liberalism involves the idea that International institutions encourage cooperation by creating iterated games and lowering transaction costs. Liberalists have this optimistic view that he world has opportunities even for countries that don’t trust each other to develop organizations to foster peace and cooperation They act under the assumption that states interact regularly and that states reflect domestic politics in way that can be much more positive sum (”Lets get rich together”) rather than a realist zero-sum -game. This is easiest if countries are democracies since the interests of consumers and businesses are both represented.

The washington system is a set of deals made at the Washington conference in 1921-22. This system asked Japan to give up military treaties in favour ot the four power non-aggression pact including US, Britain, Japan, and France. The aim was to resolve differences without war, giving up military alliances and stop fortifying islands. They also agreed on the nine power treaty which committed all not to interfere in internal affairs of china and violate china’s territorial integrity any further, resulting in Japan giving up Shandong concession.

Washington system:

• while the US (britain, france, as well) didn’t adhere to liberal ideals (pursued their territories, abroad, imperialism advances), they banned all military alliances in asia
• japan: asked to give up military treaties in favor of four power non-aggression pact
• four-power pact: US, britain, japan, france
• resolving differences without war, giving up military alliances, stop fortifying islands
• established naval arms limitations on US, british, japanese battleships (10:10:6)
• nine power treaty: committed all not to interfere in internal affairs of china, not to violate china’s territorial integrity any further
• Japans decision to give economic expansion a try
  • international environment in 1922
    • Access to export markets
    • Access to Imported Raw Materials
    • Foreign investment opportunities
    • Emigration Opportunities
    • Trade
      • US (to: silk, people) (from: raw cotton, oil)
      • China (to: cotton textiles, investment, people)
      • India (from: raw cotton
      • Japans population was rising significantly.
  • Domestic Politics in 1920s
    • Taisho Democracy
    • Politicians interested in delivering pork and welfare to citizens, not in military spending
    • Zaibatsu business conglomerates were very powerful and doing well overseas.
    • PM Hara → Focuses spending on completely different things (less on gunboat democracy) → railroads to develop rural areas and spread benefits to the voters.
• japan gave up shandong concession

japan giving economic expansion a try:

• 1922: trying rebuild liberal order of british gold standard
• japan had access to export markets (silk, people, cotton textiles, investment) and imported raw materials (oil, raw cotton; oil most important)
• japan optimistic they can import/export via liberal order (don’t need to take over china, large market for japan’s exports; open-dor policy rather than empire)
• foreign investment opportunities (building factories in china) and emigration opportunities (rapid growth of population, seeking fortune in california, seattle, west coast, latin america)

1920s domestic politics in japan:

• tTaisho democracy: from oligarchy to democracy, building political parties
• copying European/western systems, creating constitution and basic systems of democracy