East & Southeast Asia

East & Southeast Asia An overview from Colonialism through the Cold War

Overview of the Region • Population of over 2 billion - nearly 1/3 of all people in the world today live in East & Southeast Asia. • Fastest growing economies in the world, but many people still live in extreme poverty • Many governments are authoritarian & repressive, but openness & democracy are on the rise

Asia’s Cultural Traditions • China & Confucianism • Longest cultural history in the world, dating back 4000 years (2000 years older than Christianity) • Culture & political forms influenced neighbors, esp. Koreas, Japan, & Vietnam • Provided examples of etiquette, morals, & government • Believed that other countries should defer to them AS a good example

Asia’s Cultural Traditions • India & Buddhism • Nearly 2000 years ago, Indian forms of government & religion spread throughout Southeast Asia • Spread by priests & traders, not armies or conquest • Variations of Buddhism are still widely practiced in Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, & parts of China

Asia’s Cultural Traditions • Islam • From 14th to 16th century, traders & religious teachers spread Islam through the Maylay peninsula, Indonesian islands, & the Philippines • State religion of Malaysia & Brunei • 88% of Indonesians are Muslim • Parts of the Philippines remain Muslim • (more on Islam when we cover the Middle East)

Asia’s Cultural Traditions • Christianity • More recently, Western missionaries brought Christianity to the region in the 16th Century • Most people in the Philippines are Catholic • Almost half of South Koreans are Christian

Economic & Political Changes • The regions cultures are being changed by rapid economic & political changes, caused by contact with Western culture • TV, music, popular media, images of what prosperity & freedom that young people want to emulate • Many governments have tried to outlaw some aspects of “corrupt” Western culture, but results are limited

Colonialism • Over past four centuries, many countries in East & Southeast Asia have been influenced or controlled by outside powers • Every country was affected by Western & Japanese Imperialism in the 19th & 20 centuries • Individual countries were affected in different ways

Colonialism • 14th century – Spanish priests, merchants, & soldiers came to the region • By 18th century, huge companies operated like sovereign governments, taking over land & protecting monopolies • European states were competing for colonial holdings & doing business with Asian states • China limited access to its markets • Only opium was unlimited

Colonialism • China became concerned about the growing opium addition among its people & moved to shut it down • Great Britain objected & opened war with China – the Opium War • China lost & was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing • Established 5 ports under British control • Gave Hong Kong to British entirely • Kept opium trade open

Colonialism • China lost another Opium War with Britain & France in the 1850’s • By the end of the 19th Century, Europeans controlled over 80 Chinese ports, thereby controlling most of China’s economy • U.S. & Japan also began competing for influence in the region • By 20th Century, nearly all of E & SE Asia was controlled by foreign powers

Colonialism • Countries reacted to Western Imperialism in different ways • Some resented foreign rule & fought against it, developing strong nationalist movements • Some accepted it passively • Thailand maneuvered politically to avoid it; it is the only country in the region that was never a colony

Colonialism • Inspired by Russia, China & other countries became communist because they thought that Western Imperialism was driven by Capitalism • Japan began to imitate the military & industrial techniques of the West • Developed economically & militarily, eventually becoming an Imperial power themselves • Western powers did not recognize this until too late

Japanese Militarism • 1894 – 1910: series of Japanese wars with China & Russia ended with Japanese control of: • Formosa (now Taiwan) & the Liaotung peninsula • The Korean Peninsula • Parts of the NE coast of China (Manchuria) • The southern part of Sakhalin Island (north of Japan)

Japan in WW1 • Fought with the Allies, but used it to their advantage to try to control China while European powers were busy fighting Germany • They conquered: • Manchuria • Several major inland cities • Large coastal areas

Japan in WW2 • After WW1, the European colonial states still held colonies in Southeast Asia • Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, then moved to take over the European colonies in the region

Question: • Japan does not currently control the areas it seized during WW2. What happened?

Important Leftovers from WW2 • Korea was split in two • Northern Korea surrendered to Russia & Southern Korea surrendered to the US • Both became pawns in the Cold War • China reacquired Taiwan, but lost it again during the communist revolution when the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan • Conflict continued in some areas as France tried to get its colonies back

Cold War in East & Southeast Asia • Korean War • 1950 – North Korea (supported by USSR) invaded South Korea (supported by USA) • US sent troops to defend South Korea, with endorsement from the UN Security Council • As US troops neared the North Korean border, China moved to support North Korea • After peace negotiations, peace was reached in 1953

Cold War in East & Southeast Asia • Viet Nam War • Like Korea, the country was divided, the north having a communist government supported by Russia & China, the south having a democratic government supported by the US • To defend against “Communist Aggression” the US spent billions to support the south • After more than ½ million deaths, the US pulled out & the north took over the south, reuniting the country

Cold War in East & Southeast Asia • Relations between the USSR & China got worse & eventually lead to armed conflict along their shared border • In 1972, Nixon opened talks with China, changing the issue into a 3-way strategic triangle • East Asia became even more important to the Cold War

Questions to Consider • Has North Korea developed nuclear weapons, creating a larger threat to South Korea & the entire region? • Will Japan expand its military power or remain content to have the US provide its security? • Will the US retain a considerable military presence in the region?

Questions to Consider • What will the rising economic power of the region mean to the US? • What does our debt to China mean for the future? • How will the outsourcing of jobs to the region affect our economy in the future?

East & Southeast Asia