Rise of Authoritarian Regimes

Fascist Japan

日本国Nihon-koku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS3b9s56184

The Emperor

Japan

• Small Country

• Not enough farmland especially (for rice production)

• No Raw materials such as iron and coal

• Rapidly industrialising nation

• Looked to the West for trade and ideas

• Went to war with Chin in 1894 and Russia in 1904

WWI

• Japan went to war in August 1914

• Took the side of the Allies

• Took part in the Treaty of Versailles

• Benefited from treaty by keeping captured German possessions

• Was not treated as an equal by Western powers

Washington Naval Conference

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

WARSHIPS

USA

BRITAIN

JAPAN

FRANCE

ITALY

Japanese Economy

Zaibatsu• Big firms favoured by the government• Controlled the economy• Conducted trade with the west• Japan exported cheap goods to the West• Had to import raw materials from the West• Major cause of corruption in the government

Zaibatsu

• The Big Four

• Mitsubishi (三菱財閥 )

• Mitsui (三井財閥 )

• Sumitomo (住友財閥 )

• Yasuda (安田財閥 )

Great Depression

Protectionism

Silk

2/3 of population from rural areas

Many farmers joined the army or patriotic societies

International Relations

• Suspicion of the West

• Disarmament

• USA

• China

Rise of Nationalism

• Showa restoration

• Patriotic societies

• Popularity of the Military (Army / Navy)

• Political assasinations

Activity

• The date is 3rd July 1932. Write a diary entry from the perspective of either a Japanese:

• Farmer

• Factory worker

• Soldier

Fascism

• First used by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini

• Fascism revolved around the nation

• Fascist argued that Democracy was inefficient

• What was needed was a powerful leader

• The nation’s goal was to grow strong and expand

Why did Democracy fail?

• Diet’s limited power• Corruption (remember the Zaibatsus..?)• Failure to solve economic problems

(farmers, factory workers, trade imbalance, Great Depression)

What led to the Rise of Fascism?

• External Reasons• - Animosity with the West (especially America)• - Resurgence in Chinese nationalism

• Internal Reasons• - Showa Restoration (values, patriotism,

education, loyalty, self-sacrifice)• - Patriotic Societies• - Army and Navy’s influence over the

government• - Military takeover of Japan

WAR IN THE ASIA PACIFIC

In the 1930s Japan started building an empire. It needed land to feed its people and fuel its industries.

In 1931, Japan took over Manchuria in Northern China. It tried to take over the rest of China in 1937. Fighting extended for the next few years. To continue fighthing, Japan would need more resources…resources that could be found in Southeast Asia. However, to take over Asia, Japan would have to challenge the USA which had a fleet in the Pacific…

Why was peace in the Asia Pacific threatened?

• Japan’s Foreign Policy - To build an empire - To free Asia from the West - Land - Resources

• Japan’s Military Agression - Manchuria - The Mukden Incident - The Marco Polo Bridge incident

• Weakness of the League of Nations

Why Did War Break Out In the Asia Pacific?

• War in China dragged on for years

• Japan’s neutrality with the USSR

• War in Europe

• Worsening relations with the USA

Pearl Habour