Aggressions in the Pacific
The Expansion of the Japanese Empire |
Before World War II, Japan's main economic problem was a lack of raw materials. The Depression hit them hard, and they believed that acquiring resource-rich territories would allow for economic self-sufficiency and restart their economy.
Therefore, in order to accomplish this, Japan invaded China in 1937. The invasion became known as the Second Sino-Japenese War. The Japanese army successfully captured Nanking and Northern Shanxi. Once Nanking fell on December 13th, a total of 300,000 Chinese civilians were attacked, disarmed, murdered, and raped. It became known as the "Nanking Massacre" and even the "Rape of Nanking" This led to further Japanese aggression, and on September 27th, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, creating what became known as the Axis Powers. The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was a defensive military alliance that was mainly directed at thwarting the United States. The pact consisted of: ARTICLE 1. Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe. ARTICLE 2. Germany and Italy recognize and respect the leadership of Japan in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia. ARTICLE 3. Japan, Germany, and Italy agree to cooperate in their efforts on aforesaid lines. They further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic, and military means if one of the Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Japanese-Chinese conflict. ARTICLE 4. With a view to implementing the present pact, joint technical commissions, to be appointed by the respective Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy, will meet without delay. ARTICLE 5. Japan, Germany and Italy affirm that the above agreement affects in no way the political status existing at present between each of the three Contracting Powers and Soviet Russia. ARTICLE 6. The present pact shall become valid immediately upon signature and shall remain in force ten years from the date on which it becomes effective. In due time, before the expiration of said term, the High Contracting Parties shall, at the request of any one of them, enter into negotiations for its renewal. In response to the pact, the United States enforced an oil embargo on Japan, which soon led to Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, a US naval base on the US territory of Hawaii. Japan believed that in doing this, they would be able to incapacitate the United States long enough to create buffer zones in its Southeast Asian Empire. The American response was the exact opposite. They entered the European War with full force, and four days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. |