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Meiji Restoration
A new government was established in Japan that returned power to the emperor, Meiji. Previously, Japan was governed militarily. Under the new government, the Meiji Constitution was created and the Diet (parliament) was created. -
Japan-Korea Treaty
Japan was able to coerce Korea into signing a treaty that stated:
1. Korea was no longer a tributary state to China
2. Japanese citizens could not be arrested or tried in Korea
3. Korea could not impose restrictions on Japanese trade
4. Japan was allowed the use of three ports for its exports -
First-Sino Japanese War 1894-1895
The handling of Korea led to Japanese war against China. Japan drove Chinese troops out of Korea easily and began to invade Manchuria. Japan captured Port Arthur. Treaty of Shimonoseki:
1. Korean independence
2. Japan receives Taiwan and Liaodong Peninsula
3. China pay Japan silver
4. Japanese ships operate on Yangtze river and factories in Chinese ports -
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Japan and Britain became allies because Britain was concerned with Russian expansion in Asia. It caused Japan to only worry about Russia, as their only ally was France and they were dealing with Germany -
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
Russia and Japan fought over Korea and Manchuria. Japan attacked the Russian navy at Port Arthur and invaded Korea. Port Arthur was taken by Japan and Mukden, Manchuria eventually fell to Japan, too. This war led to the Treaty of Portsmouth -
Treaty of Portsmouth
Ended the Russo-Japanese War, negotiated by USA. Gave Japan leasing capabilities for Port Arthur and Liaodong Peninsula and the Southern Manchuria Railway. Japan still felt like they did not receive enough for their victory. -
Shantung Peninsula
Britain needed Japan's help against Germany. Japan beat Germany and took control of the Shantung Peninsula and took control of various German colonies in the Pacific -
Period: to
World War I
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Twenty-One Demands
Japan gave China 21 demands to essentially give Japan more control in China. They had to reduce it to 13 and it demonstrated that Japan was very aggressive towards China. -
Paris Peace Conference
League of Nations was formed and Japan was a founding member -
Washington Naval Conference
Five-Power Treaty limited naval construction and Japan's navy was limited to 60% of the size of the US navy. -
Peace Protection Law of 1925
Communism was appealing to the Japanese, and to counteract this, the Peace Protection Law of 1925 allowed the government to arrest anyone who wanted to change the governmental system. In 1928, it was amended to allow for execution. -
Great Depression 1929-1936
Major economic downturn. They were shut off from the US due to trade barriers, GNP was down 20%, stocks lost half their value, exports down 40%, agriculture prices down 45%, political unrest, and an increase in zaibatsu income came because of the depression. -
Period: to
Great Depression
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London Naval Conference
Revisions to Washington Naval Conference. Basically allowed Japan to have a navy about 70% of the size of US or Britain. Japan's prime minister was assassinated because of this agreement. -
Mukden Incident
A bomb exploded near the South Manchuria Railway where Japanese soldiers were, giving Japan an excuse to attack China. Within a few years, Japan occupied nearly all of Manchuria -
Lytton Report
Response to the Manchurian Invasion by the League of Nations. Chastised Japan for the invasion, and it recommended that they pull their troops back. This led to Japan leaving the League in 1933 -
Second United Front
The KMT and CCP united to create an Japanese front known as the Second United Front. -
Period: to
Second Sino-Japanese War
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Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Chinese and Japanese troops were fighting at the Marco Polo bridge, and this escalated to larger warfare. Chiang bombed an area of Shanghai, and this was the start of the war. -
Japan Captures Shanghai
By the end of October 1937, Chinese forces had to evacuate Shanghai and Japan was able to take control of it. -
Nanjing Massacre
Ultranationalist Prince Asaka ordered that any Chinese captured in Nanjing be executed. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians were murdered, raped, molested, tortured, burned, decapitated, or used as bayonet practice. Understandably, foreign officials were outraged and disgusted at the actions of the Japanese and their opinion of the Japanese was changed. -
Collapse of Second United Front
The CCP and KMT cooperation collapsed when the KMT destroyed part of the CCP's army, portraying Chiang as more interested in a civil war than the Japanese. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance, and it allowed Japan to expand its empire into French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies and allowed them to move against the USA. -
Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact
Japan and the USSR signed a neutrality agreement, promising that neither would engage in war on the other. Therefore, Japan did not have to worry about an attack from the USSR while they tried to expand. -
Japan & French Indochina
Japan wanted to cut off China's supply lines that ran through French Indochina. The USA responded immediately by freezing Japanese assets, banning the sale of oil to Japan, and granting $240 million to China's government -
1941 Oil Embargo
The banning of oil sales to Japan put them in a pickle. They had to find a new oil supplier, and the next best option besides the USA was the Dutch East Indies. The only way to capture this was to take out Pearl Harbor. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in the United States. They damaged battleships, sank cruisers, and destroyed aircraft. The United States also lost 2400 people and 1200 were injured. The next day, the United States entered WWII and declared war on Japan.
