World Events Set Stage for Isolationism

1. What was the Japanese reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

The Japanese were greatly offended because the treaty did not include the anti-raceism amendment they proposed. Their representatives at the treaty were not listened to and discriminated against and all over the western world japanese people were treated badly. Because the treaty did not include the anti-raceism legislation they requested they felt the need to distance themselfs from the western world and took a nationalist policy throughout the country.

2. Read the pull-out box on page 4 entitled, "Japan Becomes a Great Power." Cite specific evidence Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European & American interests. And, why specifically was Japan threatened by U.S. actions?

After 1860 Japan became open to thr rest of the world. Before this they had pratciced extream isolationism and did not interact with other countrys economically in any way. Once they began tradeing with other countrys, however, their economic, military, and political power grew exponentially. They became a world power after this but felt threatened by the US's constant growing presence in the pacific, which interfeared with the imperialist policys Japan was beginning to develop.

3. Why was the Washington Naval Conference convened and what was accomplished?

It was conviened because many nations, includeing the US, felt threatened by Japan's growing naval power. The treaty which was signed by all participateing countries limited naval importance in future wars and created other regulations on warefare.

4. The Senate's willingness to ratify the Kellogg-Briand Pact relected two strong and widely held sentiments. What were they?

a. Wanting to aviod war
b. Wanting the ability to take forceful international action when necessary

5. Why did Hitler enjoy popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s? Give three reasons.

a. Improved economy
b. reduced unemployment
c. fed on built up anger from WWI

6. Japan voiced its intentions to invade China for what two reasons?

a. To become self-sufficiant and not need to rely on forgin trade
b. as a retaliation to the bombing of a japanese train station.

7. Compare the Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. What did they accompllish?

They both gave their respective governments a reason to accomplish a task that would benifit said government. The fire gave Hitler a reason to declare all German Constitutional rights invalid, which helped his druing his rise to power. The bombing of the train station gave the Japanese a reason to invade China, which helped them expand their power outside of their island nation territory.

8. Why was the united States unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force?

The US had drastically reduced the size of their military after WWI.

9. Describe the major similarities and differences among liberal democracy, fascism, and socialism.

The major differences among these political idologies is their views on the place of government in the lives of the people. Fascists believe that govenrment should have total, unquestioned, rule over the people. Basically the individual surrenders all of his/her rights to the government. Socialists are similar in the sence that they both believe in the lack of individual rights, hovever socialists believe that all citizens should be considered equal, and that all citizens should work for the betterment of society. Liberal democracy is the only of these ideologies that believes in and stresses the importance of the rights of the individual. This political system believes in a government run by elected officials who's job is to represent the views and concerns of the poeple whom they represent.