Free Japan In World War I And The Treaty Of Versailles Essay Example

Japan joined hands with Russia, France and Great Britain to fight against the German Navy to secure the sea way in the Pacific and Indian oceans in the beginning of World War I. Japan in fact politically grabbed the right opportunity to increase its area of influence in China, thus becoming a super power in the region. Even as the military of Japan seized a great deal of German infrastructure, it did not significantly influence the Japanese economy. However, Japanese navy gradually expanded its fleet in the pacific. Before joining the war, Japan placed a demand before its ally, the United Kingdom that it would participate in the war if only Great Britain took over the Pacific territories of Germany, following which Britain requested Japan’s assistance in fighting the German navy in Chinese water. Finally, on 23 August in the year 1914 Japan declared war on Germany. Two days later, Japan declared war on Austria and Hungary since Vienna too declined to withdraw its fleet from the ocean. By November 1914 all the colonies of Germany surrendered to Japan.
In April 1917, with the United States entering the war, Japan found a new ally in spite of their increasingly tainted relationships over china, and their struggle for supremacy in the Pacific. Signing of Lansing-Ishii treaty ended tension on both sides. In response to Bolshevik Revolution, both Japan and the United States deployed their forces to Siberia in the year 1918. Japan’s original intention of occupying Siberia was again curtailed by the United States. The increasing need of war goods across the world helped Japan to diversify its industries. Japanese exports increased four times in 1918 since 1913, and for the first time Japan became a creditor nation from a debtor nation. The huge capital inflow into the country and the following industrial boom promoted high inflation in Japan. Internal unrest and riots erupted in Japan in August 1918.
With the surrender of Germany and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919 in Paris, the war between Germany and the allied nations came to an end. The United States, Great Britain, France and Italy, known as the ‘Big Four Countries,’ made all the important decisions at the peace conference. The treaty prepared by the allies and signed with very little participation from the German side, and consisting of 440 articles in 15 parts, reassigned the boundaries of Germany. The treaty formed a League of Nations in which Germany was denied membership till the year 1926, and all the colonies of Germany were seized. Part of the Versailles treaty forced Germany to reduce its arms in addition to prohibiting Germany from possessing certain types of weapons; the same clause also prompted the allies for ultimate disarmament. Germany also took responsibility along with its allies for the losses resulting from the war, to which the treaty imposed several financial responsibilities upon Germany. The German government was forced to sign the treaty which resulted in protests and assassination of several politicians by right-wing parties in the country. However, the U.S. government did not take responsibility for many of the provisions in the treaty, and the senate of United States did not ratify the Versailles Treaty either.