Causes Of World War Two: Japan?

Question

How did Japan help causes World War Two. What did Japan do and how was that a cause of World War Two?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanxxx

Answer 1

As with so many history questions that ask about "causes", it is impossible to pinpoint just 1 or two things. You have to go back 10, 50, 100, or even several centuries to find the "root' causes of why something happened the way it did. Basically, Not only Japan, but the US, Europe, and Russia, ALL helped to set Japan on the road to war.

Up until the mid 18th century, Japan was a fuedal society. In 1854, US ships on Commodore Mathew Perry forced Japan, who up until this time had isolated itself except for several wars in Korea, to open it's ports to European trade. The US and other European countries then attempted to exploit the politically weak country to their respective interest much like they had already started to do in China. A number of Japanese were upset by what they thought was a seconding of Japanese interest to American and European interest, and after a civil war, re-instated the power of the Emporer and the resignation of the ruling shogunate. During this period, know as the "Meji Restoration", Japan adopted a European system of government and exerted more control over foreign trade and checked foreign interest.

Japan then asserted itself as a true world power with it's victory over Russia during the Russo-Japanese war at the beginning of the 20th century. Most striking was the almost total annihilation of the Russian fleet by the japanese navy. During World War 1, Japan sided with the allies and siezed German holdings in the Pacific and extended it's influence. The main implication of these wars was that Japan became the only Asian world power and the only dominant Asian power in the pacific and asia. To compete with the other world powers, Japan then set out on a course of militarization and expansionism in order to remain on equal footing.

One of Japan's failings was the fact that it lacked the natural resources needed to sustain a booming industrial economy. Japan was dependant on the Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, British Malaysia, Russia, and China for oil, tin, rubber, steel, copper, and coal; none of which were available in any significant amount in Japan. So rather than provoke Europe or the US, Japan siezed resource rich Manchuria from the Chinese (which, in effect, was no different than what European countries had done in Indochina, the East Indies, Malaysia, Hong Kong, etc, etc, etc.).

Politically speaking, Manchuria was relegated to a second class incident as most of the world was focused on the affairs in Europe. Japan's main concern was with the Soviet union and to that end signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany in 1936, ultimately tying them in to the Axis powers in 1941.

In 1937 Japan instigated the second Sino-Japanese war. Because of Japanese aggression, the US placed an embargo on trade with Japan which was followed in kind by the other European powers. Japan, who's economy and military could not be sustained with out the resources it was importing, decided to act offensively and attacked the allied powers in December of 1941. The main target of their lightning campaigns that winter were specifically; Indochina, Malaysia, and the Dutch East Indies. Secondary, but of equal importance, was to capture New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (to provide a defensive barrier against Australia) and the the crippling of the only naval threat in the pacific; the American fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Some historians speculate that the US knew the Japanese would attack if we put an Embargo on them. This is based on the theory that Roosevelt and others wanted to be directly involved against Nazi Germany and they felt that if the japanese attacked first (as a member of the Axis), then America could enter the war and not alienate the "isolationist" groups in America. Some wonder why the "entire" pacific fleet was at Pearl Harbor, except for the Carriers.

Answer 2

As loryntoo correctly pointed out, Japan is a resource-poor nation and Japan tried to create an empire to secure resources throughout Asia starting in the late 1800s. As you can see, Japan's imperialistic activities predated WWII by nearly 50 years.

Simply put, Japan did not start WWII. Germany did when it invaded Poland.

Americans always say "remember Pearl Harbor". However, Japan intended to inform America in advance of their planned attack on Pearl Harbor, but through a string of unfortunate errors, the courier carrying the typed letter of Japan's intent to attack was late and delivered the letter after the attack had already started.

One thing people need to remember is that Japan's attack was focused only on the Pearl Harbor naval base and their only goal was to sink as many ships in the harbor as they could to paralyze the Pacific Fleet.

Japan attacked inland from the north for two reasons: 1. To maximize surprise. 2. To minimize civilian casualties by attacking away from, not towards, the outlying civilian areas.
This is also why the attack was carried out on Sunday morning, when many servicemen/women were on-shore away from the base.

Answer 3

The Japanese were the Asian version of The Master Race. They did well in a territorial war against Russia in the early 1900s, and that made them emboldened. They were the most industrialized country in Asia at the time, so they had a big advavtage over the rest of Asia. They needed more resources, as theirs were limited - being an Island nation - so they set out to dominate Asia. With every success they got more and more ambitious. Eventually, they aligned themselves with Germany and Italy (forming The Axis Powers), and they set their sights on British and American colonies/territories. Pearl Harbor was just the catalyst that got the US involved.

Answer 4

First of all, Japan at that time was an agrarian society which means they needed land, especially as the land got divided among heirs upon the death of the father. They needed to expand to gain the land they needed to support their economy and growing population. They began to annex islands and then attacked China and surrounding areas in order to gain land. They also assaulted the US with an attack on Pearl Harbor. At that point, they were embroiled in a world war.

Chow!

Answer 5

Japan was mineral-poor. When the Japanese began an industrialized society, they needed resources. The only way to get them (in their opinion) was to take them from other countries which meant conquest.

It was Japan's aggressive campaign against China for its natural resources which led to Japan's involvement in WWII. To keep the US from butting into their business, they tried to destroy the US Pacific fleet and failed.

Answer 6

um the japanese bombed pearl harbor dec 7, 1941 and that is why the us went to war, the british had wanted us to go to war, but we refused...............japan bombed pearl harbor(hawaii) and well here we went........that was the pacific theatre and germany was eastern theatre..........the us followed through by engaging in war to conserve world power and to keep the freedoms alive.......too bad the a bombs had to be used, but this is history

Answer 7

They invaded alot of lands that weren't theirs, manchuria, korea, china, etc. then after they were done with the british and french colonies, they looked at the US lands and bombed pearl harbor so that they could invade Guam, phillipines, etc. The japanese wanted more land, minerals, oil, and gold.

Answer 8

None would admit that there was a rape in the family. The shame (to live with in the present) is far worse than the actual happening that is past now.

Answer 9

Until Emperor Meiji overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 Japan had been a closed society for 250 years. Despite Japan's social values remaining largely feudal, with strict adherence to rigid hierarchies and the damands of self-sacrifice and hard work, the new powers in the land quickly realized that Japan must modernize quickly, a process which would only be possible with the aid and advice of the industrialized West. However to achieve her goal there was a desperate need for essential raw materials which could only be obtained from abroard. Her gaze fell on neighbouring Korea, but this immediately brought her into potential conflict with China, which claimed suzerainty over the Korean peninsula

When China sent troops to quash a Korean rebellion in 1894 Japan seized her chance and intervened. The Chinese were driven out of Korea leaving Japan in control of the Liaotung peninsula in southern Manchuria, securing Korea's western flank. China sued for an armistice and accepted the independence of Korea (which in reality meant domination by Japan), and ceded Formosa (Taiwan) and Liaotung. Within days of signing the treaty however, Russia, France and Germany insisted Japan give up Liaotung. Following this 'Triple intervention' the Japanese began viewing the European powers (and especially Russia) with deep suspicion; this was at once heightened when, in 1898, Russia leased the ports she had so recently forced Japan to abandon, and then moved troops through Manchuria into China during the Boxer rebellion of 1900.

In Europe the rise of the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy drew France and Russia closer together while Great Britain looked on in alarm. British imperial power relied heavily on her navy, and in 1902 Britain sought a naval alliance with Japan. Both sides gained but Japan gained more: not least, an implicit acceptance at the top table of nations. The alliance also gave Japan the confidence to attack Russia in 1904.

With a crushing victory over the Russian fleet at Tsushima in 1905 she regained Liaotung and had her 'special interests' recognized. In the same year, with her newly acquired territories of the Philippines and Hawaii, America's gaze was also being directed towards Asia. President Theodore Roosevelt declaring: "Our future history will be more determined by our position on the Pacific facing China than by our position on the Atlantic facing Europe".

With the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, Japan came to Britain's support, seizing the German's Pacific possessions and her concessions in China, which included the port of Tsingtao. Within months the Japanese Government issued the so called 'Twenty one demands' to the Chinese. This would have given them access to the vast natural resources of the mainland, but in so doing Japan overplayed her hand. The strong pro-Chinese element in American society was gravely offended and the US Government began to look suspiciously at her. British protests about the demands only served to reduce British popularity in Japan.

At the end of the Great War (1914-18) Japan obtained a League of Nations mandate over many of Germany's former possessions in Asia, thus gaining a wide influence from Manchuria to almost the equator. To the Japanese this seemed to indicate acceptance into the great club of World powers. But despite all, this mandate only served to increase Japan's ambititious desires to surplant China as the leading nation in the Orient. Such ambitions, of course were not just of concern to China but also threatened the security of Australia, New Zealand, to say nothing of Hong Kong and other British possesssions in the Far East. In addition the United States, itself with eyes focussed on East Asia, began considering Japanese policies with some suspicion.

The 1922 Washington Naval conference attempted to effect a lasting peace by restricting the hugely expensive naval construction rivalry that had begun to commence between Great Britain, France, the United States and Japan, however to many Japanese the signing of this treaty only signified that Japan was now being elbowed out as a world power by the other signitories.

The succession of the 25 year old Emperor Hirohito to the throne in 1926 would intensify Japanese Nationalism particularly, as within a year, by a major banking crisis which would see the rise of a class of extremely chauvinistic Army officers. The world economic crisis of 1929-1930 would see the power of these ambitious officers considerably bolstered. Their envious eyes firmly fixed on the rich natural resources of China, itself in deep turmoil.