Sylbus

Modern Japanese History
A Survey Class in Japanese History From
the Mid 19th
Century through World War II
This class will study Japanese history from the late 19th
century through World War II.
This class will begin with a quick review of the Bushido traditions that dominated the
warrior culture of Japan from pre-history to today. Then, we will examine the opening of
Japan to the west in the 1850’s by the United States and its effects on the isolationist
Japanese people and culture. After that, we will briefly explore Japan’s very rapid
industrial development that turned the country from a weak nation to a strong, militarized
nation that challenged the West for colonies and resources in the early 20th
century.
Finally, we will study the Japanese rise to military dominance prior to World War II,
Japanese reasons for fighting in World War II, and then the results of World War II on
Japan.
This class will use readings from journals, books and the Internet to study this time in
Japan’s history. This class will also use videos and other outside resources for this class.
Due to the advanced nature of this class, you will be expected to do work at home from
time to time. The majority of the assignments will be short answer/ essay format. You
will be graded using the same classroom grading scale and expectations as in other
classes. The schedule for the class is below.
1st
6 Weeks
Bushido Traditions
Opening of Japan by Commodore Perry
Japan’s rapid industrialization
2nd
6 weeks
First Sino-Japanese War
Russian- Japanese War
Empire and its affects on the Home Front
WWI and Post WWI for Japan
Japanese actions prior to World War II
3rd
6 weeks
Japanese reasons for entering World War II
The Pacific theater in World War II
The end of the war and post World War II Japan

Modern Japanese History
A Survey Class in Japanese History From
the Mid 19th
Century through World War II
ASSIGNMENTS
1st
6 Weeks
Bushido Traditions
Bushido Traditions
“Bushido” means “the way of the warrior”. It is a code of conduct that all samurai
followed. This warrior code has guided Japanese actions for many centuries. This code
dictated how one’s life would be led and ended. It influenced how Japanese soldiers
fought and viewed those that they battled against. The Bushido code of conduct was
very prevalent in the Japanese military during World War II (WWII).
The reason why I had you first learn about the Bushido warrior traditions of Japan is that
these same traditions still permeate through Japanese thought and culture throughout its
history, and up to the modern day. To better understand why the Japanese soldier
fought that the way that he did, you need to better understand what “Bushido” means. I
have included an online article on Bushido to help you out:
-Bushido http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushido
Please use this article and the other sites on Bushido listed below, and any other resource
that you can find (i.e. books at the library) to learn more about Bushido.
**Assignment 1:**
Please write an essay on Bushido. Discuss its history, its meaning and any codes of
conduct that would help to explain why Japanese Samurai (and later soldiers in WWII)
fought the way that they did. Please include, and discuss, how this code led the Japanese
to view their enemy, and enemy prisoners, the way that they did (with contempt) in
WWII. (1-2 pages, typed, 12 font, double spaced) (30 points)
The Historical Foundations of Bushido
http://www.koryu.com/library/kfriday2.html
Japanese Bushido
http://www.japanesebushido.org/
The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/
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To read an excellent book (that is free and on-line) that discusses the Samurai and the
Bushido Code, please go to the following link:
Bushido- The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12096/12096-h/12096-h.htm
Video (if time)
The following video is a brief documentation of the life of the Samurai:
-“Way of the Samurai” (142) 1 hour
Japan is one of the most homogeneous race and culture of all the world’s major nations.
Prior to 1945, the nation was never conquered and occupied by a foreign power. The
Mongol Empire came the closest in the 13th
century, but was defeated by a timely
typhoon referred to as a “divine wind”, or Kamikaze. The homogeneous nature of Japan
can be attributed to its isolationist foreign policy and its desire to be left alone.
Japan did have prior contact with Europeans for 90 years during the 16th
and 17th
centuries. During that time, the Japanese people were introduced to muskets, the Jesuit
religion (a Catholic offshoot), and Western trade goods. These new technologies and
ways of thinking scared and challenged the government of Japan (Tokugawa Shogunate).
The Shogunate feared that the Westerners would arm the common Japanese people with
muskets and Catholicism and use them to overthrow the traditional Japanese government.
To prevent that, the Japanese government closed off the nation from any trade with the
West for 250 years. Japanese citizens were forbidden to leave the country under pain of
death, Japanese shipbuilders were forbidden to build any ocean-going ships, and the
musket was forbidden as a weapon (the Samurai did not like the fact that they could be
killed by any commoner with a firearm).
If you are interested in a brief summery of this period in Japanese history, the following
website is useful:
-The Edo (or Tokugawa) Period http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period
Video (if time)
The following video demonstrates the clash of cultures between the West and the
Japanese during this time that the East and the West first meet.
-“Shogun” (4 hours)
**Assignment (if time)**
Orally discuss with me the clash of cultures that you witnessed in this movie. What
aspects of each culture had the most (and least) influence on the other. Finally, if you
were Blackthorne, how would you react to your fate at the end of the movie?
This miniseries was based on fact. The following website explains this in more detail.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Adams_%28sailor%29
The following book is an excellent description on this time in Japanese history
Samurai William- The Adventurer Who Unlocked Japan by Giles Milton
The Tokugawa Shogunate was able to achieve this 250 years of self-imposed isolation
and national peace through a series of ruthless controls over the Japanese society. This
ruthless suppression of most creative tendencies of the Japanese people resulted in a
nation and a people that were vulnerable to invasion and subjection by outside powers
when the Western world forcefully knocked on the Japanese doors in July 1853.
**Assignment 2:**
In order to better understand how a closed and isolated Japan was opened up to the west
in the 19th
century, please read the following article and do the worksheet (50 points):
“After centuries of Japanese isolation, a fateful meeting of East and West”
When the American’s opened the Japanese nation up to trade, the Japanese people were
not totally ignorant of the outside world. They knew that the once proud and mighty
Chinese Empire had been subdued and humiliated by outside powers. The Japanese
government knew that they were helpless to cope with the superior armaments and
technologies of the Western nations. Therefore they embraced and sought out Western
technology and methods not out of admiration, but out of fear. Fear for their nation, their
culture, and their survival as a nation.
Not all Japanese were eager to embrace the new Western ways and technology. The time
between the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry (1853) and the fall of the Tokugawa
Shogunate in 1867 was a period of severe social unrest in Japan. This period in Japanese
history is called the “Bakumatsu”. In order to learn more about this period, please read
the following handout:
-“Bakumatsu” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Tokugawa_shogunate
There is no assignment for this reading, but please read this brief handout. It will help
you to understand the following assignment and period in Japanese history.
These culture shocks lead to the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate and its old feudal ways
in 1867. What followed was the rise of Emperor Meiji and an industrial Japan in only a
few short decades. This period of time in Japanese history is referred to as the “Meiji
Period” or the “Meiji Restoration”.
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**Assignment 3:**
To better understand this important time in Japanese history, please read the following
sources:
-“Modern Japan- 1. The Meiji Restoration”, pp. 23-29 in An Introduction to
Japanese History, by Scott F. Runkle.
-“The Meiji Restoration and Its Meaning”, pp. 265-272 in Japan- From Prehistory
to Modern Times, by John Whitney Hall.
-“Meiji Period” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_period
Then, in a 2-4 page, typed essay (12 font, double spaced), or poster/ Power Point
demonstration, explain the massive social, cultural, and political upheavals that Japan
underwent in literally 50 years. Describe the changes that a single generation of Japanese
underwent that propelled them from a feudal society, under control of the samurai in the
early 19th
century, to an advanced society that was the industrial and military equal of
many Western nations by the start of the 20th
century. (50 points)
Video
The following video is a movie that shows the clash of cultures between ancient Japanese
culture and its Bushido traditions verse the forces of modernization and industrialization
in late 19th
century Japan. This is an excellent movie that demonstrates how the Bushido
traditions influenced Japan, both past and present.
-“The Last Samurai” 2 ½ hours
**Please read the attached two handouts prior to watching the video so that you
understand the historical background of the movie.**
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Samurai
-“Japan’s Samurai Past Thunders Into the Present”, December 7, 2003 The New
York Times.
**Assignment 4**
Hollywood is in the entertainment business, not the education business. With that being
said, what did Hollywood get right and get wrong in this movie? Finally, if you had to
rate this movie in terms of historical accuracy, how would you rate it and why? (Scale 1-
10 with 10 being the most accurate, and 1 being not even close.) (25 points)
Japan industrialized late, as compared to other nations, for reasons that were discussed
previously. Japan also industrialized very rapidly. Japan had several advantages that
allowed it to move from an isolated, pre-industrial nation in the 1850’s to an industrial
nation on par with other Western nations by the beginning of the 20th
century.
**Assignment 5:**
In order to learn what these advantages were, please read the following:
-“Why Japan and Russia?”, pp. 91-96. From The Industrial Revolution in
World History, by Peter N. Stearns.
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-Then, list 3-4 reasons why Japan was able to industrialize as quickly as it
did. (15 points)
**Assignment 6:**
To further understand the effects of industrialization on Japanese society, please read the
following:
-“The Industrial Revolution in Japan”, pp. 113-126. From The Industrial
Revolution in World History, by Peter N. Stearns.
-Imagine that you have been contracted by the Japanese to help them
industrialize and are in Japan in the late 19th
century. Write two letters
home (1/2 to 1 page+ in length) that describe the changes that you are
witnessing in Japan at this time in its history. (25 points each/ 50 points
total)
If you are interested in reading more about the economy of Japan, the website below is a
good place to start:
-Economy of Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Japan#Edo_period
This ends the 1st
6 weeks of material for this class. We will now enter the 20th
century,
and read about how Japan’s rise to power was not just through industry alone. The
Bushido spirit of Japan would reemerge and re-militarize Japan. This resurrection of the
warrior spirit in Japan would lead to Japanese glory, and utter defeat, in less than 50
years.
END OF THE FIRST 6 WEEKS
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ASSIGNMENTS
2nd
6 weeks
First Sino-Japanese War
Russian- Japanese War
First Sino (Chinese)-Japanese War (1894-1895)
As the Japanese economy modernized, so did her military. The young Japanese samurai
of this time did not forget how easily the Americans entered their country and pushed
their trade demands on a technologically and militarily weak nation in the later 1850’s
and 1860’s. These soldiers wanted to regain the honor of the nation and the Japanese
people. Following the Meiji Restoration, these younger samurai became the military
leaders that modernized the Japanese military. (This was seen in the movie, The Last
Samurai.) These military leaders demanded absolute obedience from their soldiers (a
samurai tradition). Any order from a military superior was to be treated as an order from
the Emperor, himself. The fanaticism of the Japanese military of World War II was born.
To learn more about the modernization of the Japanese military, I would like you read the
following online article:
-Modernization of the Japanese Military
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernization_of_Japanese_Military_1868-1931
This article will help to lay the groundwork for why the Japanese military acted like it did
during the two World wars.
Japan’s rise to power and respect mirrored that of another nation- The United States of
America. When America’s industry and economy expanded, so did our desire for power
(military and economic) and increased international respect. The European powers of the
later 19th
century, Britain and France, did not view the United States as a world power on
their level. That changed after the United States picked a fight with a weaker power
(Spain) and relieved Spain of some of her colonial possessions (mainly Cuba and the
Philippines). This placed America on the path towards military modernization and
dominance that eventually won the Second World War.
Japan followed a similar trajectory. As Japan transformed itself into a modern industrial
state, she also wanted to compete on even terms with other Western powers. One way to
do this was to protect its own interests in its part of the world.
China was a power on the decline. Japan was a rising power. In the same manner that
the United States looked to seize Spanish occupied Cuba for her resources, Japan looked
to Chinese controlled Korea. After a series battles, Japan defeated China and took
control of Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of the Chinese mainland. This announced
Japan as a modern, Western-style imperialist power.
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**Assignment 1:**
To learn more about the First Sino- (Chinese) Japanese War, please read the following
three articles:
-First Sino-Japanese War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Sino-Japanese_War
-(Article) “Dawning of Imperialist Japan” by Mark E. Neely, Jr. and
Sylvia Neely, Military History, April 1995, pp. 62-69.
-(Article) “Military Lessons of the Chino-Japanese War” by Hilary A. Herbert
from The North American Review, Vol. 160, No. 463 (June 1895), pp. 685-698.
-Using these three resources, I would like you to imagine that you are a
British reporter that is tasked with covering this conflict. Write a news
article that describes why Britain should be concerned with the slowly
rising Japanese power in Asia. Cite examples of Japan’s progress and
military skill that Britain should be aware of. (1-2 page+) (25 points)
Russian (Russo)- Japanese War (1904-1905)
The conclusion of the First Sino-Japanese War secured Japan a toehold in Korea and
China, but it did not secure Japanese interests in these areas like the government would
like. As you read in the previous two articles, Japan was not too happy with the way they
were treated by the Great Powers (France and Germany) of the day (The Triple
Intervention) when it came to negotiating the end of the Sino-Japanese War. Japan was
forced to give up some of her hard-fought territory in China to Russian domination (read
the “Aftermath” in the Wikipedia article). This lead to Japan’s next conflict, the Russo
(Russian)- Japanese War.
For an overview of this conflict, please review the following:
-Russo- Japanese War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War
If you are interested in reading an article about one of the battles during this conflict,
please obtain the following from me:
-“Liao-Yang- Dawn of Modern Warfare” by David T. Zabecki, Military History,
December 1999, pp. 55-61.
**Assignment 2:**
While this conflict has been considered the world’s first modern war, its aftermath is
what we are going to concentrate on. Please use the “Peace and Aftermath” section of
the Wikipedia article, and the article listed below, to do the following. Explain to me
(orally) why the outcome of the Russian-Japanese War was so significant to the history of
the 20th
century? (25 points)
-Historical Significance of the Russo- Japanese War
http://www.thecorner.org/hist/essays/japan/russo-jap-war2.htm
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**If you are interested in reading more about the Russo- Japanese War, the following
website has many first source narratives about this conflict.**
-Russian- Japanese War
http://www.russojapanesewar.com/index.html
www.japanfocus.org/data/Japanese_Empire2.png
Japan was late to industrialize. Japan was also late to the colonial race. That did not
stop Japan from establishing an area of influence and control in Asia, as the above map
shows. Victories over China and Russia established Japan as a regional power. Europe
took notice.
The Japanese people were very supportive of this increase in Japanese economic and
military power. They liked the honor and respect that Japan received from the West that
their rise in stature afforded them. They also were feeling their way through a social
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transformation from a feudal state of existence, prior to the 1850’s, to one of limited,
parliamentary democracy by the end of the 19th
century.
**Assignment 3:**
In order to better understand the effects that rapid imperial and industrial growth had on
the people of Japan, please read the following:
Chapter 8 “Empire and Domestic Order”, from The Modern History of Japan by
Andrew Gordon (2003). (Please get this book from me.)
After you have read this chapter, please write a brief essay (2-3 typed pages) that explains
the changes that Japanese society (people and government) underwent during Japan’s rise
in industrial and imperial power from the later half of the 19th
century and into the early
20th
century. While this is a brief essay, please be sure to cite 2-3 key examples of these
changes that the chapter talks about. (50 points)
World War 1 did not affect Japan to the degree that it devastated Europe. Japan was a
very minor player in WWI. But, she ended the war as a major player on the world stage.
Japan sided with the allied nations in World War I and benefited from this in terms of
territory and respect. While their contribution to the war was not as great as other
nations, they did contribute to the war effort. To learn more about Japan’s role in World
War I, please read the following:
-Japan during World War I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_during_World_War_I
-Japan- World War I (handout) and at http://countrystudies.us/japan/29.htm
**Assignment 4:**
Using the above reading, answer in a short essay, what was Japan’s role in WWI, and
what did they gain for their efforts? (20 points)
From the beginning of the 20th
century until the 1930’s, Japan was a society that was
modernizing at a rapid rate. This was due to the Meiji Emperor and the government at
that time. They wanted Japan to be modern and respected power. They did not want
Japan to be dominated like China was by European powers.
The Meiji period lasted until 1912 when the Emperor died. In 1912, Crown Prince
Yoshihito ascended to the throne. His rule from 1912 until 1926 was called the “Taisho
Period”. During the Taisho period, Japanese society continued to open up and
modernize. To learn more about this period, please read the following
-Taisho Period
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taish%C5%8D_period
-Three articles by Michael Hoffman:
-“The Taisho Era: When modernity ruled Japan’s masses”
-“’Taisho Democracy’ pays the ultimate price”
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-“Revolution was in the air during Japan’s Taisho Era, but soon
evaporated into the status quo”
- Chapter 10 “Democracy and Empire between the World Wars”, from
The Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon (2003). (Please get
this book from me.)
**Assignment 5:**
I would like you to create a timeline of the major political, social, cultural, and economic
events that happened during the Taisho period. Not all the events will have hard dates, so
some generalization will be acceptable. You can be as creative as you like with this
project. It can be done by hand, or on the computer. Be detailed though, a lot happened
at this time in Japanese history. The premature end of the era ushered in the more
militant Japan that plunged Asia into a world war. Some speculate that if this period
were to have continued, and survived the Great Depression, Japanese history would have
been radically different today. (50 points)
Despite Japan’s modernization efforts and appearance of order and calm, trouble was
simmering under the surface at this time. The Japanese people were slowly being
“starved”. Why? The price of rice was rising faster than any raise in wages that the
workers may have received from their jobs. Rice is a staple of the Japanese diet for all
classes of society. When the price of a staple product goes up, the lower classes (usually
the largest segment of a society) of society feel the economic pain first. If they feel too
much pain, they may lash out at those in society who would benefit from a rise in prices-
the upper class (usually the smallest segment in a society). That is what occurred in
Japan in 1918.
**Assignment 6:**
Start by reading the summary below on the Rice riots in 1918. Then, I would like you to
do some internet research and find 2-3 more sources on this topic. List them along with
their web address. Then, read them and in a 2-3+ page paper summarize what the rice
riots were about and discuss their effects on Japanese society. Finally, end the paper with
a brief opinion on whether or not violent outbursts by certain segments of society are an
effective agent of change, or not. I would like some good thought put into this. (25
points)
-Rice Riots of 1918
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Riots_of_1918
**Assignment 7:**
In 1923, Japan was struck by a very powerful 9.0 earthquake that devastated large
portions of Tokyo and Yokohama. This devastation was a major blow to a nation in the
midst of the “Taisho Democracy”. After the quake struck, the areas affected were cut off
from the rest of the world for several days. Food, water, and medical help were in short
supply. Communication was cut too. Telegraph messages were the main means of long
distance communication at this time. Read the following two articles on the earthquake.
Imagine yourself as an American living in Tokyo at this time. You have just made it to a
relief ship and are able to send a message to the outside world. Since you are not familiar
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with telegraphic messages, send a series of text messages (similar to telegraph messages)
describing your ordeal and what help is needed. Be creative and really try and place
yourself in this situation. If you want to see some pictures from this earthquake, Google
it and then look at the pictures that Google has. (20)
-“Aftershocks” by Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian, May 2011
-The 1923 Tokyo Earthquake and Fire
http://nisee.berkeley.edu/kanto/tokyo1923.pdf
Japan was a nation in flux at this point. The ancient traditions and the modern
possibilities were at war with each other in Japan. Democracy was growing in Japan and
that scared some people. Japan was at the end of the Taisho era, and on the cusp of the
rise of a more militant and aggressive Japan. The Great Depression was still on the
horizon and Japan started to look more outward in order to find the natural resources it
needed to fuel its growth. In less than a decade, most of Asia would be at war.
Following the end of the Taisho era in 1926, the Showa era started for Japan. The Showa
period of Japanese history was its longest. It saw the rise and fall of Imperial Japan and
the rise of a modern, democratic Japan. This was all done under one emperor, Emperor
Hirohito. A summary of the Showa period can be seen using the following web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dwa_era
**Assignment 8:**
Please use that web site to answer the following questions: (25)
1. Give one example of how the democratic reforms of the Taisho era ended
during the Showa era. (5)
2. Why would the outcomes of the Washington Conference, London Naval
Conference, and the passing of the Japanese Exclusion Act in the United
States cause such a domestic stir in Japan? (10)
3. These domestic outbursts against the racial policies of the West lead to the fall
of the democratically elected Japanese government and led to the nation being
run by the military. What are two examples of how the Japanese military state
kept the people in line and motivated? (10)
At this same time, the ideology of Japanese militarism was on the rise. These were the
notions that the Japanese military should dominate the political and social life of the
nation. This mindset led to the fanaticism that the world witnessed in World War II.
There is no assignment for this part, but I suggest that you review the following
.pdf. It is an excellent example of a short paper on Japan’s march towards militarism:
-http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/papers/risemil.pdf
Finally, the increase in militarism in Japan during the 1930’s led to the invasion of China
by Japan. The Second Sino-Japanese War is credited with starting in 1937 with the
“Marco Polo Bridge Incident”. Its origins can be traced further back to 1931 when the
Japanese military took advantage of the domestic situation in Japan and the chaotic
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internal matters in China and staged an invasion of Manchuria. China and the
international community were unable to stop the Japanese. The Japanese annexed
Manchuria and established a puppet government there. The puppet state of Manchukuo
was set up. Japanese citizens and businesses settled the area and colonized it.
Manchukuo would provide the Japanese nation valuable resources during World War II.
The following website is a good reference for this period in Japanese history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War
We are now at the end of the 2nd 6 weeks of material for this class. For the sake of time,
we have glazed over a lot of international and Japanese history. Chapters 9-11 in A
Modern History of Japan- From Tokugawa Times to the Present by Andrew Gordon goes
into a lot more depth. Feel free to read these chapters for more background on this period
of Japanese history. From this point on, Japan will be at war. She will experience
amazing victories that will leave her master of a vast portion of the Pacific Rim, but in
the end, Japan will be devastated and conquered nation.
END OF THE SECOND 6 WEEKS
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ASSIGNMENTS
3rd
6 weeks
Japan entered World War II as a proud and militant nation bent on establishing herself as
the regional leader Southeast Asia. Japan was a modern nation, with a modern military
that was on par with many Western nations. Her industries were producing goods for
both domestic and international consumption. Plus, the people of Japan were energized
and willing to sacrifice for the Emperor. But, she was in need of space to expand and to
farm, and more importantly Japan needed resources. All of these made for a dangerous
combination that would plunge Asia into a brutal war for almost two decades.
To better understand the mood of the Japanese people at this time, please read the
following two articles.
Article 1: “Countdown For War”, by Arthur Rick, from The Rising Sun, World War II
Time Life Series (1977)
**Assignment 1**
After reading the selection above, answer the following questions. (70 points)
1. What social and economic problems did Japan face prior to World War II? (5)
2. What segment of Japanese society wanted to act to solve their nation’s crisis?
Why was this? (5)
3. Describe two of the ways that the Army tried to consolidate its power in
Japanese government? How successful were these attempts? (10)
4. What “incident” lead to Japan’s invasion of China? (5)
5. What were 3-4 of the steps that the US took to counter Japan’s advances? (10)
6. What was Magic and why was it important to America’s war efforts? (5)
7. What was President Roosevelt’s reaction to Japan’s occupation of French
Indochina? How did Japan respond to this? (10)
8. Describe some of the pressures that President Roosevelt faced as he had to
deal with Japan’s aggressions in Asia. (10)
9. Why was Admiral Yamamoto against fighting America? (5)
10. What did Yamamoto want to do in order to improve Japan’s chances of
winning in World War II? (5)
Article 2: Japan and the Quest for Power and World War II in Asia
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1900_power.htm
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**Assignment 2**
After reading the article, answer the six questions at the end of it. (5 points each
question/ 30 total points)
As you just read, Japan needed resources in order to keep its industries going. In
addition, it needed land to farm and to house its expanding population. The Japanese
home islands were just too small and too resource poor. The Japanese Army initially
seized the Chinese territory of Manchuria for this purpose. Japan moved people and
businesses into their new territory. Riding high on their successes against China, the
Japanese Army looked to further expand its influence and power into the territories of the
Soviet Union that bordered Japanese held Manchuria. These were the territories around
Mongolia. This expansion by Japan triggered a military response by the Soviet Union.
These clashes between the two nations are referred to as the Second Russian-Japanese
War. They are little known to many people, but they had a big effect on World War II.
The following web sites will provide you with the necessary background on this border
conflict.
Second Russian- Japanese War
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/20thcentury/articles/nomonhan.aspx#
Japanese-Soviet Border Conflicts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet%E2%80%93Japanese_border_conflicts
Battle of Lake Khasan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Khasan
Battle of Khalkhin Gol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Khalkhin_Gol
**Assignment 3**
After you have read the above readings, was this a worth-while expansion by the
Japanese? What did Japan gain? What did Japan lose? How did this brief conflict affect
how the USSR waged World War II? What effects did this border conflicts have on the
greater European and Pacific theaters in World War II? (25 points)
We are now at the point in history where the Japanese are about to attack Pearl Harbor,
and drag the United States into a global war that has been raging since the early 1930’s in
China and since 1939 in Europe. If there is time and you would like to watch a good
movie about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the following is available to you.
-Movie (if time) “Tora! Tora! Tora! (3 hrs) (52)
Before we delve into the reading portion of this section, I do have a DVD that shows
World War II from the Japanese point of view. It is a good DVD, but it is almost 3 hours
(1 week+ of class time). I have no problem showing it to you in class, but you will need
15

to do work at home during this time in order to stay current. Let me know what you
think.
-DVD (if time) “Japan’s War- In Colour” (151 minutes)
In the short amount of time that we have left, it is impossible to go through the Pacific
Theater of World War II in great detail. My goal is to touch upon the certain events and
battles that helped to define the struggle. Before we do that, I would like you to read the
following chapter about Japan in World War II. It will serve as a good overview to this
section
- Chapter 12 “Japan in Wartime”, from The Modern History of Japan by Andrew
Gordon (2003). (Please get this book from me.)
**Assignment 4**
As you are reading the above chapter, please answer the questions below: (125 points)
1. What did the expansionist faction in the Japanese government want to achieve
with its invasion of China? (5)
2. What happened at Nanjing? (15)
3. What was the “Tripartite Pact”? (5)
4. What are 2-3 of the key mistakes that the Japanese government made before
the end of 1941? Which one was the biggest? Why? (15)
5. The Pacific War started with the attack on Pearl Harbor. What other areas of
the Pacific did Japan conquer in the first 6 months of the war? (10)
6. How did the “Economic New Order” mobilize the Japanese economy for war?
(10)
7. What role(s) did women play in the Japanese wartime economy? (10)
8. What are 3-4 of the economic hardships that the Japanese people faced as the
war progressed? (10)
9. Why did some Japanese people want to expel “western influences” from
Japan? (10)
10. How did they do this? (3-4 examples) (10)
11. What did the Japanese government want to preserve that prevented them from
ending the war earlier? (10)
12. What were the Japanese “comfort stations”, and who occupied them? (10)
13. What was Japan’s population in 1940? What was the overall Japanese death
toll in WWII? What is that as a percentage of the population? (That equals
about ½ of the current population of Wisconsin dying today) (5)
Now, if you are interested in reading a general overview about the Pacific Theater, I
would suggest that you start with the following website:
-The Pacific War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War
Or, you can read the following handout:
-“World War II: The War Against Japan” by Robert W. Coakley
http://www.history.army.mil/books/AMH/AMH-23.htm
16

Finally, there are hundreds of books at your local library about the war against Japan.
Feel free to browse through that section. You will be amazed at the choices.
World War II started with a series of Japanese victories in 1941 and 1942. The Allies
were reeling from the loss of territory and military forces to the Japanese. The Western
nations long thought that they had superior military forces and battle tactics. Japan
showed them differently. The US was pushed out of the Philippines, the British lost most
of their military might and colonies in the Pacific, and Australia was under threat of
invasion.
Hawaii was still under treat of invasion after Pearl Harbor, and serious discussions were
occurring in higher US military circles of pulling all US military forces back to the West
coast in order to prevent further loss of men and material. I will not re-summarize what
is already written in the above mentioned websites about these engagements. Again, I
heavily suggest that you read and review those sites so that you have a basic
understanding of the progression of the war in the Pacific.
The tide of the war began to shift against Japan in 1942 with their twin defeats at the
battles of Coral Sea and Midway. In both of those engagements, Japan lost irreplaceable
aircraft carries and trained airmen. After their defeat Coral Sea, Japan was no longer able
to threaten Australia with invasion. Furthermore, Japan’s advance across the Pacific
towards Hawaii was stopped at Midway. Japan was on the defensive in the Pacific
theater from 1942 on to its defeat in 1945.
The following short reading summarizes the losses that the Japanese endured at this time.
Read it.
-“Part Four- Lost Battles”, in Japan at War. By Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore
F. Cook, The New Press, 1992, pp. 261-266.
The Allies began their march across the Pacific in earnest in 1943 and 1944. They
decided that the strategy of “island hopping” was the best tactic for defeating Japan. The
Allies (the United States Navy and Marines mainly) assaulted islands that had the best
strategic advantages, such as a good harbor or space for an airfield, and bypassed the
other Japanese held islands. They also left behind heavily defended islands too. This left
significant Japanese military forces stranded with little chance for resupply or
redeployment due to the losses that the Japanese Navy suffered in previous naval actions.
Along with island hopping, the Allies also used the concept of unrestricted submarine
warfare to prevent supplies from reaching Japanese bases and the home islands. This
prevented critical resources from reaching the Japanese military and industries. The
Allied submarines were so effective in their “hunting” that by 1945 very little Japanese
maritime traffic still existed that could travel the Pacific, much less sail out of their own
harbors. If you find yourself needing an overview of Allied submarine warfare in 1944-
1945 in the Pacific, the following is a good read. It will help you to answer the
assignment below.
-“Chapter Eleven- Blockade: War Underwater” from Retribution- The Battle for
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Japan, 1944-1945. By Max Hastings, Vintage Books, 2007, pp. 266-280.
**Assignment 5**
Allied submarine warfare was very successful in World War II, but not without
controversy. The debate was over what was considered a legitimate military target later
on in the war, and whether or not it was considered a “war atrocity” to sink these vessels
and kill the crews that survived and were floating in the ocean after their vessels were
sunk. To better understand this, read the following article:
-“Atrocities, Conscience and Unrestricted Warfare- US Submarines during the
Second World War” by Michael Sturma.
http://wih.sagepub.com/content/16/4/447
Then, comment on the author’s central point in the article. I would like a thoughtful
response on this concept. Charges of wartime atrocities are not restricted to the past. They
have been leveled against the US military in our most recent conflicts too. 2-3 pages,
typed. (30 points)
Along with unrestricted submarine warfare, the United States also commenced the
firebombing of the Japanese cities in 1944-1945 in order to hasten the fall of Japan.
This military tactic has been deemed controversial too. In Europe, the Allies mainly
used precision bombing in order to destroy Germany’s ability to wage war. Care was
taken in most cases to prevent heavy civilian losses. This did not always happen though.
The firebombing of the German city of Dresden is a prime example.
Due to Japan’s distance from decent Allied controlled airfields capable of launching
medium to long range bombers, the home islands were largely immune to Allied
bombing for the first half of the war. This changed later in the war when islands closer to
Japan were taken (Saipan and Tinian, airfields were established in China, and the long
range B-29 bomber was activated. The B-29 was initially used for precision bombing of
military and industrial targets in Japan. That did not produce the desired results. The
concept of “firebombing” cities was adopted in order to get the desired military and
psychological results. While effective, it was not without its critics due to the heavy
civilian death tolls that it produced.
In order to learn more about this concept, please read the following:
-“Improvised Destruction: Arnold, LeMay, and the Firebombing of Japan” by
William W. Ralph. http://wih.sagepub.com/content/13/4/495
-“Chapter Twelve- Burning a Nation- LeMay” from Retribution- The Battle for
**Assignment 6**
After you have read these two sources, orally discuss with me the reasons why
firebombing was used against Japan, the results it achieved and then be prepared to both
justify and condemn its usage in World War II. After you do this, I hope that you can
better understand why dropping two nuclear bombs on Japan were deemed both military
18

necessity and a success. More people died in the fire bombings than in the nuclear
strikes. (30 points)
As the Allied forces slowly tightened the noose around Japan, the Japanese home
territories were now under threat of invasion by 1945. Due to its proximity to the
Japanese home islands, the Japanese island territory of Iwo Jima was targeted for assault
by the Allies. The airfields on the island were needed as emergency landing strips for
damaged US bombers returning from raids on Japan, as an airbase to launch more air
attacks on Japan, and unknown to many- as an emergency airfield for the bombers that
would carry the nuclear bombs that were to be dropped on Japan.
The Japanese soldiers were prepared for the assault. They were well dug in and had an
effective defensive strategy to bleed the attacking Marines. The Japanese hoped that the
US would have bled too much on Iwo Jima, that they would not want to attack the
Japanese home islands. An excellent movie exists that shows the Battle of Iwo Jima
from the Japanese point of view. In order to make the time to watch it in class, you will
have to do some work at home. The movie would take about a week+ of class time to
watch.
-DVD (if time) “Letters From Iwo Jima” (140 minutes)
During the movie, read and review the following at home:
-Battle of Iwo Jima
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima
-“Into the Meat Grinder” by Charles A. Jones. In World War II Presents Victory
in The Pacific- Special Collectors Edition (2005).
-“Chapter Ten- Bloody Miniature: Iwo Jima” from Retribution- The Battle for
**Assignment 7**
The US public has seen the casualty lists from the Battle of Iwo Jima, and they are
shocked. In an article to your home paper, explain in detail why these sacrifices were
necessary. Then in a letter to your Congressmen, discuss why you feel the loss in blood
and national treasure was not worth it for such a small island. Finally, using what you
have seen in the movie, discuss with me why the Japanese fought so hard for that small
piece of volcanic rock. (50 points)
As the war progressed, the Japanese suffered crippling losses of naval ships, aircraft
carriers, trained flyers and airplanes. Due to this, they began to get desperate. Their
natural resources were being cut off by submarine attacks and loss of territories. Plus,
their industries were being destroyed by the Allied bombing raids. They no longer had
the industrial output to compete with the United States, they lacked the modern fighters
to be able to match up with the Allied fighters, and they no longer had skilled pilots to fly
the planes they did have.
19

The Japanese refused to be shamed by these defeats. They felt that sacrifice and death
for the Emperor and Empire was preferred to surrender. They began to view suicide
attacks as the best remaining method available to be able to stave off defeat. The
Japanese military formed “special attack units”, otherwise known as “kamikaze” units, to
carry out these suicide attacks. These attacks were seen on a small scale at Iwo Jima.
They would be seen in destructive waves at Okinawa.
It is important to understand these suicide attacks by the Japanese. In order to do so, I
would like you to read the following:
-Kamikaze
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze
-“Divine Wind Off Okinawa” by Kelly Bell. In World War II Presents Victory in
The Pacific- Special Collectors Edition (2005).
-“Chapter Six- ‘Flowers of Death’: Leyte Gulf-Kamikaze” from Retribution- The
Battle for Japan, 1944-1945. By Max Hastings, Vintage Books, 2007, pp. 164-
173.
-Part Four- Lost Battles-“Special Attack”, in Japan at War. By Haruko Taya Cook
and Theodore F. Cook, The New Press, 1992, pp. 305-336.
**Assignment 8**
After reading the above, summarize why the Japanese felt that these tactics would help
them “win” the war. How were they able to convince so many to give their lives in such
a manner? Were these attacks successful? How did the Allies view these suicide
attacks? Are suicide attacks still used today in warfare? Do you feel that they are a
necessary aspect of modern warfare? (50 points)
The Allied victory at Iwo Jima was a pyrrhic one. The US now had access to the airfields
it needed to safely land damaged bombers, and to mount continued bombing runs on
Japan. But, it was a bloody victory. The US Marines suffered more casualties than the
Japanese did. The Japanese dug in and made the Marines pay in blood for every foot of
territory. Very few Japanese soldiers survived to be taken prisoners. Most fought to the
death. The US public was shocked by this sacrifice of US blood and the desperation
exhibited by the Japanese military. Some people were beginning to question whether or
not the loss of lives was worth it.
The Battle for Okinawa was to be much worse. Okinawa was part of the Japanese home
islands. The Japanese military was prepared to sacrifice their soldiers and the civilians
on Okinawa in order to defeat the invading US forces. The following short reading
explains this mindset by the Japanese.
-“Part Five- One Hundred Million Die Together”, in Japan at War. By Haruko
Taya Cook and Theodore F. Cook, The New Press, 1992, pp. 339-342.
20

The island of Okinawa was a vital staging base for the final assault on Japan. The island
had the anchorages and the airfields necessary for the Allies to marshal their forces for
the invasion of Japan. The Japanese knew this too and planned their defenses
accordingly. The Japanese military felt that if they could cause severe and overwhelming
causalities to the assaulting forces, the US would have to reconsider its pending assault
on Japan. Therefore, the Japanese military felt that if they could sacrifice their lives and
the lives of the civilians living on Okinawa that would spare the home islands from the
destruction of an Allied invasion and occupation.
The battle for Okinawa began in April of 1945 and lasted until June 1945. The
following two readings give an overview of the battle.
-Battle of Okinawa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
-“Killing Ground on Okinawa” by Kelly Bell. In World War II Presents Victory
in The Pacific- Special Collectors Edition (2005).
It was one of the few battles in the Pacific in which a large civilian population was
directly impacted by the battle. Their villages were shelled, their houses were fought
over, and they were used by both sides in the battle. The civilian population suffered
more causalities than both the military forces combined. The two reading below,
especially the first person narratives in the Cook reading, describe the battle for Okinawa
from the civilian point of view. The reading by Hastings does a decent job of describing
the battle from the Japanese soldier’s point of view.
-“Chapter Sixteen- Okinawa” from Retribution- The Battle for Japan, 1944-1945.
By Max Hastings, Vintage Books, 2007, pp. 369-403.
-“Chapter 17- The War Comes Home To Okinawa”, in Japan at War. By Haruko
Taya Cook and Theodore F. Cook, The New Press, 1992, pp. 354-372.
**Assignment 9**
After you have read all of the above readings, describe the battle from a non American
point a view. What did the Japanese soldiers and Okinawan civilians go through during
this vicious battle? Describe the battle from their eyes. Be descriptive and provide some
examples. Be sure to write in the 1st
person for this assignment. It can be done in any
written format that you like (i.e. a narrative essay, interview, journal entry, etc…). 2-3
pages, typed. (30 points)
As the war in the Pacific reached its 4th
year in 1945, fatigue was setting in amongst the
Allies. The American people’s moral, especially, was getting very worn down due to the
high causalities being taken from the kamikazes and from island fighting. As word was
leaking out in the press that it could take 1-2 years of hard fighting and possible a million
casualties taking the Japanese home islands, the US public’s support for the war was
dropping. The President and the military realized that defeating Japan via an invasion of
the home islands would be a very bloody and costly pyrrhic victory. Fortunately, the
United States had a secret weapon- the atomic bomb.
21

President Truman then made the decision to use the new weapon on Japan in hopes that
the shock of the new weapon would force Japan to the peace table. Hiroshima was
bombed on August 6th
, 1945 and Nagasaki on August 9th
, 1945. On August 15th
, 1945,
Japan surrendered. An overview of the attack can be found below:
-Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
To get a better understanding of the effects of the atomic bombings on the people of
Japan, I would like you to watch the following video and read the following:
-(video) Rain of Ruin- 1hr (61)
-Chapter 19 “A Terrible New Weapon” from Japan at War-An Oral History by
Haruko Taya Cook and Theodore F Cook, 1992, pp. 382-399.
-These are firsthand accounts of the atomic bombings by its victims. Very
powerful readings…
**Assignment 10**
After watching the video and reading the above selections, describe the physical and
emotional effects of the atomic bombings on the people of Japan. Then, comment on
whether or not the US was “justified” in using the atomic bombs. Please put some
thought into this one. (25 points)
If the United States did not have the atomic bombs, they would have been forced to
invade Japan in order to force her surrender. Japan was a proud nation and determined to
fight to the death, if necessary. This fanaticism was seen in the suicidal manner in which
Japan defended Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Japan was training its civilian population to
sacrifice itself in the same manner. Plus, they were hiding kamikaze planes and mini
subs in order to sink as many US Navy ships as possible before they could land troops on
the Japanese home islands. All indications point to the invasion being a bloodbath for all
involved.
The invasion of Japan was called Operation Downfall. You can learn more about it by
reading the following:
-Operation Downfall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall
-An Invasion Not Found in the History Books
http://www.kilroywashere.org/006-Pages/Invasion.html
-Operation Downfall: Planned Invasion of the Islands of Japan inWorld War II
http://www.upa.pdx.edu/IMS/currentprojects/TAHv3/Content/PDFs/Operation_D
ownfall.pdf
-Downfall: The Invasion that Never Was
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/Articles/1994/1994%20silkett.pdf
**Assignment 11 **
You are a reporter for your home paper. You have been selected by the government to
help “sell” this invasion to a reluctant US public. Remember that this is 1945, and the
22

nation is war weary. The US Government knows that it needs a public that is willing to
accept the potential high causalities that will come from this invasion. You have been
given access to the above sources on this top secret invasion. You are to write a very
stirring and patriotic article that explains to the public why this invasion is necessary, and
why the US needs to sacrifice its brave service men now and not later. You need to be
persuasive in your article. You want to move your readers and steel their courage for the
casualties that will be coming soon from this invasion. Be as creative as you like. 1-2
pages, typed. (25 points)
The war literally ended in series of two horrific nuclear flashes for Japan. These atomic
bombings helped to push Japan to surrender to the Allies. Following an attempted palace
coup, the Emperor of Japan spoke to his shocked people for the first time and announced
Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. The atomic bombings were not the only reasons
why Japan surrendered.
Unknown to many people, it was the Soviet invasion of Japanese held Manchuria on
August 9th
, 1945 that also pushed the Japanese government to surrender to the Allies.
The Japanese military was shocked at the speed and ease that the Soviets conquered
Manchuria, an area about the size of Western Europe. In addition, the Soviet military
invaded and occupied the Japanese islands of Sakhalin and the Kurils. These islands
were just north of the Japanese home island of Hokkaido. These invasions pressed home
to the Japanese government that they had no hope of holding out, even in the home
islands under the combined assaults of the Russians and the Americans. Plus, after
seeing how the Russians treated their conquered peoples and territories, some in the
Japanese government felt that it was better to surrender prior to a Russian invasion of the
Japanese home islands.
For a brief overview of this Soviet assault, please review the following:
-Soviet Invasion of Manchuria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Manchuria
For a more detailed description, please read the chapter below from the following book:
-“Chapter Twenty- Manchuria- The Bear’s Claws”, from Retribution- The Battle
for Japan, 1944-1945, by Max Hastings, Vintage Books (2007), pp. 482-503.
**Assignment 12 **
After reading the above chapter, answer the following questions: (85 points)
1. Why were the Japanese people (civilian and military alike) so surprised at the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria? (5)
2. Why did Stalin want Manchuria? How much was he willing to pay for this
territory? (10)
3. Where did the bulk of the Soviet invasion force come from? What were the
thoughts of the Soviet soldiers as they traveled East? (10)
23

4. What was the condition of the Guangong Army (Japanese army)? Why was
this so? (10)
5. What happened in Japan that forced the Soviets to move up their timetable for
attacking the Japanese forces in Manchuria? (5)
6. What type of resistance did the Soviets face from the Japanese? (10)
7. What was one of the chief problems facing Soviet forces in Manchuria?
Provide 2-3 examples (15)
8. While the Japanese where unable to provide a more conventional resistance to
the Soviet onslaught, they fought back using other methods. Were the
kamikaze attacks successful by the Japanese? How did the Soviets respond to
them? (10)
9. How did the Chinese respond to their “liberation” by the Russians? How did
the Soviets “liberate” captured Chinese cities? (10)
Following the loss of Japanese held Manchuria and the surrender of the nation to the
Allies, the nation of Japan was in ruins. Japan’s economy was bombed into oblivion, the
military was in disarray and her people were in a state of stunned disbelief over the
devastated condition of their country.
The Americans began to occupy Japan in September of 1945. They were well fed, well
equipped and brimming with confidence and conviction over their mission to demilitarize
and democratize Japan. In order to learn more about the occupation of Japan, we will
read the following two selections:
-“Occupation and Recovery”, pp. 349-357 in Japan- From Prehistory to Modern
Times, by John Whitney Hall.
- Chapter 13 “Occupied Japan”, from The Modern History of Japan by Andrew
Gordon (2003). (Please get this book from me.)
**Assignment 13**
List 10-15 of the challenges and changes that the Americans made to both Japan’s culture
and people following World War II. Then in 2-3 paragraphs discuss which two (2) of the
changes you feel were the most important and why. (25 points)
As the war ended and Japan’s wartime record could be examined in greater detail, it was
discovered that Japan had committed a series of war-time atrocities ranging from its
horrible treatment of prisoners of war, to its use of captured women in forced prostitution
in order to service its own military servicemen, and finally to its secret research post
(Unit 731) that tested biological and chemical agents on live prisoners. If we have time
left in the semester, we will examine these criminal acts in more detail.
-“Chapter Fifteen- Captivity and Slavery”, from Retribution- The Battle for Japan,
1944-1945, by Max Hastings, Vintage Books (2007), pp. 345-368.
-Comfort Women
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_women
24

-Unit 731
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731
Finally if there is time, we will also begin to read In the Ruins of Empire- The Japanese
Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia by Ronald H. Spector. This is an excellent
book on postwar Asia. If we do not have time, I suggest that you read it on your own. It
explains why certain current Asian conflicts and problems have their roots in post World
War II. We will discuss it orally, by chapters, as you read it.
If you would like to read an abbreviated version of what the above book discusses in
more detail, please let me know. I will get you a copy of the following reading:
-Chapter 1, “Asia for Asians” from The Aftermath-Asia by Time Life (1983).
This now ends the class. I hope that you enjoyed the class and learned something from it.
If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know. I would be happy to
make any changes that would benefit the next students to take this class. Thank you for
the opportunity to teach this class.
END OF THE THIRD 6 WEEKS
END OF THE SEMESTER
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