Japan's path to WWII

1. Main Idea
- Japan has their own plans to seize other countries for natural resources

2.  Japan blew up small section of Manchurian
railroad but blamed it on China in order to
justify taking Manchuria with rapid military
advances
 Japanese were happy with conquest since 30
million Chinese were living in an area larger than
Japan
 Manchuria offered many valuable resources
 Japan now wants to conquer more and expand

3. • Established control
over eastern part of
Inner Mongolia
• Takes over areas in
North China around
Beijing
• Military held upper
hand and connected
to politics via
government

4.  Chiang Kai-shek aims to avoid war with Japan so they can
focus on war on Chinese Communists
 He allows Japan to govern areas in north China
 Japan moves further south and faced opposition in Chinese
cities
 Chiang stops fighting the Communists to focus on Japan
 Japan seized Chinese capital of Nanjing
 Chiang refused to surrender and continued to move capital
 Japan kept following destroying everything in its path
 China refused to surrender and endeared suffering
throughout the course of the war

5.  Japan
 wants China to join New Order in
East Asia
▪ Consists of Japan, Manchuria, and
China
 would guide areas to prosperity
 Seize Soviet Siberia (rich resources)
 Wants to makes alliance with Germany so they can
take over the Soviet Union and divide resources
 Germany makes nonaggression pact with Soviet Union
and Japan reconsiders plan
 Japan now focuses on raw materials in Southeast Asia
so they can defeat the Soviet Union

6. • Japan buys oil & scrap iron
from US
• US warns Japan to stop
expanding into SE Asia, or
US will impose economic
sanction (stop trading)
• Dilemma – expand or trade?
• Decision – attack US & Eur
colonies in SE Asia
– Thinking this will force the
US to trade & allow Japan to
expand

7.  Motive – RAW MATERIALS
 Justified taking over Manchuria with trick
plan –blew up Chinese railroad
 Chiang Kai-shek aims to avoid war with Japan so they can
focus on war on Chinese Communists
 He allows Japan to govern areas in north China
 Japan
 wants China to join New Order in East Asia
▪ Consists of Japan, Manchuria, and China
 Japan attacks US thinking it will force US’s
hand to trade w/ them. – WRONG!!!