese cloth cotton rose by 185% during WW1 (1914-1918).

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It was the result of a long period of rising tensions.

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Relationship between North Korea and the USSR;

Relationship between South Korea and the United States;

Tensions between North and South Korea; and

US and Soviet disinterest in Korea.

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The 6 most powerful nations in Europe were divided into 2 opposing alliances.

the Triple Alliance: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy

The Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia

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On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the future ruler of Autria-Hungary, was assassinated while visiting The capital of Bosnia.

Austri-Hungary took the opportunity to defend its control over Bosnia& declared war one Serbia. This also meant a war between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Serbia's traditional ally. Germany, which supported Austri-Hungary also declared war on Serbia.

This dragged the whole of Europe to war by August 1914.

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Post-WW1, Governments were unable to deliver peace and economic recovery.

The Great Depression in 1929 also caused mass unemployment, inflation and a failing economy. This worsened people's quality of life. People were desperate for any change.

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**** Weakness of the Weimar Govt. (Favourable Circumstance)

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**** Weakness of the Weimar Govt. (Favourable Circumstance)

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Coalition Government

1. The Weimar government was made up of many different political parties with differing beliefs.

2. There were many small parties in the parliament w/o any party gaining a majority.

3. The different parties disagreed often and were constantly fighting among themselves, leading to internal rivalry.

This meant that the Weimar Govt was undecisive and not united.

Made it difficult to pass laws and led to their decline.

Germans want a strong and united govt.

Led to the rise of the Nazi Party.

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In 1929, The Great Depression hit the US.

Germany took loans from the US and was dependent on it.

But the US recalled back all its loans, plunging the US into economic crisis.

Germany was also badly hit by the economic crisis and could not pay off its loans to the US. Germany became hugely indebted to the US

Germany went bankrupt. Factories closed, millions lost their jobs, 1/3 of working population unemployed.

Country was made poor twice in 6 years (Hyperinflation 1923 & Great Depressions 1929).

Coalition Government was indecisive in taking action.

Germans wanted a strong, united govt that was efficient.

***This led to support for Nazism and a decline in support for the Weimar Govt.***

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Weakness of the Weimar Govt. (Favourble Circumstance)

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Weakness of the Weimar Govt. (Favourble Circumstance)

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Article 48

It was a law hat allowed the President to rule by decree in event of an emergency.

However, "emergency" was not defined, so the president abused his power. He used Article 48 whenever he wanted for himself, and not the country.

This led to an instability in the govt.

The President himself was using his power for his own financial benefit.

Germans lost faith in the govt and sought alternative govt such as Hitler and Nazism.

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Charismas & speaking skills (Hitler's abilities)

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Charismas & speaking skills (Hitler's abilities)

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Hitler was charismatic and had oratorial skills.

1. Good at convincing ppl and chose to give his speeches at beer halls to easily sway and agitate drunk people.

He would tell Germans what they wanted to hear,

1. He promised them that he would destroy the Treaty of Versailles, which caused much anger amongst Germans due to its unfair terms.

2. He promised them that he would make Germany great again and take Germans out of economic crisis.

Hitler took advantage of Germans' anger for their current circumstance and the Weimar Govt. Germans were convinced by his promises, Hitler gained many supporters and became popular.

***This paved the way for his rise to power.***

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Exploitation of Fear of Communism (Hitler's Abilitiues)

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Exploitation of Fear of Communism (Hitler's Abilitiues)

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Many Germans feared communists:

Farmers feared that their land and assets would be taken over by communists.

Owners of big industries felt threatened by communists

Middle & Upper class thought their wealth would be taken away.

These groups trusted Hitler to get rid of communists and gave him financial support.

Hitler took advantage of their fears by promises them assistance when he got into power.

He got much support from anti-communists

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Japan Before 1912 - Tokugawa Shoganate 1600s-1800s

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Japan Before 1912 - Tokugawa Shoganate 1600s-1800s

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Japan was very isolated and ruled by an Emperor.

But most of the power was in the hands of the Tokugawa shoganate.

Japan was an agrian society (one where most of its economic activity revolved around agriculture).

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Emperor

Shogun: The military leader of Japan

Daimyo: Landlords

Samurai: Military class in pre-Meiji Japan

Peasants

Artisans

Merchants

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Japan witnessed powerful European countries taking advantage of China w/ unfair treaties.

Became very concerned.

By 1850s, Japan encountered US technological might when US Navy sailed to Tokyo Bay.

The US Navy demanded Japan sign treaties w/ them to trade or face US naval force.

Tokugawa shoganate gave in & lost power in 1868.

The caused Emperor Meiji to take control of the gvot.

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During Meiji restoration, Japan implemented many policies to modernise itself & catch up w/ the West.

In 1871, The Meiji Govt. sent academics & other official to the US & Europe to learn how Western Nations ran their Govt., economies & armed forces.

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Industrailsation led to the rise of strong & influential businesses known as Zaibatsu.

Zaibatsus were large businesses led by a single family. They were involved in nearly all the important industries in Japan & had enormous financial power.

4 main zaibatsus before WW2 were Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo & Yasuda

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1. Implemented Policies like Fukoku Kyohei

(Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Army)

strengthen Japan's economic foundations which help it build a strong military to defend against foreign invaders.

2. Industrialised its economy

Japan began using Western technology & increased its production.

Infrastructure such as the banking system & railroads were set up to support Japan's production.

Powerful & large corporation called Zaibatsus were also established

3. Japan began to open up

It engage in foreign trade & export goods to rest of the world.

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In 1889, Japan became a constitutional monarchy:

The Japanese emperor, who was the Monarch, had to rule according to a set of laws.

As he retained a lot of power, he had to share that power w/ the different govt. groups.

These groups included the Genro, The Diet & the military.

BUＴ Even though the Emperor had to share power, the Govt still emphasised loyalty to the Emperor

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The Meiji Period ended w/ the death of Emperor Meiji.

The New period between 1912 & 1926 was named Taisho.

Although Japan continued its political & economic modernisation during the Taisho era, it was not as politically stable as it was in the early 1900s.

***** The weakness of democracy in Japan paved the way for increasing military influence in Japanese politics.

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1. CONSITUTION

The new Emperor Yoshihito was too sickly & weak to exercise his authority over Japan's government.

Many of the Genro who had advised the emperor also left Japan's political scene due to old age.

Without a strong emperor or the Genro to unify the Govt., divisions between the court officials, the civilian politicians & the military worsened.

2. CIVILIAN OFFCIALS:

The civilian politicians in the Cabinet & Diet were also divided because of the emergence of party politics.

The divisions between the parties made it challenging for the PM to gain the support of the majority.

The Japanese public was dissatisfied with the democratic govt.

The Govt was seen as unstable & incapable of ruling the country effectively.

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(Taisho) Political Challenges, Problems w/ the Military

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(Taisho) Political Challenges, Problems w/ the Military

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Military officials

They were appointed by the Emperor so PM did not have the authority to removed officials who did not follow his policies.

The military opposed the internationalist policy of diplomacy & trade led by civilian politicians.

The military resented the PM & their cabinet for cutting their budget.

The military began to act on their own accord & disregarded the PM & Cabinets.

Emperor Yoshihito was too sickly & weak to enforce control on them.

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Meiji Period saw a transformation in Japanese society.

For example, cities grew rapidly.

Tokyo's population increased from 600,000 in 1873 to about 2 million in 1913.

Many new city dwellers were young people who had migrated from the countryside for work.

Although those who moved remained in contact with their families, there was a divide in terms of values & attitudes.

Countryside --> More traditional views than city dwellers.

The samurai were an elite class.

BUT Samurai were replaced by new national Army & Navy

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Although Japan's economy had made remarkable advancements in the early 1900s, it had a tendency to swing from periods of boom to periods of recession.

After WW1, Japan began to face severe economic problems.

1. Severe Inflation

By the 1920s, there was severe inflation & goods became very expensive.

For example, the price of rice, a staple in the Japanese diet, increased by 174%.

Resulting in the Rice riots of 1918.

These riots, led by angry workers, were triggered by the sudden increase of necessities, especially rice.

2. High Unemployment after WW1

On top of that, there was also high unemployment there was a decline in demand for Japanese goods.

This decline for demand of goods resulted in large companies dismissing thousands of workers.

Resulted in growing resentment towards the civilian government.

3. Tokyo Earthquake (1923)

Additionally, Japan was hit by a massive earthquake which devastated Tokyo in 1923.

Led to the loss of many lives and increased the economic hardships for the ppl.

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In Towns

Japan's industrial growth increased the living standards of most Japanese.

They had access to cheaper & better goods & benefitted from improved services & infrastructure.

For example, Services & Infrastructure: Public schooling, electricity & lighting.

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Meiji Period - Educational System Change

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Meiji Period - Educational System Change

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Meiji period introduced educational changes in Japan.

It adopted a Western-style curriculum w/ vocational schools

to support its industriaiisation efforts.

Education system reinforced Japanese loyalty to the Emperor, state, family & community.

Education, along w/ the media, encouraged nationalism among the Japanese.

Education system stressed that Japan was never colonised by the West.

It also highlighted the country's economic developments & celebrated its stability & unity.

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Countryside Challenges

However, those living in the countryside did not benefit equally from compared to those living in towns.

1. There was insufficient land for farmers due to large population growth in Japan.

2. To make matters worse, by 1920s, the productivity of farmers in the countryside had stagnated.

Because Technological advances in farming like the use of better tools & cultivation techniques did not spread quickly enough in the countryside.

3. Farmers struggled to survive

Majority of farmers were also tenant farmers who struggled to survive.

Much earned from the harvest went to paying landlords, leaving farmers w/ barely enough to eat.

Although some farmers were fortunate enough to have their own land, the plots of land they own were small & had poor harvests.

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To strengthen Japan's economy, The government continued to support the wealthy Zaibatsu.

While this built co-operation & trust between the govt & big businesses, workers & peasants continued to live in poverty.

The gap between the rich & poor widened.

In the countryside, The richest landlords, who made up about 2-3% of the Japanese population, did not welcome the farms themselves, but lived on rent collected from tenant farmers.

These landlords lived in luxury & engaged in leisure activities

like visiting hot spiring.

This was in sharp contrast to the poverty of tenant farmers.

The growing unhappiness of the poor w/ the wealthy led to uprisings.

For example, the Rice Riots of 1918.

These riots, led by angry workers, were triggered by the sudden increase of necessities, especially rice.

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Meiji Period - Japan & the World 1868-1912

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Meiji Period - Japan & the World 1868-1912

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Under Meiji Restoration,

Japan's economy expanded as it engaged in trade w/ the outside world.

Some Japanese leaders believed that Japan should become a more important player in international politics, especially in Asia.

They even thought that their country should build an empire like Britain.

Many politicians, government officials & military leaders believed that it was important for Japan to control lands w/ natural resources in order to grow & strengthen its economy.

This determination to become an important force on the world stage became clear from 1894 to 1895.

When Japan went to war w/ China over Korea.

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Traditionalist groups were worried Japan was beginning to lose its identity.

1 common complaint was that young women were abandoning heir traditional roles in families.

During the 1920s, many young women found jobs in cafes & restaurants in cities.

Others worked in Japan's expanding silk mills & factories.

Condition were hard but wages were reasonable.

Many young women found greater independence than before.

**** This was seen by some as a threat to traditional Japanese society & values.******

These women were accused of serving their own interests instead of the needs of their families.

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Challenges Post Taisho Period After 1926

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Challenges Post Taisho Period After 1926

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Japan's war w/ China -  Japan & the World 

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Japan's war w/ China -  Japan & the World 

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From 1894-1895, war between Japan & w/ China over Korea.

It was a stunning victory for Japan within only ONE year.

China's forces were no match for the modern & well trained Japanese Army & Navy.

With this victory, Japan increased its influence in Korea.

China also ceded Taiwan & the LiangDong Peninsula in Manchuria to Japan.

This alarmed another great power, Russia

because Japan was too close to Russia's borders

In 1904-1905, war broke out between Russia & Japan.

Japan won the war again.

It was the first time an Asian power defeated a major European power.

Japan replaced Russia as the key power in Manchuria.

In 1910, Japan annexed Korea completely & became a major power in the region.

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By the 1930s, the LON's reputation had already declined.

In 1931, when Japan invaded Manchuria, the League reacted slowly & ineffectively.

Instances (More Info)

1. Failure of the disarmament process

2. Abyssinian Crisis

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The key aim of the LON was to encourage countries to reduce their armaments.

The League led international talks to promote disarmament among all countries as early as the 1920s.

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LON - Efforts of Disarmament in the 1920s

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LON - Efforts of Disarmament in the 1920s

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1. 1921 Washington Naval Conference (Success)

Negotiated outside the League to limit size & number of warships held by Britain, France, Japan & the US.

Organised by the US, which was not a League member.

Ratios tonnage of capital ships of Britain, the US, Japan, France & Itlay set at 5 : 5 : 3 : 1.67 : 1.67.

4. 1926 League Commission to prepare for World Disarmament Conference (Failure)

Failed as Britain & France refused to co-operate.

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LON - Efforts at Disarmament in the 1920s

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LON - Efforts at Disarmament in the 1920s

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2. 1928 Kellog- Briand Pact (Failure)

Negotiated outside the League between 15 countries including the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy & Japan.

Purpose of the Pact: Wanted to make the agreement that force should not be used to settle disputes.

HOWEVER, there was no clear way to enforce the pact.

3. 1925 Locarno Treaties (Partial Success)

Negotiated outside the League between Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland & Czechoslovakia.

Germany accepted its western borders, including the demilitarisation of the Rhineland.

Weimar govt agreed to settle any disputes with the above-mentioned countries through the League.

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Efforts at Disarmament in the 1920s Conclusion

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Efforts at Disarmament in the 1920s Conclusion

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Despite the efforts in 1920s, overall progress on disarmament was limited.

By the early 1930s, the increasing tensions in the world began to make world leaders more focused on & open to an arms race.

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The World Disarmament Conference 1932-1934

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The World Disarmament Conference 1932-1934

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Concerned with increasing tensions in the world, the League managed to persuade the US & almost 60 other states to attend the World Disarmament Conference.

It was held at the League's headquarters in Geneva in February 1932.

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The conference concentrated on trying to control the destructive power of offensive weapons.

The conference produced resolutions to prohibit the bombing of civilian populations & chemical warfare, as well as limit the size of artillery & the tonnage of tanks.

Issues:

1. Countries could not agree what offensive & defensive weapons were.

2. The resolutions passed did very little to ensure how the limitations of weapons would be achieved.

For Example, the bombing of civilian was to be banned but all attempts to agree to abolish planes capable of bombing were unsuccessful.

Even the ban on the manufacture of chemical weapons was unsuccessful.

3. Individual countries used the Conference to raise their own particular issues.

For example, Italy demanded to have a navy the same size as that of France.

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The biggest issue in the conference was what to do w/ Germany.

Most countries shared the view that the ToV should be fairer to Germany.

Especially the terms abt the size of Germany's army.

Disagreements on how a fairer arrangement should be made:

1. Every country was to disarm to a level that Germany had been forced to.

OR

2. Allow Germany to rearm to a level closer to that of the other powers.

There was a lot of reluctance to allow either option. The previous disarmament attempts in 1920s had shown that countries did not want to disarm.

France was wary of Germany due to its painful experience in WW1 (Most of the fighting was done on French land)

France pressured the League into taking the allowing Germany to rearm.

& Demanded that EITHER France continued to have much larger armed forces than Germany.

OR

Britain & the US guarantee to fight alongside France if a war broke out between Germany & France.

Disagreements Continued

Britain & the US were reluctant to commit themselves to France's future security.

Germany also accused France & the other major powers of hypocrisy.

IN JULY 1932

Germany put forward proposals for all countries to disarm down to its level.

When the conference failed to agree on the principle of "equality", the Germans walked out & the conference broke up.

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In 1926, Emperor Yoshihito was succeeded by Emperor Showa, aka Emperor Hirohito.

Many of Japan's social, economic & political problems continued to worsen during his reign.

Banking Crisis

In the 1920s, Japan had many small banks.

They had a small number of borrowers from the same few industries whom they lend large amounts of money to.

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"The League of Nations failed due to their post war attitude." DYA? Explain.

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"The League of Nations failed due to their post war attitude." DYA? Explain.

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"The weak civilian government led to the rise of militarism." DYA? Explain.

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"The weak civilian government led to the rise of militarism." DYA? Explain.

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INTRO

I agree to a certain extend. Militarism in Japan rose not just die to the weak civilian govt but also other factors like the Great Depression & Historical grievances brought abt by WW1.

GF: Weak civilian Govt.

The leadership in the civialian govt was ineffective. Emperor Yoshihito was sickly & unable to exercise his authority over the Japanese Govt. To worsen the situation, the Genro had also left the political scene due to old age.. Hence their was no strong emperor or Genro to unite the Govt, leading to divisions between the court officials, the civilian govt.

Even within the civilian Govt itself, there were divisions. The 2 political parties that were elected into the Diet were political rivals who wrestled for power & influence. Thus, it was difficult for the PM to gain support of the majority as politicians from opposing party could refuse to support the Emperor's decisions.

Another problem, was that the military officials were appointed gy the emperor & not the Pm. Thus the PM did not have the authority to remove them if they were not following orders.

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"The weak civilian government led to the rise of militarism." DYA? Explain.

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"The weak civilian government led to the rise of militarism." DYA? Explain.

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OF: The Great Depression

The great Depression was another factor for the rise of militarism in Japan. In 1929, The G. B affected countries globally, including Japan. Demand for Japan's exports, like silk, fell. Japan's economy fell by 20%. The fall in exports affect ppl's incomes & saw a lower demand for farmers' produce as ppl could not purchase items.

Farmers' income fell by 43%. Tenants tried to get landlords to reduce the rent but they refused & even evicted tenant farmers who could not pay rent. There were many protests by tenant farmers who organised themselves into unions, held protest meetings, took landowners to court & turned violent.

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The Conference Reconvenes - Germany's Disarmament 

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The Conference Reconvenes - Germany's Disarmament 

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Although the conference had broken up, the League's officials continued to work behind the scenes w/ Germany & other powers.

In December 1932, the other powers agreed to discuss equality for Germany.

Germany agreed to discuss.

The Disarmament Conference reconvened in February 1933.

HOWEVER, there had been some important changes:

Germany had a new leader - Hitler.

Hitler appeared to be genuinely interested in disarmament when he attended the conferences.

BUT

Today, we know Hitler was not interested in disarmament.

He secretly started a rearmament programme in Germany.

He pretended to engage w/ the other powers on disarmament.

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Germany's REarmament - The Conference Reconvenes

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Germany's REarmament - The Conference Reconvenes

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In 1933 May, Hitler promised not to rearm Germany IF all other nations agreed to disarm in 5 years.

He was trying to put pressure on other powers, particularly France.

The discussion continued throughout but there was little progress.

Hitler called for large-scale disarmament:

1. So he could claim to be a supporter of peace & progress.

2. Hitler knew that other powers would not disarm to the level The Germany had to.

3. This gave him justification to rearm Germany.

In 1933 October, he pulled Germany out of the Disarmament Conference & from the LON.

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In 1935, Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, invaded Abyssinian.

Origins of the Abyssinian Crisis

In 1896, Italian troops tried to invade Abyssinian but were defeated by a poorly equipped army of tribesman.

Reasons for Invading Abyssinian:

1. Mussolini wanted revenge for this humiliating defeat.

2. Also wanted fertile lands & mineral wealth of Abyssinian.

3. He also wanted glory & conquest.

In December 1934, there was a dispute between Italian & Abyssinian soldiers at the Wal-Wal oasis in Abyssinia.

Mussolini used this as an excuse to claim the oasis as Italian territory.

He demanded an apology from Abyssinia.

& Began preparing an Italian army to invade it.

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The Abyssinian Emperor, Haile Selassie, appealed to the LON for help but was unsuccessful.

Even though:

Britain had the influence & resources to act decisively on Abyssinia's behalf.

And the location of Britain's & France's colonies meant that both could send troops to defend Abyssinian.

They both chose NOT to.

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The Abyssinian crisis damaged the global confidence in the LON for good.

The leak of the Hoare-Laval Pac t damaged its reputation.

Furthermore, the failure to impose sanctions on Italy decisively led to the Italian take over of Abyssinian.

As such, Hitler was convinced that the LON would not be able to hinder Germany's plan of expansion.

1. In 1936 MArch, During the Abyssinian crisis, German troops marched into the Rhineland.

The LON did NOTHING to stop it.

2. By 1936 November, Italy & Germany signed an agreement, called the Rome-Berlin Axis.

The LON could do nothing about it.#

***

This eroded the LON's credibility & showed its ineffectiveness in resolving conflicts & maintaining world peace.

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Nazis believed in putting Germany & its ppl before anyone or anything else.

The party offered radical solutions:

1. A massive rearmament programme.

2. State control of industry & state investment in projects such as road-building

AND

3. Getting rid of the ToV to end reparations payment & reclaim territories which were lost under the ToV.

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Foreign Policy Aims:

1. Abolish ToV

2. Destroy Communism

3. Enforce Militarism

4. Get Lebensraum for Germans who of "Aryan" race, who should create an empire to rule over inferior races

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1. 1933 Germany Left the LON

2. 1933-1935 Germany Began to Rearm

Rearmament was specifically banned by the ToV, but Germany began rearmament.

3. 1934 Disarmament Conference

Hitler Walked out of the conference claiming that Germany was not being fairly treated.

4. The Saar Plebiscite

The Saar region was under the LON since 1919.

Hitler claimed it should be a part of Germany.

The LON conducted a plebiscite (VOTE)

The plebiscite resulted in 90% of ppl in Saar voting to join Hitler's Germany.

Increased Hitler's power & influence.

5. Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

6. The SPanish civil war

7. the Anti-Comintern PAct

8. The Axis Alliance

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In 1905, Korea became a protectorate of Japan.

In 1910, Japan annexed Korea (took over, usually by force or without permission).

The Japanese ruled Korea with an iron fist. The police and military had total power and Koreans had very few rights. Though it was difficult and dangerous to oppose Japanese rule, some Koreans resisted. Despite the Japanese crushing resistance movements brutally, the Koreans continued to resist throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

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Resistance intensified with the outbreak of WWII.

Some resistance movements had the support of communists in China and the USSR. The resistance groups still failed to make much of an impact on Japanese rule.

With differing aims and ambitions for an independent Korea, the different groups were deeply divided.

One resistance group, led by Kim Il Sung, was particularly important. Kim was a deeply committed communist who had been trained in political and military thinking in the USSR. His forces fought a determined guerilla war against the Japanese until they were forced to flee to communist-controlled areas in China in 1939. This struggle proved to be important later as it helped Kim gain the support of the North Koreans after the war.

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At the Potsdam Conference in July 1945. The Allies agreed that Korea should eventually be given full independence. However, they did not specify what form this independence would take.

The Allies agreed that once the Japanese were defeated. Korea would be temporarily occupied until arrangements for a new government could be put in place. US forces would govern the southern part of Korea while Soviet troops would govern the northern part of Korea. The dividing line would be the 38th parallel.