THE RISE OF MILITARY IN JAPAN
(1931-1945)
THE RISE OF MILITARY
Japanese Militarism
Period of militarism
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Involvement in Politics
1931-1945Considered as the peak period
The Factors:•Adopt modernization •Become stronger
Military reform
•Lack of resources in Japan•iron, oil, and coal
Economic Factors
•Freedom from civilian control enjoyed by the Japanese armed forces.•Had decisive say in formation or survival of the civilian government
Independence of the military
Cont.
•Politicians were corrupted•Unable to solve Japan’s economic difficulties in 1920s
Dissatisfaction with the government
•Encourages of Japanese racial superiority•Encourages overseas aggression•Black Dragon society, League of Blood, Sakurakai (Cherry society)
Existence of Ultra-
nationalist secret
societies
The Conflicts:
The Factions
The control faction
(Tosei-ha)
The Imperial Way faction(Kodo-ha)
Cont.
Manchuria Incident
•Kwantung Army under leadership of Ishiwara Kanji•Blew up the railroad in Mukden (1931) and blamed it on Chinese troops•This action without government authorization
Plot of successio
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•In March 1931 by the control faction•Planned political assassination but abandoned it
Cont.
Inoue Nissho’s blood
brootherhood
•1932•Civilian extremist•Attack those whom they blamed for agrarian distress•Together with young naval, a few army cadets-extensive attacks on minister and public offices
Faction versus faction
•In beginning Imperial Way faction was in a strong position within the army•Some series of killing happened•Later took over by the Control faction
The Consequences
Creation of Manchu-kuo
•Created by the Japanese under Pu yi –the last of Manchu’s emperor•Japan created its own administration and assumed the rights of extra-territoriality
Military government •Under general Tojo Hideki•Ended the Japanese civilian control
Cont.
Japanese Imperialism
•Japanese expansion to China, Indo- china and South East Asia.
Involvement in Pacific war
•Started with the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941
The collapse of militarism
Attack on Pearl Harbor – prompting the United States to declare war
with Japan
1942- Japan defeated in
battle of Midway
1943- again lost in the battle
of Tarawa
1945- US drops Atomic bombs in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki
Ended the military power
Hiroshima after the bombing
Mushroom cloud from the atomic explosion over Nagasaki
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