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Crisis and Conflict
An Enquiry Approach to Modern World History
Secondary 3
Chapter 7:
War in the Asia-Pacific
Region
Could war in the Asia-Pacific
region have been avoided?
Why was peace in the
Asia-Pacific region
threatened?
The reasons that made war in
the Asia-Pacific likely.
Crisis and Conflict: War in the Asia-Pacific Region
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Why did World War II break
out in the Asia-Pacific region?
The reasons that caused the war to
start in the Asia-Pacific region.
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In a Nutshell

By 1930s, Japan was actively pursuing an expansionist policy.
The reasons it gave were lack of land for its growing
population and a lack of resources.

In 1931, Japanese troops moved into Manchuria.

In 1937, Japan moved further into China starting what was
known as the Sino-Japanese War.

To finance its war efforts in China, Japan turned to Southeast
Asia for resources.

That however brought Japan into conflict with the USA. The
US Pacific fleet was stationed at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

To prevent the USA from hindering Japan’s campaign in
Southeast Asia, Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on 2 December
1941. This sparked off the war in the Asia-Pacific.
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Japan’s foreign policy
aims between
1931 and 1941
Poor relations
between Japan
and the West
Why was
peace in the
Asia-Pacific
region
threatened?
The League
of Nations
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Japan’s military
aggression
The military started
acting without
government
permission
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To build an empire in the Asia-Pacific
region

Japan was the leading power in Asia.

It wanted to expand into areas that belonged to Russia
and China to build up its own empire.

The Navy, like the Army, called for expansion into
British Malaya, French Indochina and the Dutch East
Indies.

By the 1930s, Japan had expanded to include
Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and the Pacific Isles.
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To free Asians from Western control

Japan felt that Asia should be freed from Western
control.

As Japan was the strongest military power in Asia, the
Japanese felt they would have to lead the fight to end
Western imperialism. The Japanese took it upon
themselves to be the leaders of Asia.

This made war in the Asia-Pacific likely because Japan
would have to wage war against colonial powers to
create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’.
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What was the ‘Greater East Asia CoProsperity Sphere?

This included countries such as Australia, New Zealand,
Malaya, Burma, Thailand, French Indochina, the Dutch
East Indies, China and India.

Japan wanted these countries to be part of its empire.

These countries had oil, tin and rubber which were
important resources for Japan to be self-sufficient.

These countries would also serve as markets for
Japanese goods.

Japan used the term ‘Co-Prosperity’, to get Asians to
believe that all the countries in the sphere would benefit
economically through this arrangement.
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To find room for Japan’s growing
population

Japan’s population grew from 30 million in 1870 to 70
million by 1937.

Rapid increase in population created the problem of food
shortage. Hence Japan had to import food.

The growing population also needed space.

Japan is a mountainous country and hence lacked living
space for the increase in population.

The military proposed overseas expansion promising
that it will provide more land for housing and to grow
crops.
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To control resources

The Great Depression affected Japan’s economy badly.

Its industries needed cheap suppliers of natural
resources and markets to sell their goods.

Furthermore, Japan could not sell its goods to other
countries because of protectionism.

Japan’s leaders looked to Manchuria as a solution for
the country’s economic problems.
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To control resources

What Manchuria could provide:
• cheap manpower
• raw materials like coal, timber, iron,
soya beans, grain and gold
• an overseas market for Japanese goods
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Japan’s foreign policy aims between 1931 and 1941
To build an empire11
To create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’
To find room for
growing population
To free Asians
from Western control
To control resources
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Growing influence in Manchuria and
mainland China

Japan’s influence in Manchuria began with the control of
Port Arthur after it defeated Russia in 1905 in the RussoJapanese War.

Japan also acquired the South Manchurian Railway from
the Russians and had special economic privileges in the
region.

By 1919, Japan had gained control over the German
colony in Liaodong Peninsula.

Japan’s presence in China proved to be uneasy for the
Allied Powers.
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Strength of Japan’s Army in Manchuria
Year
Manpower
Infantry Divisions
Aircraft
Tanks
1930
10,000
----
----
----
1932
94,100
4
100
50
1934
144,100
3
130
120
1936
194,000
3
230
150
1938
220,000
7
340
170
1939
270,000
9
560
200
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Japan’s territorial gains in China
1905
Port Arthur
South Manchurian
Railway
1919
Liaodong Peninsula
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The Mukden Incident

In 1928, some officers from the Japanese Army bombed
a train, which was on its way to Mukden, killing the
Manchurian warlord, Zhang Zuo-Lin.

They had hoped that his death would pave the way for
the government in Tokyo to take control of Manchuria.

Although the government made no move to take over
Manchuria, the independent actions of the Army had
long-term consequences.
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The Mukden Incident

This incident proved that the armed forces in Japan had
enough influence to be able to carry out invasions without
permission from the central government.
 It had the unintended effect of worsening Japan’s position
in Manchuria.
 Zhang’s son, Zhang Xue-liang who took over control of his
father’s army was strongly against Japan’s ambitions in
Manchuria.
 In December 1928, he even forged an alliance with
Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese.
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The Mukden Incident
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As a result of Zhang Xue-liang’s actions, the Japanese
army leaders felt the need to seize control of Manchuria.
On 18 September 1931, a train carrying Japanese
passengers outside Mukden, exploded.
Blaming it on the Chinese, Japanese soldiers occupied
South Manchuria.
Six months later, the government in Tokyo recognised
that the Japanese Army had set up a new state called
Manchukuo installing the last Manchu emperor of the
Qing Dynasty, Pu-Yi as the head of the new state.
Although PM Inukai criticised the Army, he was unable to
change the situation.
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Who or What should be blamed for the
Marco Polo Bridge Incident?

On 7 July 1937, a full-scale war broke out between
China and Japan.

It started at the Marco Polo Bridge (just north of Beijing)
when a Japanese soldier went missing during a patrol
and the Japanese Army demanded to search the
Chinese section.

When the Chinese refused, both sides opened fire.
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The Japanese military
By 1936, the Japanese Army
felt that China had not
defended Northern China
strongly. The Japanese thus had
not expected the Chinese to fight
over the Incident.
The international situation
Japan feared a war on two fronts
with China and the USSR.
However, with the rise of German
threat, Japan felt it was the right
time to concentrate its resources
on defeating China quickly.
Possible factors that
caused the
Marco Polo
Bridge Incident
The Japanese zaibatsus
The zaibatsus were also guilty of
war mongering.They saw war
with China as a chance to gain
China’s markets, industries and
natural resources.
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Japanese political control
of the Japanese Army was
weak
Furthermore, the Tokyo government
considered withdrawal as humiliating.
It also feared political instability in
Japan if it did not support the Army.
1. 1910
Japan invaded Korea. It
became a Japanese colony.
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2. 1919
Japan gained control of the
Liaodong Peninsula as a
reward for supporting Britain
and France in World War I.
3. 1931
Japan invaded China, starting
The First Sino-Japanese War.
It took over Manchuria.
4. 1933
The Chinese Northern Province of
Jehol was invaded and the Hopei
region was demilitarised.
7. 1941
Japan attacked US naval
base at Pearl Harbour.
6. 1938
Most of Northeast and
Eastern China under
Japanese control.
5. 1937
Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
Second Sino-Japanese War
started.
Japanese military expansion in the Pacific
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The League was too weak to stop
Japan’s invasion of Manchuria
Members were weak
League’s slow response to the crisis
Sep 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria
The Great Depression weakened the
economies of the leading members
and so they were unwilling to send
troops to China.
Dec 1931: League appointed the
Lytton Commission to investigate
Britain and France were more
concerned with rebuilding their
economies.
Jan-Oct 1932: Investigation continued
Result?
Oct 1932: Report of investigation
given to League
1932
• Japan ignored recommendations of report
• Withdrew from League after it was criticised
• League did nothing and Manchuria was
occupied
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The League was too weak to stop
Japan’s invasion of Manchuria
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The Lytton Commission criticised Japan’s annexation of
Manchuria.
Manchukuo was declared a puppet state.
However it also recognised Japan’s heavy investments in the
region.
It recommended that Manchuria remain part of China but to
be allowed to have its own government.
Japan would be allowed to keep its special economic
privileges and investments there.
Japan rejected the proposal, withdrew from the League and
its troops remained in Manchuria.
The failure of the League in taking no other action convinced
Japanese military leaders that the Western powers were too
weak to prevent their expansion.
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Western bias made Japan feel more
hostile toward the West
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
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Japan’s relations with the USA were poor because many
Japanese felt that the West was biased against Japan.
The terms of the Washington Naval Conference
contributed partly to this.
Japanese nationalists felt that the West wanted to prevent
Japan from expanding into the Asia-Pacific region.
On December 1934, Japan announced it would no longer
follow the terms of the Treaty.
This made war likely because this gave Japan the leeway
to increase the size of its armed forces, in turn threatening
the peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
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Why did World War II break
out in the Asia-Pacific
region?
Japan’s war against
China
The international situation
Worsening relations between
the USA and Japan
Hideki Tojo became
Prime Minister
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Japan’s war against China

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident marked the start of a fullscale war with China.

Japan had expected the war to end quickly but it dragged
on for years.

The war used up nearly all of Japan’s resources.

Furthermore, China did not have enough raw materials to
supply Japan’s needs.

Japan also found it difficult to buy raw materials from
abroad because of war in Europe.

This meant that if Japan had to continue its war in China, it
would have to conquer British Malaya for its rubber and tin
and occupy the Dutch East Indies for its oil.
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Japan’s Neutrality Agreement with the
Soviet Union
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Japan was concerned about a war two fronts as it had
clashed with the Russians along the Russo-Japanese border
between 1938 and 1939.
In April 1941, Japan signed a neutrality agreement with the
USSR.
This made war against the USSR less likely in 1941.
The threat of a war on two fronts became even more unlikely
when Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941 as the
Russians would be too busy fighting the Germans to attack
Japan.
This left Japan free to attack Southeast Asia and Pearl
Harbour.
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Soviet and Japanese clashes along
the Russo-Japanese border
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Changkufeng
Nomonhan
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War in Europe left European colonies in
Asia undefended

The Western powers were fighting for survival in Europe
against Germany.

The situation in Europe left the Southeast Asian colonies
of the Western powers vulnerable.

These colonies included:
• British Malaya (Malaysia and Singapore)
• French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia)
• The Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
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Japan saw the USA as a threat to its
plans to build an empire

Throughout the 1930s, Japan thought that the USA was
trying to stop Japan’s plan to control the Asia-Pacific
region.

Relations between the two countries became increasingly
hostile.

The USA had a large Pacific fleet.

It was able to protect territories and trading ships using
the fleet.
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Japan saw the USA as a threat to its
plans to build an empire

The Americans saw Japan’s aggression as a threat and
hence increased the size of their navy at Pearl Harbour.

Some Japanese military leaders felt that Japan had to
attack the US Pacific fleet in order to cripple the USA’s
ability to fight a war in the Pacific.

This will enable Japan to gain time to build up its troops
and protect the positions it had conquered in Southeast
Asia.
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US embargo on steel, scrap iron and oil

In 1941, the USA placed an embargo on Japan by
prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron and oil to Japan.

Japan considered the embargo as a threat to Japan’s
survival in the war.

Japan was badly hit as it bought most of its oil and metal
from the USA.

The USA would only sell oil to Japan if it agreed to leave
China immediately.

Japan was thus left with the option of either to leave
China or invade the Dutch East Indies and take the oil
that can be found there.
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Breakdown of US-Japan talks in 1941

In 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the USA, Nomura
Kichisaburo and US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, held
talks to improve relations between their countries.
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US foreign policy was aimed at forcing Japan to withdraw
from China.

On the other hand, Japan felt peace could only be
achieved if China accepted Japanese occupation.

The two goals were too different to allow room for
compromise.
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Based on the illustration, what were the causes of conflict between the
USA and Japan?
Steel, iron and oil embargoes:
In response to Japan’s aggression
and invasion of China, the USA
placed an embargo on Japan by
prohibiting exports of steel, scrap
iron and oil to Japan.
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Hostility between Japan and the USA:
As a result of the blockade by the USA, relations between
Japan and the USA deteriorated further. The oil embargo left
Japan with only two years’ supply of oil. Since no other country
would sell oil to Japan, it had two choices — give in to US
demands and remove Japanese forces from China in
exchange for lifting the oil embargo; or take oil by invading the
Dutch East Indies.
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Hideki Tojo became Prime
Minister

In 1941, War Minister Tojo became Prime Minister.
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He felt that war with the USA could not be avoided.
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Japanese leaders who supported negotiations were
gradually removed from the new government.

This made war likely because a general who supported
an aggressive foreign policy was now in charge of the
government.
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Japan orders the attack on
Pearl Harbour

On 2 December 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto,
commander of the Japanese fleet sent out a coded order
to ‘ascend Mt Nikita 1298’.

This was a signal to bomb Pearl Harbour.

On Sunday 7 December 1941, the Japanese fleet
attacked Pearl Harbour.

The war in the Asia-Pacific had begun.
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War in the Asia-Pacific
1942–1945
5. In 1945, President
Harry Truman
wanting to avoid the
invasion of Japan,
ordered the use of
the atomic bomb.
Hiroshima was
bombed on 6 August
1945 and Nagasaki,
three days later. The
Japanese emperor
agreed to surrender,
ending the AsiaPacific War.
4. On mainland Southeast Asia,
British and Commonwealth forces
fought the Japanese in Burma and
India. US troops also fought their
way across the Pacific from
Australia to New Guinea and freed
the Philippines.
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1. Although Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour on 37
7
December 1941 was a success with the sinking of
three battleships and the destruction of 300
aircraft, US aircraft carriers and other battleships
escaped the attack. In the end, Japan was
defeated in the war.
2. Most of the Japanese Navy was
destroyed after Japan lost major
battles such as the Battle Of Midway.
US planes and submarines attacked
Japanese ships preventing vital
supplies from reaching Japan.
3. US troops conducted ‘island
hopping’ campaigns taking only the
main islands as they had good
harbours and airfields. This helped
the USA to win control of the Pacific
quickly.
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Summary
Rising tension
Militarism
led to
contributed
to
promoted an
Worsening
international relations
contributed to
Greater East Asia
Co-Prosperity
Sphere
Contributed
to
Japan’s
Aggressive
Foreign Policy
failed to stop
aimed at creating
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Economic crisis
Weak League of Nations
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International situation
• USSR pact with Japan
• War in Europe
Tojo became PM
Causes of WWII in
the Asia-Pacific
US-Japan relationship
• became worse in 1930s
• 1941 talks broke down
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Economic situation
• War in China