1. Chapter 7: War in the Asia-Pacific Region
Crisis and Conflict
An Enquiry Approach to Modern World History Secondary 3
Chapter 7:
War in the Asia-Pacific Region

2. Could war in the Asia-Pacific region have been avoided?
Why was peace in the
Asia-Pacific region threatened?
Why did World War II break out in the Asia-Pacific region?
The reasons that made war in the Asia-Pacific likely.
The reasons that caused the war to
start in the Asia-Pacific region.
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3. In a Nutshell
By 1930s, Japan was actively pursuing an expansionist policy. The reasons it gave were lack of land for its growing population and a lack of resources.
In 1931, Japanese troops moved into Manchuria.
In 1937, Japan moved further into China starting what was known as the Sino-Japanese War.
To finance its war efforts in China, Japan turned to Southeast Asia for resources.
That however brought Japan into conflict with the USA. The US Pacific fleet was stationed at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
To prevent the USA from hindering Japan’s campaign in Southeast Asia, Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on 2 December This sparked off the war in the Asia-Pacific.
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4. Why was peace in the Asia-Pacific region threatened?
Japan’s foreign policy
aims between
1931 and 1941
Poor relations
between Japan
and the West
Japan’s military
aggression
Why was peace in the Asia-Pacific region threatened?
The League
of Nations
The military started
acting without
government
permission
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5. To build an empire in the Asia-Pacific region
Japan was the leading power in Asia.
It wanted to expand into areas that belonged to Russia and China to build up its own empire.
The Navy, like the Army, called for expansion into British Malaya, French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies.
By the 1930s, Japan had expanded to include Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and the Pacific Isles.
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6. To free Asians from Western control
Japan felt that Asia should be freed from Western control.
As Japan was the strongest military power in Asia, the Japanese felt they would have to lead the fight to end Western imperialism. The Japanese took it upon themselves to be the leaders of Asia.
This made war in the Asia-Pacific likely because Japan would have to wage war against colonial powers to create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’.
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7. What was the ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?
This included countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Malaya, Burma, Thailand, French Indochina, the Dutch East Indies, China and India.
Japan wanted these countries to be part of its empire.
These countries had oil, tin and rubber which were important resources for Japan to be self-sufficient.
These countries would also serve as markets for Japanese goods.
Japan used the term ‘Co-Prosperity’, to get Asians to believe that all the countries in the sphere would benefit economically through this arrangement.
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8. To find room for Japan’s growing population
Japan’s population grew from 30 million in 1870 to 70 million by 1937.
Rapid increase in population created the problem of food shortage. Hence Japan had to import food.
The growing population also needed space.
Japan is a mountainous country and hence lacked living space for the increase in population.
The military proposed overseas expansion promising that it will provide more land for housing and to grow crops.
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9. To control resources
The Great Depression affected Japan’s economy badly.
Its industries needed cheap suppliers of natural resources and markets to sell their goods.
Furthermore, Japan could not sell its goods to other countries because of protectionism.
Japan’s leaders looked to Manchuria as a solution for the country’s economic problems.
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10. To control resources What Manchuria could provide: • cheap manpower
• raw materials like coal, timber, iron,
soya beans, grain and gold
• an overseas market for Japanese goods
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11. Japan’s foreign policy aims between 1931 and 1941
To build an empire
To create a ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’
To find room for
growing population
To free Asians
from Western control
To control resources
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12. Growing influence in Manchuria and mainland China
Japan’s influence in Manchuria began with the control of Port Arthur after it defeated Russia in 1905 in the Russo-Japanese War.
Japan also acquired the South Manchurian Railway from the Russians and had special economic privileges in the region.
By 1919, Japan had gained control over the German colony in Liaodong Peninsula.
Japan’s presence in China proved to be uneasy for the Allied Powers.
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13. Strength of Japan’s Army in Manchuria
Year
Manpower
Infantry Divisions
Aircraft
Tanks
1930
10,000
----
1932
94,100 4
100 50
1934
144,100 3
130
120
1936
194,000
230
150
1938
220,000 7
340
170
1939
270,000 9
560
200
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14. Japan’s territorial gains in China
1905
Port Arthur
South Manchurian Railway
1919
Liaodong Peninsula
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15. The Mukden Incident
In 1928, some officers from the Japanese Army bombed a train, which was on its way to Mukden, killing the Manchurian warlord, Zhang Zuo-Lin.
They had hoped that his death would pave the way for the government in Tokyo to take control of Manchuria.
Although the government made no move to take over Manchuria, the independent actions of the Army had long-term consequences.
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16. The Mukden Incident
This incident proved that the armed forces in Japan had enough influence to be able to carry out invasions without permission from the central government.
It had the unintended effect of worsening Japan’s position in Manchuria.
Zhang’s son, Zhang Xue-liang who took over control of his father’s army was strongly against Japan’s ambitions in Manchuria.
In December 1928, he even forged an alliance with Chiang Kai-Shek against the Japanese.
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17. The Mukden Incident
As a result of Zhang Xue-liang’s actions, the Japanese army leaders felt the need to seize control of Manchuria.
On 18 September 1931, a train carrying Japanese passengers outside Mukden, exploded.
Blaming it on the Chinese, Japanese soldiers occupied South Manchuria.
Six months later, the government in Tokyo recognised that the Japanese Army had set up a new state called Manchukuo installing the last Manchu emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Pu-Yi as the head of the new state.
Although PM Inukai criticised the Army, he was unable to change the situation.
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18. Who or What should be blamed for the Marco Polo Bridge Incident?
On 7 July 1937, a full-scale war broke out between China and Japan.
It started at the Marco Polo Bridge (just north of Beijing) when a Japanese soldier went missing during a patrol and the Japanese Army demanded to search the Chinese section.
When the Chinese refused, both sides opened fire.
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19. caused the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
The Japanese military
By 1936, the Japanese Army
felt that China had not
defended Northern China
strongly. The Japanese thus had
not expected the Chinese to fight
over the Incident.
The international situation
Japan feared a war on two fronts
with China and the USSR.
However, with the rise of German
threat, Japan felt it was the right
time to concentrate its resources
on defeating China quickly.
Possible factors that
caused the
Marco Polo
Bridge Incident
Japanese political control
of the Japanese Army was
weak
Furthermore, the Tokyo government
considered withdrawal as humiliating.
It also feared political instability in
Japan if it did not support the Army.
The Japanese zaibatsus
The zaibatsus were also guilty of
war mongering.They saw war
with China as a chance to gain
China’s markets, industries and
natural resources.
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20. Japanese military expansion in the Pacific
1910
Japan invaded Korea. It
became a Japanese colony.
1919
Japan gained control of the
Liaodong Peninsula as a
reward for supporting Britain
and France in World War I.
Japan invaded China, starting
The First Sino-Japanese War.
It took over Manchuria.
1933
The Chinese Northern Province of
Jehol was invaded and the Hopei
region was demilitarised.
1937
Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
Second Sino-Japanese War
started.
Most of Northeast and
Eastern China under
Japanese control.
1941
Japan attacked US naval
base at Pearl Harbour.
Japanese military expansion in the Pacific
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21. The League was too weak to stop Japan’s invasion of Manchuria
Members were weak
League’s slow response to the crisis
The Great Depression weakened the
economies of the leading members
and so they were unwilling to send
troops to China.
Sep 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria
Dec 1931: League appointed the
Lytton Commission to investigate
Britain and France were more
concerned with rebuilding their
economies.
Jan-Oct 1932: Investigation continued
Result?
1932
Japan ignored recommendations of report
Withdrew from League after it was criticised
League did nothing and Manchuria was occupied
Oct 1932: Report of investigation
given to League
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22. The League was too weak to stop Japan’s invasion of Manchuria
The Lytton Commission criticised Japan’s annexation of Manchuria.
Manchukuo was declared a puppet state.
However it also recognised Japan’s heavy investments in the region.
It recommended that Manchuria remain part of China but to be allowed to have its own government.
Japan would be allowed to keep its special economic privileges and investments there.
Japan rejected the proposal, withdrew from the League and its troops remained in Manchuria.
The failure of the League in taking no other action convinced Japanese military leaders that the Western powers were too weak to prevent their expansion.
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23. Western bias made Japan feel more hostile toward the West
Japan’s relations with the USA were poor because many Japanese felt that the West was biased against Japan.
The terms of the Washington Naval Conference contributed partly to this.
Japanese nationalists felt that the West wanted to prevent Japan from expanding into the Asia-Pacific region.
On December 1934, Japan announced it would no longer follow the terms of the Treaty.
This made war likely because this gave Japan the leeway to increase the size of its armed forces, in turn threatening the peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
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24. Why did World War II break out in the Asia-Pacific region?
Japan’s war against
China
The international situation
Hideki Tojo became
Prime Minister
Worsening relations between
the USA and Japan
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25. Japan’s war against China
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident marked the start of a full-scale war with China.
Japan had expected the war to end quickly but it dragged on for years.
The war used up nearly all of Japan’s resources.
Furthermore, China did not have enough raw materials to supply Japan’s needs.
Japan also found it difficult to buy raw materials from abroad because of war in Europe.
This meant that if Japan had to continue its war in China, it would have to conquer British Malaya for its rubber and tin and occupy the Dutch East Indies for its oil.
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26. Japan’s Neutrality Agreement with the Soviet Union
Japan was concerned about a war two fronts as it had clashed with the Russians along the Russo-Japanese border between 1938 and 1939.
In April 1941, Japan signed a neutrality agreement with the USSR.
This made war against the USSR less likely in 1941.
The threat of a war on two fronts became even more unlikely when Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941 as the Russians would be too busy fighting the Germans to attack Japan.
This left Japan free to attack Southeast Asia and Pearl Harbour.
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27. Soviet and Japanese clashes along the Russo-Japanese border
Changkufeng
Soviet and Japanese clashes along the Russo-Japanese border
Nomonhan
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28. War in Europe left European colonies in Asia undefended
The Western powers were fighting for survival in Europe against Germany.
The situation in Europe left the Southeast Asian colonies of the Western powers vulnerable.
These colonies included:
• British Malaya (Malaysia and Singapore)
• French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia)
• The Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
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29. Japan saw the USA as a threat to its plans to build an empire
Throughout the 1930s, Japan thought that the USA was trying to stop Japan’s plan to control the Asia-Pacific region.
Relations between the two countries became increasingly hostile.
The USA had a large Pacific fleet.
It was able to protect territories and trading ships using the fleet.
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30. Japan saw the USA as a threat to its plans to build an empire
The Americans saw Japan’s aggression as a threat and hence increased the size of their navy at Pearl Harbour.
Some Japanese military leaders felt that Japan had to attack the US Pacific fleet in order to cripple the USA’s ability to fight a war in the Pacific.
This will enable Japan to gain time to build up its troops and protect the positions it had conquered in Southeast Asia.
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31. US embargo on steel, scrap iron and oil
In 1941, the USA placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron and oil to Japan.
Japan considered the embargo as a threat to Japan’s survival in the war.
Japan was badly hit as it bought most of its oil and metal from the USA.
The USA would only sell oil to Japan if it agreed to leave China immediately.
Japan was thus left with the option of either to leave China or invade the Dutch East Indies and take the oil that can be found there.
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32. Breakdown of US-Japan talks in 1941
In 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the USA, Nomura Kichisaburo and US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, held talks to improve relations between their countries.
US foreign policy was aimed at forcing Japan to withdraw from China.
On the other hand, Japan felt peace could only be achieved if China accepted Japanese occupation.
The two goals were too different to allow room for compromise.
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33. Based on the illustration, what were the causes of conflict between the USA and Japan?
Steel, iron and oil embargoes:
In response to Japan’s aggression and invasion of China, the USA placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron and oil to Japan.
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34. Hostility between Japan and the USA:
As a result of the blockade by the USA, relations between Japan and the USA deteriorated further. The oil embargo left Japan with only two years’ supply of oil. Since no other country would sell oil to Japan, it had two choices — give in to US demands and remove Japanese forces from China in exchange for lifting the oil embargo; or take oil by invading the Dutch East Indies.
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35. Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister
In 1941, War Minister Tojo became Prime Minister.
He felt that war with the USA could not be avoided.
Japanese leaders who supported negotiations were gradually removed from the new government.
This made war likely because a general who supported an aggressive foreign policy was now in charge of the government.
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36. Japan orders the attack on Pearl Harbour
On 2 December 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese fleet sent out a coded order to ‘ascend Mt Nikita 1298’.
This was a signal to bomb Pearl Harbour.
On Sunday 7 December 1941, the Japanese fleet attacked Pearl Harbour.
The war in the Asia-Pacific had begun.
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37. War in the Asia-Pacific 1942–1945
1. Although Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour on 7
December 1941 was a success with the sinking of
three battleships and the destruction of 300
aircraft, US aircraft carriers and other battleships
escaped the attack. In the end, Japan was
defeated in the war.
5. In 1945, President
Harry Truman
wanting to avoid the
invasion of Japan,
ordered the use of
the atomic bomb.
Hiroshima was
bombed on 6 August
1945 and Nagasaki,
three days later. The
Japanese emperor
agreed to surrender,
ending the Asia-
Pacific War.
2. Most of the Japanese Navy was
destroyed after Japan lost major
battles such as the Battle Of Midway.
US planes and submarines attacked
Japanese ships preventing vital
supplies from reaching Japan.
3. US troops conducted ‘island
hopping’ campaigns taking only the
main islands as they had good
harbours and airfields. This helped
the USA to win control of the Pacific
quickly.
4. On mainland Southeast Asia,
British and Commonwealth forces
fought the Japanese in Burma and
India. US troops also fought their
way across the Pacific from
Australia to New Guinea and freed
the Philippines.
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38. international relations
Summary
Rising tension
Militarism
led to
contributed to
promoted an
Worsening
international relations
Contributed to
Economic crisis
Japan’s
Aggressive
Foreign Policy
contributed to
failed to stop
Greater East Asia
Co-Prosperity
Sphere
aimed at creating
Weak League of Nations
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39. Causes of WWII in the Asia-Pacific
International situation
USSR pact with Japan
War in Europe
Tojo became PM
Causes of WWII in
the Asia-Pacific
US-Japan relationship
became worse in 1930s
1941 talks broke down
Economic situation
• War in China
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