Totalitarianism

Group 5DarienChris

CatherineNicoleSara

Hirohito

Hirohito took the throne as emperor of Japan in 1926. the people of japan were not reassured, but he promised "to preserve world peace and benefit the welfare of the human race" historians are unable to decide his role in the move towards agression in Japan, however some think that he wasn't for too much progress in military.

He reigned over Japan from 1926 til his death in 1989. another role he has in history, is when he forced the Japanese government to surrender in WWII in 1945. the emperor of Japan is treated with great respect, and is saw as a living God, but only has to the power to approve policies that ministers come up with.

World War 2 growth

During world war 1, Japan made alot of money exporting goods for the war to the Allied nations, so after the great war, they had a good economy. During the war, they tried to expand into parts of China, and took former German territory in East Asia and the Shandong province in China after the war.

Democracy

In the 1920's Japan was moving torwards more widespreaed democracy. Japan withdrew some of the imperial goals. The country grew in international prestige. The economic crisis of the Great Depression in the 1930's would bring them to light.

Zaibatsu

A powerful family-controlled commercial combine of Japan.The Zaibatsu are powerful owners of major buisnesses. The political party was manipulated by the Zaibatsu. The Zaibatsu influenzed the goverment by donations and political partys.

The zaibatsu (literally financial cliques) were the diversified family enterprises that rose to prominence in the Meiji Era. Some of the most important zaibatsu and their origins were: Mitsui Mitsubishi Yasuda Sumitomo Okura Furukawa Kuhara Suzuki Fujita Asano

Western Interference

During the 1920 Japan moved toward more widespread democracy.  In 1925, all adult men, regardless of  class, won the right to vote.  In addition, western ideas about women's rights brought some changes.  The zaibatsu  influenced the government through international trade and their own interests.  They adopted western fads and fashions.  Also, they rejected family authority of individual freedom, shocking their elders.

Tokyo Earthquake

One of the most destructive quakes in history struck the Tokyo area in 1923. The earthquake and the widespread fires it caused resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people and damaged more than 650,000 buildings. As many as 45% of surviving workers lost their jobs because so many businesses were destroyed.

Ultranationalism

They condemned politcians for agreeing to western demands to stop oversea expansion. The japanese nationalists were further outraged by racial policies in the united states /canada / australia that shut out japanese immigrants. The economic disaster fed the discontent of the leading military officials and extreme nationalists or ultranationalists.

The Manchurin Incident

Japanese army officers set explosivies and blew up  tracks on a japanese owned railroad line.  They claimed the chinese commited the act and the japanese attacked them. 

 

The Manchurian Incident

 The japanese military  conquered Manchuria without consent from thier goverment.  Puyi, the last chinese emporor was now the ruler of Mazhouguo.

Traditional Values

The goverment in Tokyo was forced to accept military domination in 1937.  The goverment tried to please the ultranationalists by cracking down on solicisits and democratic freedoms. They recived ancient war values and a cult for emporor Hirohito. They tought absolute  obidence in school to prove thier natinalist movement.

 

Chinese Expansion

  During chinas civil war japan took influence there. Japan wanted to capture china in a  few years. But in 1939 World War 2 brokeout and spread in asia.

Chinese Expansion

Japan allied with Germany and Italty, they all signed the Tripartite Pact.  That allience turned World War 2 into  brutal wide ranging war.

 

Appeal of Marx

Rural peasants were very poor. In the cities factory workers  earned a low wage. The socialist ideas of Marx was very appealing to them. With marxism, no one person owns property or operates a business but the people as a whole own it together.