ABSTRACT
The interwar period witnessed the weakening of the Western-dominated colonial order in East Asia, paving the way for its eventual collapse. The immediate cause was World War I, which created new anti-imperialist forces and stimulated nationalism throughout the region. East Asia's economic growth during World War I speeded social change, including the emergence of Western-oriented middle classes and, in some cases, self-conscious industrial proletariats. During the 1930s, the Japanese abandoned liberal democracy, broke with the Western powers, and embarked on a pan-Asianist crusade to liberate East Asia from Western colonialism. They seized Manchuria and invaded China itself, hoping to forcibly enlist it in their crusade. The resulting Sino-Japanese War led to a confrontation between Japan and the United States, which by 1940 was committed to halting Japanese aggression. The Washington Treaty System produced temporary stability in the 1920s. But this collapsed at the end of the decade under the impact of the Great Depression and Sino-Japanese rivalry over Manchuria.
