The attraction of Manchuria, "a lifeline"
Raw materials: coal, iron, timber
Living space for Japan's occupation
Security: Buffer to Russia
Four times larger than Japan
Markets to help withstanding impact of global depression
Mantainment
Difficult to conquer, due to its living space
Japan can't even grow rice
They needed Manchuria to protect Russian expansion
China began campaign of nationalism - unsecure for Japan borders as the country was therefore more unstable
1930s Impact of militarist and nationalist thinking in Japan continued to be important in encouraging an expansionist foreign policy
1929 - Wall Street Crash called into question the whole international economic order
Japan depended on world trade and its exports fell drastically as countries put tariffs to protect their own industries
1929 following the Wall Street Crash called into question Japan's own parliamentary government
1930s most Japanese saw Japan's position in Asia as essential
As the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act in 1930 placed the highest protective tariffs in America -> Japan duties rose 200%
strategic - borders
Worst hit was silk industry
Cause: 1932 - silk price had fallen to less than 1/5 of what it has been 1923
Consequence: desperate poverty and unemployment rose to 3 million
economic - coal
Dire economic situation -> Manchuria became increasingly important for Japan
allowed forces to have a upper hand
Manchuria was rich in coal, iron, and timber
enticing goods for Japanese suffering deprivations of the depression
believed in its destiny as leader of the region
Political instability in China - nationalism developing in China
Control of Manchuria -> gain markets for manufactured goods and living spaces for over-populated Japan -> "only means of survival"
July 1929 Takana forced to resign - unable to implement emperor's wishes