Economic History

Japan as a have-not country felt the distribution of natural resources in the world was unfair and in Manchuria and China proper saw its opportunity to right the balance. The need for a larger economic base was closely linked with Japanese conceptions of coming wars, the effect of the great depression and a rise in anti-Japanese feeling in China. Japan, while making strides in Manchuria, never met its goal of economic self-sufficiency....

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Japanese Bibliography

Economic development is conducive to democratisation but is not sufficient for its achievement. For while economic growth provides people with the spare time and resources to partake in politics and also creates the demand for it, it does not automatically ensure democratisation takes place. North East Asia shows that political and economic elites must also support democratisation....

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Economic Growth and Democratisation Bibliography

In the years between 1368 and 1800 China's economy expanded immensely. Steady compounding Sgrowth in China's population was the main driver of this growth. Agriculture, industry and trade thus all increased in absolute terms but stagnated in relative per capita terms....

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Part Two
Chinese Bibliography

The Russian Empire at the turn of the twentieth century was governed by an ancient autocratic system. By the time Alexander III was crowned to head of the system, Russia had lost its position as a great power.........

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On taking office in 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev faced one problem more daunting than all others combined. The Soviet economy had been in a period of stagnation for two decades and was in desperate need of reform. Gorbachev choose to adjust the old system with a period of perestroika.....

Perestroika and the Soviet Economy

Throughout history military power has been paramount and economic power a luxury. This has slowly changed to the point that the two roles have been reversed. Japan, China and even the United States have relied on economic prosperity to finance formidable military forces. Conversely the Soviet Union, Iraq and North Korea have relied on their military to build economic power with little or limited success...........

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Part Two