Japan during Great Depression
The Great Depression that started in 1929 in the US, of curse, affected the Empire of Japan. But how?
1930: Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi was shot at by a terrorist in the Tokyo Station.
1931: The Manchurian Incident occurred, where Japanese military units and Chinese army troops exchanged fire, leading to establishment of the Empire of Manchuria (Manchukuo) as a satellite nation of the Empire of Japan.
1932: Former Minister of Finance Jun-no-suke Inoue was shot to death by a terrorist. Ikuma Dan, the top of the Mistsui conglomerate, was shot to death by a terrorist.
Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai was shot to death by Imperial Naval officers associated with nationalistic terrorists (the May 15 Incident).
1933: The Empire of Japan withdrew from the League of Nations.
1936: A coup was attempted by 1,483 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army led by young officers who tried to forcibly replace top political and economic leaders of the Empire so as to solve political corruption and extreme poverty in rural areas. They were soon suppressed partly due to anger of the emperor. They killed Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan Makoto Saito, Minister of Finance Korekiyo Takahashi, and Inspectorate General of Military Training Jyotaro Watanabe. The insurgents wounded Prime Minister Keisuke Okada and Grand Chamberlain of Japan Kantaro Suzuki. (The February 26 Incident)
1937: The Second Sino-Japanese War started in a border area between the Republic of China and Manchukuo and also around Shanghai.
1940: The Tripartite Pact was concluded between Germany, Italy, and the Empire of Japan.
1941: The US froze assets the Empire of Japan held in the US and imposed trade embargo on export of crude oil and iron to the Empire, requesting withdrawal of Imperial troops from China. Accordingly, the Imperial Navy attacked the US military bases in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (the Attack on Pearl Harbor). The Empire declared a state of war against the US, the UK, etc.
The February 26 Incident in Tokyo of Snow in 1937
The February 26 Incident in Tokyo of Snow in 1937
The February 26 Incident in Tokyo of Snow in 1937
After the Great Depression started to influence the Empire of Japan, the Imperial Government tried cost reduction against military expenditures. It meant losing a chance of promotion and a shrinkage of the scope of their activities for young military officers. They did not trust the Cabinet formed by civilian politicians elected through a democratic system which was growing in the Japanese society. And they took note of importance and possibility of Manchuria for their future and expansion. In Manchuria they could control the Manchurian Government and take major part in its defense. But the Republic of China, as a successor of the Qing Dynasty, wanted to take back Manchuria under its sovereignty. So, the Imperial military had to fight against Chinese troops, if challenged by China, so as to keep Manchukuo under its control no matter how difficult to completely conquer and govern whole China. And then, Chinese military decisively launched an attack on Shanghai, an international city that belonged to Western powers and the Empire of Japan rather than to the Republic of China. So, the Imperial military destroyed the Chinese troops around Shanghai and advanced to Nanjing, the then capital of China. This movement alarmed the US. China got support from the US. The US froze Japanese assets in the US and stopped export of crude oil to the Empire. And finally, this accidental and inevitable sequence of the incidents led eventually to the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Of course, as the US wanted to join the UK to fight Nazi Germany at the time, it did not hesitate to start war against the Empire of Japan and Nazi Germany which were in alliance.
*** *** *** ***
Act 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.