Japan and the Struggle for Asia, 1894-1945

For Monday's and Wednesday's class discussions, please read Chapter 17, and prepare, in writing, answers to the following questions:

1. Trace the rise of Japanese militarism in the post-WWI era. How did this counter te successes of Taishō democracy in the 1920s and early 1930s? What role did Manchuria assume in these transitions?
2. How did Japanese fascism differ from that of Germany and Italy?
3. Was a Japanese war against the United States inevitable?
4. Why was China unable to resist the Japanese advance effectively?
5. How did the war with Japan affect the fighting between the Chinese Nationalists and the Chinese Communists?
6. Why was nationalism late to develop in Southeast Asia? How did the assorted Southeast Asian nationalist movements differ from those of India and China?
7. What were the broad consequences of Japan's World War II military aggression for Asia's postwar future? How did Japanese rule alienate non-Japanese Asians?

The due date for the second film paper is Friday, 4/17/20. The editable list of films for this paper can be found as a Google Doc.