Caused by Japanese intervention in Korea, and China banning Japanese trade

Events: Japan was successful due to modern military, war was fought in Korea and North East Coast of China
Japan invaded Manchuria, Port Arthur, Weihaiwei, islands around Taiwan
Pushed Chinese troops out of Korea

Consequences:Treaty of Shimonoseki

• Japan given Taiwan, Liaodong Peninsula, Permission to use Yangtzee, right to factories and import goods at 4 Chinese ports
• 1895: Tripartite Intervention meant that Russia, Germany, and France redistributed the land to themselves but Japan kept hold of Taiwan, but this humiliates Japan
• Japanese economy grows due to the stimulation of war (resistence had continued in Taiwan) and also still had some territory
  

sense of nationalism grows, confidence in military grows, tensions/desire for revenge against world powers grows

1895-1905: military members become part of government, new focus on military, Amur Society formed - promotes expansion on mainland

1902: Anglo Japanese Alliance, both were worried about Russian expansion into China, hopes of encouraging a smaller war, made Japan more confident of victory if there was war

Russia had antagonised Japan by putting pressure on Manchuria and Korea, and was leased Port Arthur and Liaodong Peninsula by China

Japan suggests spheres of influence, but Russia ignores this and so Japan respond by expelling the Russian ambasador

Japan won easily, destroyed Russian fleets at Port Arthur and Battle of Tsushima Strait, won a huge battle at Mukden, Russian revolution in 1905 forced the government to seek peace

1905: treaty of Portsmouth

• all troops leave Manchuria
• Japan could lease the Liaodong Peninsula and Port Arthur
• Japan could lease the Southern Manchuria railway (the one the russian's were building which was antagonising the Japanese)
• Japan would get half of Sakhalin Island and their claim on korea was recognised

• Japan was not entirely happy with the treaty as they wanted more
• Japan did gain international respect and got control of Korea in exchange for the US having influence in the philippines.
• Japanese military spending increased

Japa joined the war on the side of the Triple Entente due to the Anglo-Japanese alliance

1915: China and the 21 demands

• gave Japan economic and political autonomy in China, especially in Manchuria
• China had to accept as they did not have the power to resist but demands were reduced to 13
• caused anti-japanese sentiment

Britain and US started to worry about Japanese growth and aggression

• influence the events at the Paris Peace Conference
• caused the naval restrictions

1919: Paris Peace Conference

• Japan counted as a victorious nation
• founding member of the LoN
• Japanese request for clause against discrimination was denied
• Japan was given Shantung Peninsula for a few years
• established mandates for former colonies, so Japan received Germany's colonies but they couldn't annex them only administrate

western powers were gaining Chinese concessions and Japan wanted to be apart of this

• Japan wanted to expand onto mainland Asia
• Wanted to prevent foreign control of Korea

Five power treaty

• stop building battleships for 10 years
• scrap some capital ships
• 5:5:3 ratio with US Britain and Japan

Four power treaty

• agreed to respect each others territory

Nine power treaty

• Japan agreed to remove its military from the Shantung Peninsula

Japan wanted a better ratio of capital ships, and it got increased slightly for battleships

ultranationalists not happy, and the Japanese prime minster was assassinated

• greatly influenced foreign policy during times of instability
• experienced periods of growth and decline
• monopolies expanded
• economic instability caused political instability

non-industrialised countries were unable to defend themselves (eg. China)

• Japanese industrial growth was vast
• went from a feudal country to a world power between late 1800 to end of WW1
• Modern technology and economy allowed Japan to export goods throughout the Pacific

huge corporation owned by families which had influence in multiple industries

• 1918: 8 zaibatsu's controlled 20% of manufacturing, mining, and trade
• government were too weak to stop them from gaining power

• They increased in size as small companies failed during economic troubles
• they turned ecnomic power into political power in the Diet which allowed them to shape economic policies
• turned to the military as an ally, and became important in that aspect too

experienced booms of emplyment and then busts with massive unemployment

• up in WW1
• down just after WW1
• up after the Tokyo fire and earthquake in 1923
• down due to bank failures in 1927
• down in great depression

trade barriers heavily impacted Japan

• 1931: GNP fell by 20%
• Tokyo stock market lost 50% of its value
• exports decrease by over 40%
  

increases nationalism, and desire for expansion because there is a need to rely on themselves

Results in increased military spending

Economic hardship caused political unrest (strikes, riots, demands for new government)

1936: Japan had had little success in solving economic problems so the economic minister was assassinated
New minster appointed was from the military, so increased spending and military dominance of the government

1918-1928: regional warlords dominated China, Zhang Zuolin was the strongest and controlled Manchuria and Inner Mongoia

Zhang Zuolin brought stability and declared independence in 1922

Japanese governemnt supported him as he allowed them to develop their economic interests

Kwantung Army Officers (most were members of the radical party) saw his autonomy as a threat

• assassinated him in 1928
• seen as nationalist heroes and not punished

GMD and CCP alliance, strong enough to defeat the warlords in the Northern Expedition in 1926

Chiang Kai Shek became Director of State Council (ie. president)

Bad for Japan as China was now united and they wanted to include Manchuria

Good because by attacking the CCP China lost USSR support

• international diplomacy and negotiation
• reluctance to antagonise them
• implementing treaties that allowed Japanese troops to protect Japanese interests in Manchuria and several port cities

1927: Change to Positive Policy

• due to the success of Chiang Kai Shek
• treated Manchuria as a special case
• hope to prevent Chinese invasion of Manchuria (sent troops in preemptively)
• believed the international community's wanted to weaken Japan and that they were incapable of understanding its special mission

Kwantung Army were stationed in the Liaodong Peninsula and Korea

• more troops due to Chinese reunification
• strengthened convictions towards manchuria were crucial to Japan's security
• governemnt replaced the leadership as they were worried about insubordination but they were too late and the Mukden Incident had already occured

desire to present themselves as a great power, link to colonialism and industrialisation