The Rise of Militarism in Japan During the 1930s
Japanese militarism reached the peak高峰 in 1932-45. This era
was called the "Dark Valley黑暗的深淵" in Japanese history. In its simplest
meaning, militarism means prestige and greatness of Japan at the
expense犧牲 of other countries, an aggressive foreign policy,
dominance主導 and overall political control by military officers, a huge
military budget, an intensiveåŠ å¼·çš„ armament programme as well as
militarist attitudes of the people as a whole. The rise of Japanese
militarism in the 1930s was due to many factors.
Firstly, the emergence of Shintoism神é“æ•™ in the late Tokugawa era
provided Japanese militarism with the ideological foundation. Japanese
people were the offspring後代 of Sun Goddess天照大神. Hence they were
racially superior to other nations. Since Sun Goddess was the direct
ancestor祖先 of the Japanese royal family, so the tenno天皇 was the centre
of loyalty. Anyone who could influence the emperor was thus able to
command the whole state.
Japan's insular島嶼性 position and its separation from the Asian
continent as well as the seclusion鎖國policy of over 200 years had
contributed to the uniquenessç¨ä¸€ç„¡äºŒ of Japan's national identity and
culture. In addition, foreign imperialist aggression and the
subsequent unequal treaties during the late Tokugawa and early Meiji
periods added to Japanese patriotism愛國主義 and taught the Japanese that
"mightåŠ›é‡ is right". The traditional high social status of military
personnel was further enhancedæ高.
Some reform items of Meiji Modernization also helped spread militarism
throughout the cou...
... middle of paper ...
...ccount for the rise
of militarism in Japan. The League of Nations just paid lip
services沒實際行動 to stop Mussolini's aggression to Corfu科åš, Fiume阜姆港 and
Somaliland索馬里è˜, which encouraged Japanese militarists to follow an
expansionist foreign policy.
The Shenyang Incident of 1931ä¹ä¸€å…«äº‹è®Š showed the initialåˆæ¥
disobedienceä¸æœå¾ž of military men. The Guandong Armyé—œæ±è» invaded
Manchuria without the consentåŒæ„ of the Tokyo central government. In
the "May 15 Incident五一五事件" of 1932 Premier Inukai犬養毅 was shot to death
by naval officers and army cadetsè»æ ¡å¸ç”Ÿ. Frequent political
assassinations暗殺 and use of various terrors made party politicians
submissive屈æœ. In 1940 the Imperial Rule Assistance Association大政翼贊會
started militarist rule formally in Japan.
Once significant recurring theme affecting Japanese planning for war was the psychology of arrogance ...
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The Korean War, also known as the forgotten war , was one of the most brutal and violent wars of the 20th century. Less than five million people died during this war. My grandfather, Herbert Victor Sapper, was drafted during the time of the Korean War, but, he wasn’t sent to Korea, he was sent to Japan. Since my grandfather passed away in 1995, I gathered all of my information about my grandfather from my grandmother, Lelia Bell Sapper. Here is their story.
Japan's actions from 1852 to 1945 were stimulated by an extensive aspiration to elude the providence of 19th-century China and also to overtake as a great power. When Japanese soldiers stormed into Manchuria in 1931, Japan commenced the first in the succession of
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Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
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21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.
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Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...