US Japan Relations Before Pearl Harbor

Roots of War Take Hold

Perry Treaty 1853

The impact of Perry's success was to be world-wide. Japan in the following century, by adopting modern techniques, was to become one of the earth's great industrial, mercantile and military powers, only to lose that position in the holocaust of World War II.

First Breakthrough of Ethnocentric Culture

Before 1853 Japan’s economy was bases on farming and fishing.

After 1853 they became industrialized.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/perry_exp.htm

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,

1660-1783 by Alfred. T. Mahan Copyright, 1890

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13529/13529-h/13529-h.htm

• In his book he writes that to be a great world power a country needs to have a great Navy.

• This book becomes the blue print for all imperialistic nations in the world, Japan and US included.

• Mahan also predicts that in the future there will be a great war between the East and The West (WWII ?)

First Sino-Japanese War(August 1,1894– April 17, 1895)

• Came to symbolize the degeneration and enfeeblement of the Qing Dynasty and demonstrate how successful modernization had been in Japan since the Meiji Restoration after Perry’s visit.

• The principal results were a shift in regional dominance in Asia from China to Japan and a fatal blow to the Dynasty and the Chinese classical tradition. http://compsoc.net/~gemini/simons/historyweb/sino-war.html

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05

• Had its roots in the simultaneous determination of both Japan and Russia to develop 'spheres of influence' in the Far East, mainly at the expense of China.

• Japan’s victory forced Russia to abandon its expansionist policy in the Far East.

• Japan becomes the first Asian power in modern times to defeat a European power. http://www.russojapanesewar.com/index.html

The Open Door Policy 1899• China was in political and economic disarray as the end of the 19th century approached. The giant was not recognized as a sovereign nation by the major powers, who were busy elbowing one another for trading privileges and plotting how the country could be partitioned.

• In the fall of 1898, President McKinley stated his desire for the creation of an "open door" that would allow all trading nations access to the Chinese market.

• President McKinley was simply trying to protect the prospects of American businessmen and investors.

• US will be China’s protector, other nations may trade, but may not take over China. China is too weak to have any say. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h908.html

Gentleman's Agreement with Japan 1907

• U.S.-Japanese understanding, in which Japan agreed to limit passports to the United States.

• President Theodore Roosevelt agreed, in return, to urge the city of San Francisco to stop school segregation.

• Japan did not want America to pass a law similar to the Chinese Exclusion Act. President Theodore Roosevelt, who had a positive opinion of Japan, accepted the Agreement as proposed by Japan. http://homepage3.nifty.com/ubiquitous/Japanese-Americans_E/Page04.htm

Root-Takahira Agreement November 1908

• US and Japan agree to share Asia and the Pacific and they will live in peace.• The Root-Takahira Agreement appeared to be a great success. However, the Japanese were espousing a type of Monroe Doctrine(http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/jd/16321.htm ) for the Far East, but one that assigned Japan a far more powerful economic role than the United States had in Latin America. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h886.html

Washington Navel Conference12 November 1921 to 6 February 1922

• This disarmament effort was occasioned by the hugely expensive naval construction rivalry that existed among Britain, Japan and the United States.

• For the American delegation, led by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, the primary objective of the conference was to inhibit Japanese naval expansion in the waters of the west Pacific.

• Led to an effective end to building new battleship fleets and those ships that were built were limited in size and armament. Some ships were scrapped. Some ships were turned into aircraft carriers. Referred to as a holiday.

Japan invades Manchuria 1931• This was an attempt by the Japanese Empire to gain control over the whole province in order to encompass all of East Asia.

• Japan Violates the Open Door policy.

• Manchuria has vast natural resources and raw materials, which helped the economic goals of Japan. http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/China/JapanManchuria.html

US Response to Manchurian Incident

Stimson Doctrine• Stimson stated the United States would not recognize any changes made in China and that the "open door" must be maintained. Japan gambled that the US would take no military action because of the Depression.

• Most Americans were probably far more sympathetic to China, but did not want to provoke Japan. Memories of American losses in foreign war were still fresh. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1500.html

Three Causes of War

Nationalism- Patriotism and and pride of ones country.

Imperialism- Military conquest.

Militarism- Arms build-up.

FascismAs a political philosophy, it describes an authoritarian regime that exalts the state above the individual, readily resorts to military action to solve international disputes and seeks to control every aspect of the nation's existence — political, social, religious and economic.