China & Japan The Years Following WWI

China Seeks Modernization Sun Yat-sen declared China a republic, January 1912 Dreamed of democratic rule Was ousted 2 months later by Yuan Shigai Yuan turned the new republic into a dictatorship Sun organized the Goumindang party & tried to overthrow Yuan This failed & he moved to Japan

Chiang Kai-shek After Yuan died, Sun returned to fight warlords Was unsuccessful, but in 1923 he had help from USSR & an officer named Chiang Kai-shek. Sun died 1925 Chiang was successful & established a government in Nanjing Built roads, schools, & railways However, government was not democratic & did little to raise standard of living of peasants

Guomindang vs.. Communists Communists had helped Guomindang defeat the warlords 1927 they attempt to overthrow the Guomindang Unsuccessful & Chiang turned against the Communists In Shanghai, Guangzhou, & other cities Guomindang soldiers killed tens of thousands of Communists Communists gathered in the south & form the Red Army led by Mao Zedong

“In a very short time, in China’s central, southern, and northern provinces, several hundred million peasants will rise like a mighty storm, like a hurricane, a force so swift and violent that no power, however great, will be able to hold it back.” Mao Zedong, 1925

The Long March Surrounded by Guomindang soldiers, the Red Army began a retreat to Jiangxi The Long March lasted for 1 year & covered about 6,000 miles The whole time they were being chased by the Guomindang Of the 100,000 Red Army troops, fewer than 8,000 survived

Think Why would the Guomindang and the Communists join forces to fight the warlords and the Japanese?

Japan After the War Population grew to 60 million in 1925 Emigration had been cut off to the US & others Expanded heavy industry to provide jobs Increased manufacturing spurred the need for raw materials, of which Japan had little. They began to look overseas for raw materials

Politics in Japan Emperor Hirohito was a constitutional monarch Aided by a group of influential military leaders These people opposed democracy Militarism began to influence all aspects of Japanese life Young children carried out military drills in schools & participated in parades Military dress appealed to many nationalists

Making Connections Describe how the combination of a population explosion and a need for raw materials caused problems for the Pacific Rim.

Japanese Militarism Japanese military took over Manchuria (northeast region of China) Did this without government approval Army officers assassinated a prime minister who opposed their views Army officers armed a revolt against the government Was put down, but the steady takeover of government policy making continued Military took over Nanjing, China Japan controlled most of eastern China