An Expanding

World
Volume 1 | Issue 1
October 2015

Man cannot
discover new
oceans unless
he has the

The Interwar Period: Warring Territories

Japan and the Manchuria
p. 2

courage to lose

Mussolinis neo-Roman Empire

sight of the

p.6

shore.
~Andr Gide

Hitlers retort to The Treaty of Versailles

p.10

Japan and the Manchuria

Before the 19th century, the sovereign nation of Japan was a isolated country who
had never come to sorts with outside influences and technologies, but from 1853
to 1900, Japanese nationalism had drastically revolutionized into a nation
industrialized and modernized by the Europeans and the entire continent of North
America. This sense of change inspired the Japanese government to emulate the
success of the United States and European nations by creating new foreign
policies, which were formatted accordingly to those of American and European
standards. These policies included things such as colonization of other Asian
nations from the upheld power of the Europeans and the Americans. The necessity
of few natural resources was also one of the great factors of Japan wanting to
colonize because of the distinct materials and land it contains for their rapidly
growing population at the time. The movement of Japanese colonization of other
Asian nations became known as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The
Great Depression was seen as a great opportunity to bring up the idea because of
the effects it had on the American economy and how they could possibly take
away land, which was dominated by the Americans. The increase of Japans
population continued to create problems for the Japanese, as there was not enough
food supply to be allocated for everyone, which made Japan increasingly
dependent on international trade with a Chinese province of Manchuria. The
development of Japanese built railroads and involvement in the Manchurian
economy were already present, as well as a Japanese military force in Manchuria
for the protection of Japanese interests. Soon after on 18 September 1931, the
Japanese built railroad was bombed, where some believe it was staged by the
Japanese government to be used as an incident to allow the invasion of Manchuria
to seen as compensation for the attacks. By 1932, the Japanese controlled all the
major cities and province, and renamed it Manchukuo. For investigation on this
matter, the League of Nations concluded that the Japanese were the aggressors,
but there was no consequences handed due to the fact that the major nations such
as Britain and France were dealing with their economys and its struggles. Not
long after the Japanese took themselves out of the League and began to attack
China in 1937. The United States began applying pressure on the Japanese to stop
the attacks on China, but they continued and created immense tensions with the
United States. Success of the invasion led to the Japanese military creating plans
to take over land such as the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Dutch East
Indies to continue their domination of colonization.

October 8th, 1932

Journ
al
Entry

After all this waiting and hard work, Japan can finally have access to the
resources she needs. After countless of souls lost, it was all worth it. Manchuria is in
our hands and now rightfully belongs to the Japanese as Manchukuo. After staging
that bomb attack, we lost many good souls and brave warriors, however I know that
they would have gladly sacrificed themselves if they knew. There had been days
where my country would desperately be trying to thrive without resources like iron
ore, land or coal. When we discovered the resources in Manchuria, we subtly began
to invade by doing small things, such as building a railroad. There was no doubt
about it that we, the Japanese, were the most aggressive. It is because of our
aggression that Japan invaded Manchuria and also staged that bomb attack in order to
conquer Manchuria completely. It was all for the good of our people and our nation.
What else were we supposed to do? Stand by and watch our nation crumble to the
ground all due to the fact that we didn't have what it took to keep it standing? Never.
Should Japan remain content with 142 270 square miles, much of it barren, to feed
60 million mouths while countries like Australia and Canada had more than 3 million
square miles to feed 6.5 million people each? (Araki Sadao, 155). As long as my
lungs are receiving oxygen and I exhale carbon dioxide, I will do what it takes to
protect and save my country. But I cannot say for sure that we will remain untouched.
There is still the League of Nations to worry about. Maybe dropping out of the league
can get rid of any responsibilities we have to the rest of the world. By dropping out,
we may be able to conquer more than just Manchuria and rid Asia of Western control
- purging it. Until then, Sayonara.
Sincerely,
Araki Sadao

Poem Found
from the
Time of
Japanese
Expansionis

Loneliness has swallowed my heart, hunger has ravaged my soul,

Xiao Lins mama and papa are going to die they say,

Papa is taking my friends country, to make my stomach feel whole,

My heart feels so troubled, but I keep my thoughts at bay,

For no one is going to listen, to the innocent concerns of a child,
They told to be happy Id be fed yet, I never smiled,
We need the provisions to keep Japan alive,
But for us to live, others dont get to survive,
Xiao Lin, you gave me the dragon, the Chinese symbol of potent and power,
But now this power is to burn down your dragons, and force them to surrender and cower,
They say we are saving Asia by taking away the control from the west,
But arent we just playing tug-of-war? Xiao Lins world will never be at rest,
But we really need the resources, so we wont die of poverty you see,
So I must say the words I never thought Id say Xiao Lin, Du B Q.

After exploration of Japans ancient sites and historical villages, many artifacts

Poem

and timeworn articles have been uncovered. These items range from the Edo

Rationale

Period the time of Japans isolation to the Second World War. One of these
items is a heart-wrenching poem that seems to have been left by a young Japanese
child during the time of Japans expansionism prior to the beginning of World War
II. The young girl seems to be addressing a friend she had. A friend who resided
in China, one of the countries Japan was attempting to dominate at the time. It is
unknown how the two girls seemed to have come in contact, however, they
appeared to have upheld an innocent friendship. Japan, at the time, had begun to
colonize surrounding nations due to various economic, social and political
reasons. Japan was, and is, a country with more people than land and resources.
They were unable to support their nation without outside resources and had
become reliant on trade. They needed to dominate other surrounding regions to
boost their economy as this happened also in response to the Great Depression,
a time where international trade had collapsed and allow their country to
prosper. They believed they were ridding Asia of foreign, western control by
trying to establish the control of an Asian country instead, over these nations. The
young Japanese girl portrays her concern of these factors in an innocent, yet
poetic, way. At the end of her poem, it seems that she has given in to her country,
as she apologizes to her friend. What seems to be of extreme interest however, is
that she apologized in Chinese. This concocts the idea of how deep this innocent
relationship may have been for these young girls. However, it seems, Rin-Chan
was never able to explain her sorrows to Xiao Lin. The depth of this simple
sadness pulls at your heart strings as you think about how both left this world,
without a Sayonara, nor a Zi Jin.

Mussolinis neo-Roman Empire

Lette
r to
the
Edito
r

This weeks article relates to me on a very personal level. I am part Ethiopian and this
makes me somewhat angry and I have some choice words for the editor. My grandparents
were only teens/children when the events of the Italian Expansionism commenced. The
things that happened forever changed my family history. To begin, two of my
grandmothers' uncles died in war, whilst my great grandfather was publicly executed. My
mother's side of the family owned lots of land that was abundant in cattle, gold and coal,
their only means of survival. It was inherited land that was in the family for years, but
was soon confiscated by the Italians. My grandfather was out of work for months on end,
and the brutal marginalization began to take toll. 1937-1938 was a composition of
famine and hardships for the people of Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia), and it was time
to take action. The European "Pursuit of Prosperity" was the beginning of the African
"Colonial Legacies". My family came to the conclusion of immigration, and you know by
now it was not legal, safe or easy to make a trip during those times, and especially not to
Mali (a collection of 3 weeks travel). My great aunts and great uncles relied on their
supplies and the generosity of others to make the distance, and it still couldn't save their
children. My mothers cousins and some of her uncles passed away before they could see
the fortunate land of Mali. The rest of their days in Mali were spent in poverty and
revived with the recollection of pain. Mustard gas was a smell they clearly recall as their
own in Ethiopia, and my grandmothers features tainted with the effects of it. She passed
away some years ago, her land not recovered, her struggles not avenged or justified, and
her last words "What happened in Ethiopia was only a factor among others for WWII".
Mengesha Tariku

The political cartoon above is an image of a man

devouring the globe. He is also wearing a hat that reads
Italy. The political cartoon is a representation of Italy's
hunger for more land. Throughout the first World War,
their main interest was to gain more land. Italy wanted
all the land they could acquire. At the beginning of
Word War I they were apart of the Triple Alliance, but
when they were offered Trieste, Trentino and Dalmatia
coast they joined the Triple Allies. The prime minister
of Italy during 1915 was the first to ensure that the
promise of more land was on the Treaty of Versailles.
From the political viewpoint, more land for Italy meant
more power for them as well. Economically, it would
mean Italy had access to more resources. More
resources resulted in more trade for the country which
boosted their economy.

Interviewer: We are here with the man that led Italy to its expansion.
Hello Mr. Benito Mussolini.

An
Intervi
ew
with
Benito
Musso
lini,
1921.

Benito Mussolini: Hello there, thank you for having me.

Interviewer: So, Mr. Mussolini
Benito Mussolini: Please, call me Benito.
Interviewer: Okay So Benito, would you call your leadership method a
fascism?
Benito Mussolini: Yes indeed. It is best adapted to represent the tendencies and
aspirations of people, much like the people of Italy.
Interviewer: So, fascism is the best way of political thinking?
Benito Mussolini: Of course.
Interviewer: Why do you believe so?
Benito Mussolini: Fascism is the essential manifestation of vitality.
Interviewer: I see. Well, after the world war, what kind of impact did it leave on
your country?
Benito Mussolini: Post world war was in fact very difficult for Italy. We lost over
600 000 men and had spent millions of dollars on the war. It had led Italy to an
inflation, unemployment's and many people refused to trade due to our poor
economy.
Interviewer: Please tell us, how do you feel about the outcomes of the Treaty of
Versailles?
Benito Mussolini: They have wronged us. The territories we were promised were
given to the new nation of Yugoslavia instead.
Interviewer: That must have been a disappointment.
Benito Mussolini: Certainly.
Interviewer: What was the main reason for Italy to scramble for Abyssinia?
Benito Mussolini: Abyssinia contained farmland, coal, copper, iron and gold.
These resources would have expanded our economy after postwar, as well as our
empire.
Interviewer: And what were your plans after Italy was conquered?
Benito Mussolini: I planned to unify the two Italian colonies in Africa by trying
once more to conquer the nation of Abyssinia. Out two Italian armies then
invaded Abyssinia from Eritrea and Somaliland.

Interviewer: Is the scramble for Africa driven only by economic reasons or a

national pursuit?
Benito Mussolini: Truly, the rush to colonize Africa was for economic benefits,
but was also based on many nations foreign policies aimed to compete against
other European nations to build colonial empires.
Interviewer: Ah yes. Benito, what is your current goal for Italy?
Benito Mussolini: It defiantly still is the expansion of our empire. I believe the
pursuit of colonies overseas could bring wealth, prestige and prosperity to my
nation. I dream of the day we will have throughout all of the Middle East and
Africa.
Interviewer: It has been brought to my attention that you have an ambitious
pursuit.
Benito Mussolini: Yes, yes this dream of Italy has now become the foundation
to our foreign policy.
.

Journal Entries:

April 10
Being the leader of Italy there has been a huge amount of pressure on me.
After the war ended, our country has been trying to do its best to overcome the
catastrophe that occurred. Our people are still frightened but are recovering, one
step at a time.
April 17
Today is another new day to do work. The people are getting back on their
feet but still seem hesitant. Today, a citizen had decided to express their feelings.
They were scared and I understood why. The economy looked very troubled and
was surely not stable. We need to do something to get back and quickly too. Other
countries have already gone beyond us. WE NEED TO CATCH UP.
April 24
I remember years back, when many countries had begun to colonize
Africa. The Europeans seem to have occupied many countries. The more
countries they occupied, the larger the benefit for the economy. But there are other
reasons for colonizing as well. Its always based on our foreign polices too. The

10

polices were aimed at competing countries in the European nations who tried
building colonial empires. In the next twenty to twenty five years, many countries
were colonized rapidly. They called this the Scramble for Africa. Due to any
countries competing we did not get a chance to colonize many countries. As a
result, we only colonized Libya, Eritrea and Somaliland. Now the same type of
issue has risen. This time I have the pressure on me to make our country strong.
The question is what I can do for that to happen.
April 30
As the upmost leader of Italy, I believe in the importance of the growth of
my empire, that is to say the expansion of the nation. That which strengths the
nation itself. A primary idea is to re-establish the great Roman Empire. This will
represent the power and repute of our nation. After losing 600 000 men in the war,
we have spent millions on the effort. The war had decreased our trade, and left
many unemployed. We were left wronged. The outcome of the Treaty of
Versailles have not bought towards us any advantage as our promised territory had
not been delivered. Our country deserved better.
May 7
Today, a part of our country has been given to new nation. The Dalmatia
Coast where a minority of Italians speaking people lived and had been part of the
Roman Empire was given. I believe the pursuit of colonies will bring wealth,
prestige and prosperity for us again. I called it Mediterranean Sea mare Nostrum
also called our seas. My dream is that one day Rome would have colonies
throughout Africa and the Middle East. Soon this dream became the foundation of
Italy foreign police.
May 14
Conquering foreign polices territories seems like the ideal plan for us. Expending
the Abyssinian land and resources signified vitality and jurisdiction of the Italian
nation. In my perspective. conquering overseas territory will bring us to the top. I
remember, during the scramble of Africa we had a few countries including
Abyssinia. But in 1896 we were defeated. Now its my reasonability to get it back.
I plan to unify the two colonies in Africa and get Abyssinia back as well. The
country contained many useful aspects such as Farmland, coal, iron, copper, gold
and platinum as well We need to have that country back.
May 21
My plan is coming together. Today I will send two Italian armies to invade
Abyssinia from Eritrea and Somaliland. As planned we had invaded the country
and taken it. They were no match for us. They suffered 16 000 Casualties and
were also executed by my soldiers. The international community had not done
much to stop this nor did the Britain. The country was once again ours. The
invasion of Abyssinia may have been the greatest method to repair the calamities

11

that of which the First World War brought forward. Not only had that it brought
wealth and prosperity for Italy which made up for the loss of our promised land.

12

Hitlers retort to The Treaty

of Versailles
World War One has been a disastrous event in the worlds history. Germany had
been defeated during the war, and was furthermore forced to sign the Treaty of
Versailles which highlighted key conditions, requirements, etc. made towards the
Germans, and forced Germany to admit to being the cause of the war. The
provided source is a
political cartoon that
demonstrates Germanys
identity post World War
One. The food on the
table is essentially parts
of Germanys identity as
a nation that is taken
away in the treat, which
symbolizes Germanys
land and colonies,
reparations paid for
repairing land, resources,
and military forces during
the war, and their
government. The Treaty
of Versailles resulted in Germany losing all its colonies in Africa, China and
islands in the Pacific Ocean, and Germany was required to pay approximately US
$33 Billion in reparations. Moreover, as a result of the war, conflict, and treaty,
Germanys government collapsed on the nation, ultimately bring them to a
catastrophic state. The guests invited to the dinner include, Georges Clemenceau
(Prime Minister of France), Woodrow Wilson (President of America), and David
Lloyd George (Prime Minister of Britain), also known as the three superpowers of
the time. All in all, the political cartoon portrays the effect of the Treaty of
Versailles on Germany, as it took bit by bit away from the Germans identity. This
treaty eventually put Germany in a position where it became highly dependent on
its neighbours for resources and markets.

13

The Bigger Picture

By Yasmin Samantar

Germany was a threat

The poem is based on the expansion of
Germany. What was thought to be contained
became something truly bigger. The treaty
refers to the Treaty of Versailles. It consisted of
Germany publicly admitting that they caused
the World War, their army is reduced down to
100 000 troops and many more hits on the
nation by the superpowers. However, once
Adolf Hitler came in power, the treaty was
openly violated and Germany united Poland,
Austria, and Czechoslovakia. The title of the
poem itself is a symbol for the incoming
second war.

They were competition

But as they were contained,
The superpowers shouldve realized
History comes as repetition
But Hitler knew better
Than to take orders from the bitter
Breaking the treaty and gaining power
By uniting all around them
Austria and others
Coming together as one
Little do the other nations know
Something bigger has now begun.

December 16, 1940

Today, like every day started with the screams. Father woke up screaming today. I rushed in to see him
sitting on his bed and sobbing. This had become a part of my life. I woke up every day for the past four years to
fathers screams. When mother was alive, she would deal with this morning routine and I did not know of fathers
problem. Father had come back to Nuremburg after the battle of Vimy Ridge because he was injured. However,
the war had left mental affects on him that could not heal. He had nightmares of all the battles and his lost friends.
At breakfast, father read the newspaper to me. He was so composed that I could not believe it was his
cries that woke me up every morning. Adolf Hitler was rising to power after his release from prison and there
were protests breaking out throughout the country. The Treaty of Versailles had not done justice to Germany. Our
town of Nuremburg had suffered a lot. All the men left to fight and trade went down. Mom was working day and
night leaving me with the nanny. My brother died in the first battle and his remains were sent back home.
My father and I supported Hitler a lot. After what the treaty had done to us, we were left with the bare
minimum. How could a nation like Germany thrive when we did not even have the simplest of defences? Hitler
was helping Germany rise to power despite the fact that we were left with nothing. He was going to join all of
Germany's lost land and get back all we had lost. However, there was a scary thought. Hitler wanted all the good
stuff for the Aryans and I and father are not Aryans. I wonder what the future will hold.
Love,
Johanna

14

An INTERVIEW
between Rema
Abdulghani, a
Calgary
Islamic School
student and
Werner
Wnendt,
Canadas
German
ambassador,
which delves
into the
history of
Germanys
expansion
during World
War I and
World War II.

Abdulghani: Good morning Mr. Wnendt.

Wnendt: Guten Morgen (good morning) Ms. Abdulghani.
Abdulghani: So Mr. Wnendt I think we should just dive right into
the todays topic which is; Germanys expansion during the world
wars.
Wnendt: Very well.
Abdulghani: First and foremost, when did the expansion
commence?
Wnendt: It began in the year 1932.
Abdulghani: Was there particular individuals that initiated
Germanys expansion during those times?
Wnendt: Yes, Adolf Hitler. He played a primary role in Germanys
expansion after the Nazis won the election.
Abdulghani: What instigated the expansion?
Wnendt: Well pursuit of national interest of course. Germany
wanted to become more powerful and influential.
Abdulghani: Were there no other reasons besides increasing their
power?
Wnendt: Hitler also sought justice for Germany after World War I
and the Treaty of Versailles that followed. The Treaty stripped
Germany of its authority and influence by taking away its
colonies and disarming their military.
Abdulghani: Going back to the idea of pursuing national
interests, was there any interests that were prevalent in both
World War I and World War II?
Wnendt: In both situations Germany wanted great power status,
where they would have power and influence on an international
level.
Abdulghani: Did Hitler have specific priorities when it came to
expanding Germany?
Wnendt: One of Hitlers main focuses was to unite all Germanspeakers in countries such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, and
Poland, which ties into lebensraum. It is a German term that
represents the idea where there was not enough living space
for the German-speakers therefore they needed to expand their
territories and acquire land to accommodate them.
Abdulghani: Did The Great Depression have an impact on
Germanys expansion?

15

Wnendt: It did have a major impact on Germany because it

emphasized how dependant they had been on their neighbouring
countries, encouraging them to become more independent in
regards to natural resources and raw materials.
Abdulghani: Would you say that The Great Depression had
positively affected Germany?
Wnendt: In a way it did because it not only encouraged them but
during the depression Germany was able to broaden their
boundaries because their adversaries, Britain and France, were
weakened, unable to oppose Germanys mission.
Abdulghani: Why was the Sudeten part of Czechoslovakia simply
handed over to Germany?
Wnendt: Britain and France began to worry that another war
would arise so they willingly handed over Czechoslovakia to
Germany as an appeasement. Due to the fact that Britain and
France were both super powers at that time they had that
authority.
Abdulghani: Could you elaborate on the concept of
appeasement?
Wnendt: In this context an appeasement is the policy of avoiding
further arguments or war by accepting the condition or demands
of an aggressor which in this case would be Germany.
Abdulghani: That concludes our interview Mr. Wnendt, thank you
for your time.
Wnendt: Youre welcome.

Reference
Harding, C., Smith, T., Meston, J., & Yoshida, D. (Eds.). (2009). Perspectives on Nationalism. Don Mills,
Canada: Oxford University Press.

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