Question

During the 1930s, Japan became a militarist state. Why did this happen and what were the effects on its East and Southeast Asia neighbors? How did the rise of militarism impact Japan’s relations with the Western world?

Answer 1

Militarism in Japan was had important repercussions in the future history of Japan. It led onto it's involvement in the Second World War. The root of militarism can be seen in several reasons which includes Japan's relatively small gains in the Russo-Japanese War and WWI, The seemingly easy wins of the wars of this period and finally of the Wall Street Crash. It is also due to the new government being founded by the militaristic samurai class, with the power given to the emperor by the shogun, during the Meiji Restoration period.Also, Depression affected Japan greatly, and led to a rise in militarism. As Japan exported luxury goods, such as silks, to other countries such as America which, because they were now affected by the depression, could not afford them anymore. This led to a feeling in Japan that they should become more self-sufficient, through gaining more territory. This meant that Japan wanted to expand in order to gain more natural resources and to create its own economic empire in the Pacific. This feeling was also fuelled by the increasing overpopulation of Japan.

It all started when Japanese troops destroy a section of the south Manchurian railway, near Mukden, where there was a Japanese garrison. The troops blamed the incident on the Chinese and so they captured Mukden. They then went on to capture the rest of Manchuria.In 1937, the Japanese attacked Beijing in the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. this date is the start of the Sino-Japanese War, however China and Japan had been fighting an undeclared war since the Mukden Incident, when Japan invaded Manchuria. This war became a part of the greater, Second World War in 1941.

Hirohito, who as emperor was the nation’s highest spiritual authority and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, essentially fired the prime minister in 1929. The next prime minister was shot and mortally wounded, and in 1932 yet another prime minister was assassinated by naval officers upset about a treaty limiting the number of Japanese warships. From then on, almost all prime ministers came from the military rather than from the political parties, which were disbanded altogether in 1940. More political violence occurred in 1935, when a lieutenant colonel slashed a general to death with a samurai sword. And in 1936, over 1,400 soldiers mutinied in Tokyo, seizing the army ministry and murdering several high-ranking politicians.

Japan set sail in 1868 on its journey for modernization. The country demonstrated unparalleled modern nation building, and as early as in 1905 it somehow achieved a measure of success by managing to defeat Russia in a war. After this “victory”, Japan joined the imperialist competition that had been prevalent in the world at that time. With the subsequent rise of militarism, Japan plunged itself into a war against China and then against the USA, and in 1945, which was exactly forty years after the “victory” in the Russo-Japanese war, the country lay war-devastated. It is noteworthy that it took only about 40 years to create an industrial country capable of fighting a war against a major power, and that it took subsequent 40 years to ruin the country in another war.

After the defeat in the Asia Pacific War, the Allied Occupation introduced sweeping reforms to ensure that Japan ceased to be a military threat to the United States. However, its emphasis soon changed to developing Japan into a Western ally in the Cold War. Japan preferred to stay away from taking on a military role and to concentrate on economic recovery.

Japan’s reconstruction was remarkable, and already by the middle of the 1950’s, its economy had surpassed the pre-war level. After having achieved a high level of economic growth over the next 20 years, Japan’s economy grew to be somewhat comparable to that of the United States by the early 1990’s.

In other words, about 40 years after the defeat in the war, Japan accomplished what it had desired but not been able to achieve before the war.

The success of modernization and of imperialist expansion resulted in confidence among the Japanese leadership and the public, as well as arrogance and condescension against China and the West. The limitation on naval strength, imposed by the Washington and London Conferences, was felt in Japan at a time of its economic difficulties, as an impediment to Japanese interests. It fed the resentment held among the Japanese public toward the West. Against such a backdrop, an idea arose in Japan, professing that further expansion of the Japanese empire was the best way to resist the Western domination of Asia and put a stop to the West’s subjugation and perversion of the Orient. This kind of ideology, helped by racial overtones, became increasingly subjective and emotional, making Japan increasingly blind to the realities of international relations and objective assessment of its own strengths and weaknesses.

The modern history of Japan, when compared with that of other countries in the world, is probably one of the most tempestuous. The historical experience of building a modern state in 40 years, then seeing its destruction in another 40 years, then reconstructing it in yet another 40 years, and thereafter undergoing serious setbacks has obviously had a great influence on the identity of Japan today.

The apparently successful and rapid modernization up to 1905 was after all only the 1st stage of Japan’s modernization. In other words, the full modernization of Japan took all the experiences during the last 140 years. It is not a short period, and only after these many years, Japan has finally become a truly modernized, mature industrial democracy.

Today’s identity of Japan as a non-nuclear weapons, militarily non-threatening and peace-oriented manufacturing/ trading nation has taken firm root in its people and institution. This is particularly because it springs from the bitter experience of the war defeat and the following successes as well as setbacks during the post war period.

In other words, through these experiences in their modern history, I believe that the Japanese have not only achieved material prosperity and democratic institutions, but they have developed also such values and attitudes as required to a mature democracy. These values and attitudes are respecting the middle path and balanced views of international relations, keeping emotions in check, placing priority on rationality, practicing patience, overcoming nationalism and rejecting extremism and fanaticism.

The reactive, rather than proactive, tendency of postwar Japan in international relations is due in great part to the long shadow cast by the experience of defeat in the Asia Pacific War. This shadow made Japan reject taking any military role on the world stage.

From the bitter memory of the Asia Pacific War came the fear among a substantial portion of the public that Japan’s armed forces being active overseas, for peacekeeping missions or even humanitarian aid, may lead the country down a path it has travelled once before. But the lessons learned from the experiences of its post war history have been important and potent in steering Japan towards playing a unique and positive role in the world.

(a) First, although losing the Asia Pacific War forced Japan to give up its approach of trying to expand its spheres of influence, its subsequent growth into a major economic power made clear that establishing global economic ties, rather than a regional economic block, was ultimately practical to the country’s needs and interests. Japan’s postwar policy orientation of not seeking hegemony in the region was also beneficial to Japan, and contributed to the stability of Asia.

(b)       Secondly, since losing the war, Japan has been taking the posture of non-nuclear arms, militarily non-threatening and peace-oriented country, and has done so with strong support from its citizens. This choice has served as a stabilizing factor in Asia and contributed to keeping tensions in the region from worsening. Because a choice for nuclear weapons is as much a political one for status and influence as it is a military one for security, Japan’s renouncement of such weapons expresses how the nation intends to define its identity and role in the world.

Also by not participating in the world’s arms market, despite its manufacturing competitiveness, Japan is effectively demonstrating that its “peace” identity is more important than economic gains. These economic as well as politico-military orientations will certainly be the proper, guiding principles for Japanese diplomacy in the future too.

Militarism in Japan was had important repercussions in the future history of Japan. It led onto it's involvement in the Second World War. The root of militarism can be seen in several reasons which includes Japan's relatively small gains in the Russo-Japanese War and WWI, The seemingly easy wins of the wars of this period and finally of the Wall Street Crash. It is also due to the new government being founded by the militaristic samurai class, with the power given to the emperor by the shogun, during the Meiji Restoration period.Also, Depression affected Japan greatly, and led to a rise in militarism. As Japan exported luxury goods, such as silks, to other countries such as America which, because they were now affected by the depression, could not afford them anymore. This led to a feeling in Japan that they should become more self-sufficient, through gaining more territory. This meant that Japan wanted to expand in order to gain more natural resources and to create its own economic empire in the Pacific. This feeling was also fuelled by the increasing overpopulation of Japan.

It all started when Japanese troops destroy a section of the south Manchurian railway, near Mukden, where there was a Japanese garrison. The troops blamed the incident on the Chinese and so they captured Mukden. They then went on to capture the rest of Manchuria.In 1937, the Japanese attacked Beijing in the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. this date is the start of the Sino-Japanese War, however China and Japan had been fighting an undeclared war since the Mukden Incident, when Japan invaded Manchuria. This war became a part of the greater, Second World War in 1941.

Hirohito, who as emperor was the nation’s highest spiritual authority and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, essentially fired the prime minister in 1929. The next prime minister was shot and mortally wounded, and in 1932 yet another prime minister was assassinated by naval officers upset about a treaty limiting the number of Japanese warships. From then on, almost all prime ministers came from the military rather than from the political parties, which were disbanded altogether in 1940. More political violence occurred in 1935, when a lieutenant colonel slashed a general to death with a samurai sword. And in 1936, over 1,400 soldiers mutinied in Tokyo, seizing the army ministry and murdering several high-ranking politicians.

Japan set sail in 1868 on its journey for modernization. The country demonstrated unparalleled modern nation building, and as early as in 1905 it somehow achieved a measure of success by managing to defeat Russia in a war. After this “victory”, Japan joined the imperialist competition that had been prevalent in the world at that time. With the subsequent rise of militarism, Japan plunged itself into a war against China and then against the USA, and in 1945, which was exactly forty years after the “victory” in the Russo-Japanese war, the country lay war-devastated. It is noteworthy that it took only about 40 years to create an industrial country capable of fighting a war against a major power, and that it took subsequent 40 years to ruin the country in another war.

After the defeat in the Asia Pacific War, the Allied Occupation introduced sweeping reforms to ensure that Japan ceased to be a military threat to the United States. However, its emphasis soon changed to developing Japan into a Western ally in the Cold War. Japan preferred to stay away from taking on a military role and to concentrate on economic recovery.

Japan’s reconstruction was remarkable, and already by the middle of the 1950’s, its economy had surpassed the pre-war level. After having achieved a high level of economic growth over the next 20 years, Japan’s economy grew to be somewhat comparable to that of the United States by the early 1990’s.

In other words, about 40 years after the defeat in the war, Japan accomplished what it had desired but not been able to achieve before the war.

The success of modernization and of imperialist expansion resulted in confidence among the Japanese leadership and the public, as well as arrogance and condescension against China and the West. The limitation on naval strength, imposed by the Washington and London Conferences, was felt in Japan at a time of its economic difficulties, as an impediment to Japanese interests. It fed the resentment held among the Japanese public toward the West. Against such a backdrop, an idea arose in Japan, professing that further expansion of the Japanese empire was the best way to resist the Western domination of Asia and put a stop to the West’s subjugation and perversion of the Orient. This kind of ideology, helped by racial overtones, became increasingly subjective and emotional, making Japan increasingly blind to the realities of international relations and objective assessment of its own strengths and weaknesses.

The modern history of Japan, when compared with that of other countries in the world, is probably one of the most tempestuous. The historical experience of building a modern state in 40 years, then seeing its destruction in another 40 years, then reconstructing it in yet another 40 years, and thereafter undergoing serious setbacks has obviously had a great influence on the identity of Japan today.

The apparently successful and rapid modernization up to 1905 was after all only the 1st stage of Japan’s modernization. In other words, the full modernization of Japan took all the experiences during the last 140 years. It is not a short period, and only after these many years, Japan has finally become a truly modernized, mature industrial democracy.

Today’s identity of Japan as a non-nuclear weapons, militarily non-threatening and peace-oriented manufacturing/ trading nation has taken firm root in its people and institution. This is particularly because it springs from the bitter experience of the war defeat and the following successes as well as setbacks during the post war period.

In other words, through these experiences in their modern history, I believe that the Japanese have not only achieved material prosperity and democratic institutions, but they have developed also such values and attitudes as required to a mature democracy. These values and attitudes are respecting the middle path and balanced views of international relations, keeping emotions in check, placing priority on rationality, practicing patience, overcoming nationalism and rejecting extremism and fanaticism.

The reactive, rather than proactive, tendency of postwar Japan in international relations is due in great part to the long shadow cast by the experience of defeat in the Asia Pacific War. This shadow made Japan reject taking any military role on the world stage.

From the bitter memory of the Asia Pacific War came the fear among a substantial portion of the public that Japan’s armed forces being active overseas, for peacekeeping missions or even humanitarian aid, may lead the country down a path it has travelled once before. But the lessons learned from the experiences of its post war history have been important and potent in steering Japan towards playing a unique and positive role in the world.

(a) First, although losing the Asia Pacific War forced Japan to give up its approach of trying to expand its spheres of influence, its subsequent growth into a major economic power made clear that establishing global economic ties, rather than a regional economic block, was ultimately practical to the country’s needs and interests. Japan’s postwar policy orientation of not seeking hegemony in the region was also beneficial to Japan, and contributed to the stability of Asia.

(b)       Secondly, since losing the war, Japan has been taking the posture of non-nuclear arms, militarily non-threatening and peace-oriented country, and has done so with strong support from its citizens. This choice has served as a stabilizing factor in Asia and contributed to keeping tensions in the region from worsening. Because a choice for nuclear weapons is as much a political one for status and influence as it is a military one for security, Japan’s renouncement of such weapons expresses how the nation intends to define its identity and role in the world.

Also by not participating in the world’s arms market, despite its manufacturing competitiveness, Japan is effectively demonstrating that its “peace” identity is more important than economic gains. These economic as well as politico-military orientations will certainly be the proper, guiding principles for Japanese diplomacy in the future too.