Notes On Conflict In The Pacific 1937-1951

Resource Description

1. Growth of Pacific Tensions

Economic and Political issues in the Pacific by 1937

Before WWII, the Asia-pacific region was dominated by European colonial powers. Two factors were emerging as possible threats to the European control in the region:

– The growing of nationalist movements among the subject peoples of the colonies

– The growing power of Japan

Japanese Emergence as a World Power

– For over 2 centuries, from 1640, Japan’s rulers had deliberately isolated their country from the rest of the world.

– In 1853-1854, the USA used the threat of war to force Japan to grant it trading rights. Other Western countries forced similar ‘unequal treaties’ on Japan.

– The Japanese knew that Western countries had defeated and humiliated China, when China had resisted Western attempts to open its borders to trade.

– From 1868, Japan responded to Western incursions by abolishing feudalism and embarking on a program of modernisation aimed at making the country as industrially and military powerful as the European countries and the USA.

– Japan maintained its culture but reformed economy, government structure, education system and military forces.

– Open to trade and allowed foreign visitors.

– Japan had an autocratic system of politics with the emperors at its centre. Government was controlled by a small elite and was increasingly dominant by the military.