Question

Why did Japan expand into Korea and Manchuria in the 1890s? A) Japan was worried that the Chinese military would invade those same areas. B) Japan needed additional sources for raw materials to fuel industrialization. C) Japan sought to isolate itself from any chance of invasion from foreign powers. D) Japan wanted to destroy the United States military in a sudden and swift attack.

Answer 1

"B) Japan needed additional sources for raw materials to fuel industrialization" is the correct answer. Japan was facing limited resources and territory and needed to expand.

Answer 2

The correct answer is "B".

The Japanese Empire adopted a new model of government with the beginning of the Meiji Period in 1868. The current model, which granted the ruling emperor absolute power, was changed for a constitutional monarchy, in which the country's affairs would be managed by a cabinet led by a prime minister.

The country entered an aggressive industrialization policy during this period, adopting many technological improvements from the western world which were previously banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate, which was the previous regime to the Meiji. Japan knew they had geographical restrictions and in order to fuel their industrialization, they needed foreign resources. This was the main reason behind their invasion of mainland China and Korea in the 1890s.