History SL
5
Chapters
187
Notes
Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)
Case Study 2: German & Italian Expansion 1933-40 (The Global War)
Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)
Part 2 - Leaders & Nations (The Cold War)
Part 3 - Cold War Crises (The Cold War)
History SL
Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)
Exploring 1920s: Social Change & Economic Shifts
541 words
3 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
Economic challenges
- World War I
- The war provided immense opportunities for Japan to develop its arms and export industries.
- With Western producers preoccupied with the war effort, there was less competition for Japanese producers.
- The consumption of Japanese goods increased domestically, in nearby Asian countries, Europe, and the US.
- Example: It's like a store getting more customers because its competitors are closed or busy with other things.
- Primary Industries
- Despite industrial goods production growing in the 1920s, over 50% of workers were still involved in farming, fishing, and mining.
- Example: It's like even though we have lots of tech companies now, many people still work in traditional jobs like farming.
- Unequal Distribution of Wealth
- Family income in farming communities was just 70% of that of city office-workers.
- Urban and rural working families comprised 84% of the population but accounted for less than 50% of household income.
- Example: Imagine if most of the money in a country was held by a small group of rich people while everyone else had to share the rest.
- Zaibatsu
- Most of Japan's wealth was held by a few business conglomerates known as zaibatsu, including Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda.
- They had interests in various industries like shipbuilding, mining, banking, and textiles, and close ties with the government and political parties.
- The government didn't curb zaibatsu monopolies as they were integral to building a rich nation and powerful military.
- Example: It's like big companies that have a lot of influence and power in their countries, often involved in different industries.
- Banking Crisis and Wall Street Crash
- The 1927 Banking Crisis showed Japan's economy becoming more monopolistic, with many small banks going out of business and finance control shifting to a few large banks.
- The Wall Street Crash of 1929 negatively impacted not only the US economy but also its trading partners, including Japan.
- Example: Imagine a big stock market crash like in 2008, where not just one country but many around the world felt the effects.
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History SL
Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)
Exploring 1920s: Social Change & Economic Shifts
541 words
3 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
Social & cultural change
- Urban vs. Rural Life
- Urban society was influenced by Western culture and customs, leading to a deepening rift between the city and the countryside.
- City dwellers considered rural inhabitants as ignorant and poor.
- Rural farmers saw cities as corrupt and viewed city dwellers as dismissive of Japanese culture and tradition.
- Example: It's like how people from big cities sometimes look down on "country folks" or how small-town residents might see big cities as too hectic or morally corrupt.
- Education
- Literacy improved across Japan due to compulsory elementary education.
- People in towns and cities had better access to secondary and higher education compared to rural areas.
- Example: It's like how big cities might have more schools and colleges than smaller towns or rural areas, giving city folks more educational opportunities.
- Ultra-nationalism
- In the 1930s, ultra-nationalists found support in the countryside, where inhabitants were conservative and traditional, rejecting Western cultural and political influences.
- Example: Imagine a group of people strongly believing in their country's superiority and wanting to stick to their own culture without any foreign influences – that's what ultra-nationalism is like.
Economic challenges
- World War I
- The war provided immense opportunities for Japan to develop its arms and export industries.
- With Western producers preoccupied with the war effort, there was less competition for Japanese producers.
- The consumption of Japanese goods increased domestically, in nearby Asian countries, Europe, and the US.
- Example: It's like a store getting more customers because its competitors are closed or busy with other things.
- Primary Industries
- Despite industrial goods production growing in the 1920s, over 50% of workers were still involved in farming, fishing, and mining.
- Example: It's like even though we have lots of tech companies now, many people still work in traditional jobs like farming.
- Unequal Distribution of Wealth
- Family income in farming communities was just 70% of that of city office-workers.
- Urban and rural working families comprised 84% of the population but accounted for less than 50% of household income.
- Example: Imagine if most of the money in a country was held by a small group of rich people while everyone else had to share the rest.
- Zaibatsu
- Most of Japan's wealth was held by a few business conglomerates known as zaibatsu, including Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda.
- They had interests in various industries like shipbuilding, mining, banking, and textiles, and close ties with the government and political parties.
- The government didn't curb zaibatsu monopolies as they were integral to building a rich nation and powerful military.
- Example: It's like big companies that have a lot of influence and power in their countries, often involved in different industries.
- Banking Crisis and Wall Street Crash
- The 1927 Banking Crisis showed Japan's economy becoming more monopolistic, with many small banks going out of business and finance control shifting to a few large banks.
- The Wall Street Crash of 1929 negatively impacted not only the US economy but also its trading partners, including Japan.
- Example: Imagine a big stock market crash like in 2008, where not just one country but many around the world felt the effects.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of History SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟
Social & cultural change