chapter 5 (outbreak of war in asia pacific)

• From the 1700s, Western powers like britain, france and the netherlands started colonising parts of asia
• Japan were alarmed as western powers gained infulence in china
• japan began the meiji restoration in 1868 to modernise itself
• japan was a full member of league of nations
• japan annexed korea and controlled areas of china like manchuria
• japan built a close alliance with britain, which were the first of the western powers to see japan as a powerhouse
• japan fought and wars against china (1894-1895) and russia (1904-1906)
• japan was a important power in asia by early 1900s
• The us launched an economic war on japan as they viewed japan as a threat after the invasion of china in 1937
• US economic war was an attempt to strangle japan financially
• impact of the US economic war to japan includes cutting 90% of their oil supplies.
• US economic war consisted of sanctions and embargoes of iron, steel and after failed talks, oil as well
• The greater east asia co-prosperity sphere was a programme japan launched that was aimed at japanese controlled areas in asia
• The greater east asia co-prosperity sphere intended to boost the resources in japans war effort with the resources in japan controlled areas in asia
• The greater east asia co-prosperity sphere was launched under the guise that the japanese would treat locals more fairly than the westerners and wanted to drive out western powers