Timeline of Important Events
1923: British Empire ends 21-year alliance with Japan, showing that the West was becoming increasingly concerned about Japan’s growing power in East Asia.
1925-1930: Extreme nationalism starts to take place in Japan just as the world’s economic depression hits. There was complete emphasis on rejecting a “western influence” and sticking to traditional Japanese values.
1931: Japan invades the Chinese province of Manchuria and installs a puppet regime under the eyes of the US and western powers.
1932: Prime minister Inukai Tsuyoshi assassinated during failed couple by nationalist army officers. Japanese military has an increasingly strong grip on the country.
1936: Japan creates an alliance with Germany.
1937: Japan goes to war with China, capturing Nanjing, Shanghai, and Beijing. Atrocities are committed such as the “Rape of Nanjing” in which around 300,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered.
1939: WWII breaks out in Europe and with the fall of France, Japan is left to occupy France, Indonesia, and China.
1941: Japan surprise attacks the US Pacific fleet of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. US declares war on Japan and is supported by major Ally powers.
1942: Japan occupies Burma, Malaya, Philippines, and East Dutch Indies. In June, the US aircraft carriers defeat the Japanese in the Battle of Midway and the US begins “island-hopping” in which they cut down Japanese support lines as its forces advanced.
1944: US pushes far enough into Japanese territory for them to start bombing raids on Japanese cities.
1945: US drops two atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in order to get Japan to surrender. Emperor Hirohito finally surrenders and resigns from his status as emperor. America’s military government is brought into Japan while all Japanese military and naval forces are disbanded.
1951: Japan signs peace treaty with the US among many other nations. Even until today though, there is no peace treaty between Japan and Russia.
1952: Japan regains its independence while the US retains several of Japan’s islands for military use, including Okinawa.
1956: Japan joins United Nations.
1925-1930: Extreme nationalism starts to take place in Japan just as the world’s economic depression hits. There was complete emphasis on rejecting a “western influence” and sticking to traditional Japanese values.
1931: Japan invades the Chinese province of Manchuria and installs a puppet regime under the eyes of the US and western powers.
1932: Prime minister Inukai Tsuyoshi assassinated during failed couple by nationalist army officers. Japanese military has an increasingly strong grip on the country.
1936: Japan creates an alliance with Germany.
1937: Japan goes to war with China, capturing Nanjing, Shanghai, and Beijing. Atrocities are committed such as the “Rape of Nanjing” in which around 300,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered.
1939: WWII breaks out in Europe and with the fall of France, Japan is left to occupy France, Indonesia, and China.
1941: Japan surprise attacks the US Pacific fleet of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. US declares war on Japan and is supported by major Ally powers.
1942: Japan occupies Burma, Malaya, Philippines, and East Dutch Indies. In June, the US aircraft carriers defeat the Japanese in the Battle of Midway and the US begins “island-hopping” in which they cut down Japanese support lines as its forces advanced.
1944: US pushes far enough into Japanese territory for them to start bombing raids on Japanese cities.
1945: US drops two atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in order to get Japan to surrender. Emperor Hirohito finally surrenders and resigns from his status as emperor. America’s military government is brought into Japan while all Japanese military and naval forces are disbanded.
1951: Japan signs peace treaty with the US among many other nations. Even until today though, there is no peace treaty between Japan and Russia.
1952: Japan regains its independence while the US retains several of Japan’s islands for military use, including Okinawa.
1956: Japan joins United Nations.