DOCSLIB.ORG

Uva-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Uva-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Paradise in Peril. Western colonial power and Japanese expansion in Sout-East Asia, 1905-1941 Bussemaker, H.Th. Publication date 2001 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Bussemaker, H. T. (2001). Paradise in Peril. Western colonial power and Japanese expansion in Sout-East Asia, 1905-1941. in eigen beheer. General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:05 Oct 2021 593 3 Chapterr 6. JAPAN. 6.1.. Introduction. Thee origins of the Pacific War are rather complex, and the war should certainly not be attributedd to the Japanese alone. The Pacific War was caused by a complex interplay of American,, European and Japanese internal and external developments in the 19th and 20thh century. Japan as a cultural entity reacted to the pressure put upon it by expanding westernn states, and formulated in the process an effective answer to the challenge to its independencee as a nation. After having annexed outlying parts of the Chinese Empire at thee end of the 19th century, Japan strengthened its position on the Asian mainland after thee Russo-Japanese War. The First World War brought a golden opportunity: the take-over off German interests in China and German colonial possessions in the Pacific. Therefore Japann evolved into an expansionist state itself, which in its turn challenged the remaining coloniall powers in Asia. Thee phenomenal rise of Japan after 1853 is an event of world importance in itself. After onlyy a few decades of internal unrest and civil war, Japan emerged as a formidable power fromm a past, which according to Western standards of the time, was considered rather backward.. Moreover, for almost a century, it remained the only npn-westem power which couldd be seen as more or less equal to first-class western powers. This historical event in itselff is so amazing, that its analysis by western historians has resulted in numerous publications.. Although Japan lost its war of aggression against the West, its role in ending westernn imperialism in South-East Asia has been widely acknowledged in western historiography. Afterr the Second World War, a number of articles and books, and even movies, condem- nedd Japanese aggression as caused by the ageless hold of militarists over the minds of thee people, and over Japanese government and culture. The judgment of the victorious alliedd governments reflected this way of thinking by charging 28 of Japan's civil and militaryy leaders as criminals before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE)) in 1946. That charge however is an oversimplification, in which the internal dynamismm of Japanese society has been overlooked. It was that same internal dynamism, thatt made Japan succesful as an economic world power after its military bid for world powerr had failed so spectacularly. Thee purpose of this chapter is to explain the events, which slowly but inexorably drew Japann into the abyss of a war of attrition, which it was not able to bring to a succesful conclusion,, as its leaders knew beforehand. In this context analysis of the role and responsibilitiess of these leaders and their complex interactions within the Japanese social andd cultural framework is unavoidable, resulting In such a disastrous "Grand Strategy". Withinn that framework the position and influence of the Japanese Emperor towards an almostt unavoidable war has to be scrutinised too. Only when the internal interplay of forcess between these leaders has been made clear, can a sensible explanation be given of 594 4 thee seemingly rudderless drift of Japan towards almost certain self-destruction as a nation, andd of the enormous gamble which the Japanese leaders undertook, a gamble which they ultimatelyy lost. The description and analysis of the historical evolution from a feudal state too a modern nation will therefore consume one-third of this chapter. Thee internal evolution of Japanese foreign policy will also be analysed, as it forced the westernn powers to react to their perception of the growing threat to their position in South- Eastt Asia, i.e. to the status quo. Without such a thorough analysis of the internal factors whichh shaped Japanese foreign policy, it would be impossible to put the reactions of the westernn colonial powers to the common threat from the North in a proper perspective. Afterr having explained the historical and political background of modem Japan, an attempt willl be made to analyze the two driving forces which determined the course of history in pre-warr Japan. These were the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and the Imperial Japanese Navyy (UN). Much has been made of their alleged differences of opinion, with the Navy puttingg the blame for the lost war on the Army, and vice versa. Many postwar western historianss have tried to blame one or more factions within the Army elite for the drift to war, butt it will be made clear that the differences between Army and Navy, and between the factionss within these service departments were smaller than suggested in western studies. Thee overriding concern of both service departments, and of thé factions within, was the aggrandisementt of the Japanese Empire. The differences which appeared were about the direction,, the degree and the speed of this expansion, but not on its ultimate goal. Japan pursuedd a "manifest destiny" which ultimately was the control of the four corners of the globe;; a destiny which proved to be a mirage above a sea of blood. 6.2.. History of Japan.2783 Thee Japanese are a racially homogeneous people living in a group of volcanic islands at thee rim of East Asia. The total surface of the four main islands is 381.269 km2, or about elevenn times the size of the Netherlands. Rather undisturbed because of their relative isolationn from the East Asian power centers (the Mongolian and the Chinese Empire) due too the sea the Japanese developed a close-knit feudal society with one dominant religion, onee language, and a unique Japanese culture which derived much from Chinese culture. Japann at that time was already heavily populated having about 30 million people in 1850, livingg on agriculture and fishing and practising birth control because of the small area availablee to agriculture. The Japanese islands have 54 active volcanoes and 111 dormant ones,, leaving only a small but fertile area for intensive agriculture. Therefore, up to the modernisationn of Japan, no more expansion was possible for the Japanese population, whichh has remained constant for almost three centuries at between 25 and 30 million people.. Lack of resources and a harsh sea-climate with severe winters made the Japanese ass a people resilient, frugal and diligent. *""" Contrary to customary Japanese practice, all Japanese names in this publication are written as is customaryy in the west: given name first, followed by the surname or family name. 595 5 6.2.1.. Early History.2™* Ass in Europe during the Middle Ages, the Japanese developed a feudal system in the samee time period, with an Emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Japanese Emperor at thatt time was comparable to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire2™5. The power of thee Japanese tradition is illuminated by the fact that the present Emperor looks back on an unbrokenn lineage of 124 imperial forefathers, making the Japanese Imperial family the oldestt existing in the world. Although it was possible within the Japanese feudal system to adoptt a son in case a male successor was lacking - and without doubt this might have happenedd a number of times in Japanese History - this continuity in the imperial lineage is stilll remarkable. The day when, according to Japanese tradition, the first Emperor mounted thee throne (11 February, 660 B.C.) still is one of the few national holidays. The Japanese Calendarr even starts from that event Moreover,, the Japanese Emperor held an advantage over his European counterpart in that hee was considered as a God within the pantheon of the dominant Shinto State religion. He thereforee combined Papal and Imperial responsibilities and power, a position which was constitutionallyy codified up to 1945. According to Shinto ("the Way of the Gods"), which is basedd on animism and worship of Nature, the Emperor descended directly from Sun Goddesss Amaterasu, who had choosen to stay in the "Land of the Rising Sun". But becausee the Emperor was sacrosanct, communication between him and his subjects had too be limited to bare minimum. The pre-modern Japanese therefore developed a state system,, in which the Emperor had only a symbolic presence, like a myth. Real administra- tivee powers were exercised in his name by a noble family known as the Shogun. This was nott unlike the situation in early medieval Europe, where the Merovingian Kings also had theirr Court Mayors, until one of them {Pepin of Herstal) became so powerful that he deposedd the last Merovingian King, and founded the Carolingian dynasty.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • USMA the War with Japan.Pt.1 1941-12 1942.08.Pdf
    THE COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE LIBRARY 940.542 U57w 1950 Call Number CGSC Form 154 (Rev) 22 Oct 52 USACGSC—PO-3396—1 Apr 60—5M RCftfRICTED THE WAR WITH JAPAN PART 1 (December 1941 to August 1942) mnn urn mt BY TAG m mmu DEPARTMENT OP MILITARY ART AND ENGINEERING UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY WEST POINT, NEW YORK 195O REQTIUOTHD THE WAR WITH JAPAN PART 1 (December 1941 to August 1942) DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY ART AND ENGINEERING UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY WEST POINT, NEW YORK 195O %\ (\ \! REOTRIOTBD PREFACE This account of the war with Japan has been written for use in the instruction of cadets at the United States Military Academy. It is based for the most part on material furnished by the Historical Division, Department of the Army. Much valuable information has been obtained from the publications of the United States Stra­ tegic Bombing Survey and the Office of Naval Intelligence. How­ ever, in acknowledging indebtedness to others it is not desired to place on them the responsibility for any factual errors or for any conclusions drawn. This and other pamphlets on World War II are constantly being revised as additional information becomes available. It will be ap­ preciated if military personnel who note any apparent errors or dis­ crepancies, or who have comments or suggestions for the improve­ ment of the subject matter, will communicate them to: The Professor of Military Art and Engineering U. S. Military Academy West Point, N. Y. August 1947 ARMY-USMA. WEST PDINT. N.Y. 225O 4-3-5O CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS 2 JAPANESE WAR PLAN 8 JAPANESE STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE y 10 InitiaLPlaris and Preparations 10 Central Pacific Operations 14 Pearl.
    [Show full text]
  • REVOLUTION GOES EAST Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
    REVOLUTION GOES EAST Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University The Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University were inaugu rated in 1962 to bring to a wider public the results of significant new research on modern and contemporary East Asia. REVOLUTION GOES EAST Imperial Japan and Soviet Communism Tatiana Linkhoeva CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS ITHACA AND LONDON This book is freely available in an open access edition thanks to TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem)—a collaboration of the Association of American Universities, the Association of University Presses, and the Association of Research Libraries—and the generous support of New York University. Learn more at the TOME website, which can be found at the following web address: openmono graphs.org. The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International: https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0. To use this book, or parts of this book, in any way not covered by the license, please contact Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. Visit our website at cornellpress. cornell.edu. Copyright © 2020 by Cornell University First published 2020 by Cornell University Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Linkhoeva, Tatiana, 1979– author. Title: Revolution goes east : imperial Japan and Soviet communism / Tatiana Linkhoeva. Description: Ithaca [New York] : Cornell University Press, 2020. | Series: Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019020874 (print) | LCCN 2019980700 (ebook) | ISBN 9781501748080 (pbk) | ISBN 9781501748097 (epub) | ISBN 9781501748103 (pdf) Subjects: LCSH: Communism—Japan—History—20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Stosunek Japonii Do Kwestii Żydowskiej W Latach 1932-1945
    Recenzent prof. dr hab. Mikołaj Melanowicz Projekt okładki Jadwiga Burek Książka dofi nansowana przez Uniwersytet Jagielloński ze środków Instytutu Bliskiego i Dalekiego Wschodu © Copyright by Joanna M. Guzik & Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Wydanie I, Kraków 2013 All rights reserved Niniejszy utwór ani żaden jego fragment nie może być reprodukowany, przetwarzany i roz- powszechniany w jakikolwiek sposób za pomocą urządzeń elektronicznych, mechanicznych, kopiujących, nagrywających i innych oraz nie może być przechowywany w żadnym systemie informatycznym bez uprzedniej pisemnej zgody Wydawcy. ISBN 978-83-233-3654-9 www.wuj.pl Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Redakcja: ul. Michałowskiego 9/2, 31-126 Kraków tel. 12-631-18-80, tel./fax 12-631-18-83 Dystrybucja: tel. 12-631-01-97, tel./fax 12-631-01-98 tel. kom. 506-006-674, e-mail: [email protected] Konto: PEKAO SA, nr 80 1240 4722 1111 0000 4856 3325 Spis treści Przedmowa ........................................................................................................... 7 Wstęp .................................................................................................................... 9 Cel pracy ................................................................................................................. 9 Konstrukcja pracy .................................................................................................. 11 Metoda badawcza ................................................................................................... 12 Stan badań ..............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Treatment of Prisoners of War by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Focusing on the Pacific War
    The Treatment of Prisoners of War by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Focusing on the Pacific War TACHIKAWA Kyoichi Abstract Why does the inhumane treatment of prisoners of war occur? What are the fundamental causes of this problem? In this article, the author looks at the principal examples of abuse inflicted on European and American prisoners by military and civilian personnel of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy during the Pacific War to analyze the causes of abusive treatment of prisoners of war. In doing so, the author does not stop at simply attributing the causes to the perpetrators or to the prevailing condi- tions at the time, such as Japan’s deteriorating position in the war, but delves deeper into the issue of the abuse of prisoners of war as what he sees as a pathology that can occur at any time in military organizations. With this understanding, he attempts to examine the phenomenon from organizational and systemic viewpoints as well as from psychological and leadership perspectives. Introduction With the establishment of the Law Concerning the Treatment of Prisoners in the Event of Military Attacks or Imminent Ones (Law No. 117, 2004) on June 14, 2004, somewhat stringent procedures were finally established in Japan for the humane treatment of prisoners of war in the context of a system infrastructure. Yet a look at the world today shows that abusive treatment of prisoners of war persists. Indeed, the heinous abuse which took place at the former Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War is still fresh in our memories.
    [Show full text]
  • Mystery of Tojo's Remains Solved
    2A| SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021| TIMES RECORD NEWS Mystery of Tojo’s remains solved Secret mission scattered Luther Frierson wrote: “I certify that I received the remains, supervised cre- war criminal’s ashes mation, and personally scattered the ashes of the following executed war Mari Yamaguchi criminals at sea from an Eighth Army li- ASSOCIATED PRESS aison plane.” The entire operation was tense, with TOKYO – Until recently, the location U.S. officials extremely careful about of executed wartime Japanese Prime not leaving a single speck of ashes be- Minister Hideki Tojo’s remains was one hind, apparently to prevent them from of World War II’s biggest mysteries in being stolen by admiring ultra-nation- the nation he once led. alists, Takazawa said. Now, a Japanese university professor “In addition to their attempt to pre- revealed declassified U.S. military doc- vent the remains from being glorified, I uments that appear to hold the answer. think the U.S. military was adamant The documents show the cremated about not letting the remains return to ashes of Tojo, one of the masterminds of Japanese territory … as an ultimate hu- the Pearl Harbor attack, were scattered miliation,” Takazawa said. from a U.S. Army aircraft over the Pacif- The documents state that when the ic Ocean about 30 miles east of Yokoha- cremation was completed, the ovens ma, Japan’s second-largest city, south were “cleared of the remains in their en- of Tokyo. Former Japanese Prime Minister and military leader Hideki Tojo answers “not tirety.” It was a tension-filled, highly secre- guilty” during a war crimes trial in Tokyo in November 1948.
    [Show full text]
  • 155-L Page CHAPTER XII the 123D Division
    N SI 55 U.S. Army Forces Far East. Military History Section. Record of Opera- tions Against Soviet Russia on Northern and Western Fronts of Manchuria, and in Northern Korea (August 1945). Japanese monograph no. 155. 1950. Distributed by the Office of the Chief of Military History, Departmen t of the Army. SAI ACCESS NO r77 A N Ju:i 2 ZQO ACCESSION NO -~iili~asi~w(i~I1786 7 '' ~r9 r k-':: ~a~ -jgy "'; :r' i.i 'i JAPANESE MONOGRAPH NO. 155 Ate.1 +++"-.i ti.,<a.. .. , i4,e NO su w..w..v- RECORD OF OPERATIONS AGAINST SO VIET RUSSIA ON NORTHERN AND WESTEF:N FRONTS OF MANCHURIA, AND IN NORTHERN KOREA (AUGUST 1945) PREPARED BY- MILITARY HISTORY SECTION HEADQUARTERS, ARMY FORCES FAR EAST DISTRIBUTED BY OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY This monograph may not be reproduced without the permission of the Office Chief of Militsry History Monograph No. 155 Editor's Preface This is the last in a series of three monographs' covering Japanese military activities in Manchuria from January 1943 to the end of WVorld War II hostilities, prepared by former commanders and staff officers of the Kwantung Army. The first (No. 138) deals with Kwantung Arm's wartime vigil throughout Manchuria in prepa- ration for operations. The second (No. 154) deals with actual military operations against Soviet forces on the eastern front. This monograph, No. 155, covers operations in the northern and western parts of Manchuria and also in northern Korea. Like No. 154, this monograph is actually a collection of closely related sub-monographs, each a separate--but by no means complete--study in itself.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pacific War Crimes Trials: the Importance of the "Small Fry" Vs. the "Big Fish"
    Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons History Theses & Dissertations History Summer 2012 The aP cific aW r Crimes Trials: The mpI ortance of the "Small Fry" vs. the "Big Fish" Lisa Kelly Pennington Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds Part of the Asian History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Pennington, Lisa K.. "The aP cific aW r Crimes Trials: The mporI tance of the "Small Fry" vs. the "Big Fish"" (2012). Master of Arts (MA), thesis, History, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/rree-9829 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds/11 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the History at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE PACIFIC WAR CRIMES TRIALS: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE "SMALL FRY" VS. THE "BIG FISH by Lisa Kelly Pennington B.A. May 2005, Old Dominion University A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS HISTORY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2012 Approved by: Maura Hametz (Director) Timothy Orr (Member) UMI Number: 1520410 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
    [Show full text]
  • Illustration and the Visual Imagination in Modern Japanese Literature By
    Eyes of the Heart: Illustration and the Visual Imagination in Modern Japanese Literature By Pedro Thiago Ramos Bassoe A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Japanese Literature in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Daniel O’Neill, Chair Professor Alan Tansman Professor Beate Fricke Summer 2018 © 2018 Pedro Thiago Ramos Bassoe All Rights Reserved Abstract Eyes of the Heart: Illustration and the Visual Imagination in Modern Japanese Literature by Pedro Thiago Ramos Bassoe Doctor of Philosophy in Japanese Literature University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel O’Neill, Chair My dissertation investigates the role of images in shaping literary production in Japan from the 1880’s to the 1930’s as writers negotiated shifting relationships of text and image in the literary and visual arts. Throughout the Edo period (1603-1868), works of fiction were liberally illustrated with woodblock printed images, which, especially towards the mid-19th century, had become an essential component of most popular literature in Japan. With the opening of Japan’s borders in the Meiji period (1868-1912), writers who had grown up reading illustrated fiction were exposed to foreign works of literature that largely eschewed the use of illustration as a medium for storytelling, in turn leading them to reevaluate the role of image in their own literary tradition. As authors endeavored to produce a purely text-based form of fiction, modeled in part on the European novel, they began to reject the inclusion of images in their own work.
    [Show full text]
  • Japanese Geopolitics and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
    64-12,804 JO. Yung-Hwan, 1932- JAPANESE GEOPOLITICS AND THE GREATER EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE. The American University, Ph.D., 1964 Political Science, international law and relations University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Yung-Hwan Jo 1965 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. JAPANESE GEOPOLITICS AND THE GREATER EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE by Yung-Hwan Jo Submitted to the Faoulty of the Graduate School ef The Amerioan University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Dootor of Philosophy in International Relations and Organization Signatures of Committee: Chairman LiwLi^^ sdt-C'Ut'tUVC'Uo-iU i L’yL ■ ; June 1964 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY The Amerioan University LIBRARY Washington, D. C. JUL9 1964 WASHINGTON. D. C. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE This is a study of the Greater East Asia Co- Prosperity Sphere with emphasis on the influence of geo­ political thought in the formation of its concept. It is therefore a rather technical study of one aspect of Japanese diplomacy. Practically no studies have been made con­ cerning the influence of geopolitics on Japanese foreign policy. It is not the purpose of this study to attaok or defend the geopolitics or the concept of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere at any stage of its development, but rather to understand it. The principal data used in preparing this work are: (l) Various records of the International Military Tribunal of the Far East; (2) microfilmed arohives of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1868-1945; (3) materials written by Japanese geopoliticians as well as Haushofer; and (4) letters from authorities in the different aspects of this work.
    [Show full text]
  • 66-3392 KOGINOS, Emmanuel Theodore, 1933— the PANAY INCIDENT: PRELUDE to WAR. the American University, Ph.D„ 1966 History
    66-3392 KOGINOS, Emmanuel Theodore, 1933— THE PANAY INCIDENT: PRELUDE TO WAR. The American University, Ph.D„ 1966 History, modern Please note: Author also indicates first name as Manny on the title page. University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Copyright by EMMANUEL THEODORE KOGINOS 1966 THE PANAY INCIDENT: PRELUDE TO WAR by y $anny)T^Koginos Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Signatures of Committee: f A Vk 0 Chairman: O* lOctMr**- /~) y\ 7 ■ * Graduate Dean: Date: 2 7./9CS- Thewf^Mna?nnUnnVerSity AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Washington, D. C. LIBRARY ffOV 8 1965 WASHINGTON. D.C. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE i CHAPTER Page I. Diplomatic Background .......... 1 II. The Crisis ............. hi III. The Settlement ........ 101 IV. The Ludlow Referendum............ 150 V. Naval Expansion ............. 190 VI. Conclusion........................... 2k2 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................... ....250 APPENDICES ........................................ 267 PREFACE The Panav incident in retrospect was the most dramatic single event in Japanese-American relations during the 1930's. i-.-. The attack upon the American gunboat in December, 1937 by Japanese forces contributed greatly to the general deterior­ ation and eventual breakdown in American-Japanese diplomatic relations. Though the immediate impact of the incident did not result in any radical departure from America's isola­ tionist position, it did modify American opinion in respect to foreign and domestic affairs. Indeed, pacifist influ­ ence was to reach its highest crest during the Panav epi­ sode. At the same time, the crisis vividly dramatized America's unwillingness to pursue a more positive policy in the Far East.
    [Show full text]
  • DUTCH EAST INDIES CAMPAIGN Belligerents
    DUTCH EAST INDIES CAMPAIGN DATE: DECEMBER 08 1941 – MARCH 09 1942 Belligerents Empire of Japan ABDA Command: Netherlands Dutch East Indies United Kingdom United States Australia New Zealand The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–42 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Allied forces attempted unsuccessfully to defend the islands. The East Indies were targeted by the Japanese for their rich oil resources, which would become a vital asset during the war. The campaign and subsequent three-and-a-half year Japanese occupation was also a major factor in the end of Dutch colonial rule in the region. The East Indies was one of Japan's primary targets if and when it went to war because the colony possessed abundant valuable resources, the most important of which were its rubber plantations and oil fields; the colony was the fourth-largest exporter of oil in the world, behind the U.S., Iran, and Romania. The oil made the islands enormously important to the Japanese, so they sought to secure the supply for themselves. Realizing Japanese intentions, in late November 1941 the East Indies government began preparing for war. Ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy were sent to sea and the KNIL Air Force was mobilized. On December 4, three days after having decided on a policy of war against America, Britain and the Netherlands, the Japanese government decided instead to "treat the Netherlands as a quasi-enemy until actual hostilities..
    [Show full text]
  • The Identity Dilemma and the Road to the Pacific War by Daisuke Minami
    Identity Clash: The Identity Dilemma and the Road to the Pacific War by Daisuke Minami B.A. in Political Science, May 2013, Macalester College A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 19, 2019 Dissertation directed by Eric Grynaviski Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University certifies that Daisuke Minami has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy as of April 8, 2019. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. Identity Clash: The Identity Dilemma and the Road to the Pacific War Daisuke Minami Dissertation Research Committee: Eric Grynaviski, Associate Professor of Poiltical Science and International Affaris, Dissertation Director Mike M. Mochizuki, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Committee Member Michael N. Barnett, University Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Committee Member Charles L. Glaser, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2019 by Daisuke Minami All rights reserved iii Acknowledgements This dissertation would have not been possible without the help of numerous people. I owe tremendous gratitude to those who have supported me. I first would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Eric Grynaviski, Mike Mochizuki, Michael Barnett, and Charlie Glaser. Eric Grynaviski has been crucial at every stage of my doctoral program. As a first-year faculty mentor, he helped me weather through the first two years of the coursework and develop my research agenda.
    [Show full text]