1. Washington Naval Conference
Washington Naval Conference

2. Who? United States Great Britain Japan France Italy Belgium China
The Netherlands
Portugal
Nine nations were invited to Washington to discuss naval reductions and the situation in the Far East (all nations with economic/imperialistic interests in the Pacific Ocean and East Asia)
Naval Race
-Great Britain
-Japan
-France
-Italy
Far East
-Belgium
-China
-The Netherlands
-Portugal

3. Why? To discuss naval reductions and the situation in the Far East
Called by President Warren G. Harding and held in Washington DC
It was the first…
…international conference held in the United States
…disarmament conference in history
Helped countries to recognize the crushing financial costs of a naval arms race
To restrict the growth of naval tonnage (a key measure of military strength)
To prevent the possibility of another war by preventing a naval arms race
To relieve growing tensions in East Asia
To discuss naval reductions and the situation in the Far East

4. Ulterior Motives? United States
To restrain Japanese naval expansion in the waters of the west Pacific
To eliminate Anglo-American tensions by dissolving the Anglo-Japanese alliance
To agree on a naval ratio with Japan
To push Japan to accept a continuation of the Open Door Policy in China
Everything on the slide…
United States
To restrain Japanese naval expansion in the waters of the west Pacific
To eliminate Anglo-American tensions by dissolving the Anglo-Japanese alliance
To agree on a naval ratio with Japan
To push Japan to accept a continuation of the Open Door Policy in China

5. Ulterior Motives? Great Britain Great Britain
Global position threatened by a multitude of military obligations that far exceeded possible military capacity
To achieve peace and stability in the western Pacific
To avoid a naval arms race with the United States
To stop Japanese encroachment onto British territories
Singapore
Hong Kong
Everything on the slide…
Great Britain
Global position threatened by a multitude of military obligations that far exceeded possible military capacity
To achieve peace and stability in the western Pacific
To avoid a naval arms race with the United States
To stop Japanese encroachment onto British territories
Singapore
Hong Kong

6. Ulterior Motives? Japan
To sign a naval treaty with Britain and the United States
To obtain official recognition of Japanese presence in Manchuria and Mongolia
Desire to remain in control of Yap, Siberia, Tsingtao

7. When? November 12, 1921 – February 6, 1922 In Washington D.C.
Called by President Warren G. Harding

8. What Happened? Three major treaties emerged from the conference
The Five-Power Treaty
The Four-Power Treaty
The Nine-Power Treaty
Signatories at the Washington Naval Conference
Three major treaties emerged from the conference
1) The Five-Power treaty
-Countries involved: United States; Great Britain; Japan; France; Italy
-called for each of the countries to maintain a ratio of warship tonnage
Britain/ United States: 500,000 tons
Japan: 300,000 tons
France/ Italy: 175,00 tons
-Britain and US allowed higher tonnage because they maintained two-ocean navies
-controversy regarding Article XIX which recognized status quo of US, British, Japanese bases in Pacific but outlawed their expansion
2) The Four-Power treaty
-Countries involved: United States; France; Britain; Japan
-replaced Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902
-ensured that no countries would be obligated to engage in conflict, but that a mechanism would exist for discussions if a conflict emerged
3) Nine-Power Treaty
-marked the internationalization of the United States Open Door Policy in China
-promised that each signatory (US, Britain, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, China) would respect the territorial integrity of China
-recognized Japanese presence in Manchuria, reaffirmed the importance for equal business opportunity in the country
-lacked a method of enforcement to ensure that all powers abided by the terms of the treaties

9. Ramifications? Short Term Short Term
Froze the construction of new fortifications and naval facilities in the Western Pacific
Japan was left supreme power in the Far East
Led to the decommission of several naval ships
Upheld the status quo in the Pacific
On the slide…
Short Term
Froze the construction of new fortifications and naval facilities in the Western Pacific
Japan was left supreme power in the Far East
Led to the decommission of several naval ships
Upheld the status quo in the Pacific

10. Ramifications? Long Term Long Term
Made US defense of the Philippines from a Japanese attack nearly impossible
Improved relations between the major world powers
Spread the navies of Britain and the United States widely
Unfortunate consequences for China in the 1930’s when the US refused to become involved with Japanese aggression
Treaties were later modified (London Naval Treaty of 1930, Second London Naval Treaty of 1936)
Led to new and innovative battleships as only certain ships were limited by the Naval Treaty
The Hipper Class of Naval Ships were built to flout the conditions of the Washington Naval Treaty
On slide…
Long Term
Made US defense of the Philippines from a Japanese attack nearly impossible
Improved relations between the major world powers
Spread the navies of Britain and the United States widely
Unfortunate consequences for China in the 1930’s when the US refused to become involved with Japanese aggression
Treaties were later modified (London Naval Treaty of 1930, Second London Naval Treaty of 1936)
Led to new and innovative battleships as only certain ships were limited by the Naval Treaty

11. Thank You! Bibliography:
Canaday, Marquis. "The Washington Naval Conference " US Department of State: Office of the Historian. US Department of State, n.d. Web. 6 Oct <
"1921–1922 Washington Naval Conference." GlobalSecurity.org. Ed. John Pike. N.p., Web. 6 Oct <