How did the Manchurian Crisis and its results affect militarism in Japan?

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How did the Manchurian Crisis and its results affect militarism in Japan?

Part A: Plan of Investigation

Through early 1930's Japan was facing difficult economic times and conflict pertaining to the rights that they believed were rightfully theirs. On The night of September 18, 1931 the Manchurian crisis (Mukden Incident) took place. An explosion destroyed part of the Southern Manchurian railway which was owned by the Japanese. After this incident Japan started to began to lean into militarism. This event was a huge turning point for the country of japan as a whole. To what extent did the Manchurian Crisis affect militarism in Japan. This will be investigated through the analysis of the The Manchurian Crisis and Japanese Society, 1931-33 by Sandra Wilson, Conspiracy at Mukden: The Rise of the Japanese Military By Takehiko Yoshihashi , and South Manchurian Railway The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

Part B: Summary of Evidence

The Southern Manchurian railway was a Japanese owned extension of the Chinese Eastern Railway, when the Manchurian Crisis took place the Japanese soldiers that were put in place to protect the railway moved quickly to defend the interest of Japan. The Japanese automatically blamed this act on the Chinese. Later it was found that the crisis was actually enacted by the Japanese troops themselves in a scheme to expand Japan's power in Manchuria. The next day the Kwantung Army (section of the Imperial Japanese Army) was in full control of the city.

Part C: Evaluation of Sources

Sandra Wilson, The Manchurian Crisis and Japanese Society, 1931-33 (London: Routledge, 2002), 2, http://www.questiaschool.com/read/108172680.

This was written by Otto Tolischus, a journa...

... middle of paper ...

...aken control over the city. Otto D. Tolischus, a journalist at the time, believed that the crisis ‘put the military in the drivers seat’ and made the country war minded. Japan must have already been some what war minded if they were capable of planning this scheme to gain the power they wanted.

“From the beginning, Japanese observers referred to the dramatic series of events from September 1931 onwards as the Manchurian 'incident' (jihen), a term apparently denoting an undeclared war..” Many historians agree with this statement and others think it was not so much an undeclared war but it was a major turning point for military usage in japan. Some believe that it was the start to the road to pearl harbor. Historian takehiko Yoshihashi believed that the Manchurian crisis was responsible for bringing the army's influence into japanese politics.

Part E: Conclusion

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