Re: U.S. and Japan Relations

Liz, I believed it to be incredibly interesting to think about the relations Japan had to other worldwide figures at the time as well...The fact that in 1939, the U.S. abrogated their trade treaty with the country seems to be a "slap in the face" to a country who must greatly rely on steel & iron. The combination of the negativity from the U.S., along with Japan's relationship with other world powers, seems to create a perfect storm of embitterment and driving Japan to assert itself. If domestic terrorism also began to be a problem, along with a 1932 breakdown in national parties, it seems reasonable that the government would also hope to show its "strength" to its own people through an international attack. The question that has continued to stay with me is how effective Japan's decision to attack really was. Obviously, the country dealt with unnumberable deaths and malnutrition & hunger at home, but did the move actually help bring the country together patriotically and boost its economy post-war? I suppose that is an answer we will discover next session...