Imperial Japan

Japan's imperial expansion, like that of Great Britain, coincided with its period of economic expansion. Yet, unlike Great Britain's empire, Japan's imperial period was shortlived beginning after the Meiji Resoration in 1868 [review the lecture on the Meiji Restoration] and ending with their defeat in World War II in 1945.

By 1895 Japan had taken the Kuril Islands (1875), the Bonin Islands (1876), the Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa (1879) [south islands] and Taiwan (1895).

After defeating Russia in a war in 1905 Japan gained The Laiotung Peninsula and South Sahkalin Island.

In 1910 Japan invaded the Korean Peneinsula.

After World War I in 1920 the League of Nations gave Japan control over the former German colonies on the Caroline, Mariana, and Marshal islands in the Pacific.

In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria (the Northeast Province of China) where they set up the "independent" state of Manchukuo, which was under the firm control of the Japanese.

From this base on the Asian mainland Japan expanded its territory in eastern China until it controlled most of the Chinese coast. This expansion continued in World War II. In 1940 the Japanese took over French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos). In 1941 Japan occupied Thailand and all the American (Philippines), British (Malaysia, Brunei) and Dutch (Indonesia) colonies the Pacific.

Japan's imperial ambitions ended with its defeat in World War II. Yet at one time Japan controlled most of what is now called the Pacific Rim [Empire].