combined humanities revision_elective history_fascist japan

8/16/2019 Combined Humanities Revision_Elective History_Fascist Japan

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Reasons for the Rise of Militarism in Japan:

1. The Diet’s Limited Power

2. Corruption Damaged Demora!’s Reputation

". Demorati Leaders #ailed to $ol%e &onomi Pro'lems

The farmers’ diffiult li%ing onditions The wor(ers’ diffiult li%ing onditions

Trade )m'alane

*reat Depression 1+2+

,. The $howa Restoration

-. Patrioti $oieties

. /rm!’s 0 a%!’s *reat )nfluene o%er the *o%ernment

. Militar! Ta(e3o%er of Japan

4. /merian &5pansion in the /sia3Paifi Region Threatened

Japanese Plans to Control the Region

+. 6orsening Relations with the 6est:

Paris Peae Conferene7 1+1+

6ashington a%al Conferene7 1+2131+22

London Disarmament Conferene7 1+"8

18. )mmigration Laws in the 9$/ in the mid31+28s

11. Resurgene of Chinese ationalism

6 h a t

l e d t o t h e

f a i l u

r e o f t h e

d e m

o r a t i

g o % e r n m e n t i n

J a p a n

) n t e r n a l

R e a s o n s

f o r t h e

R i s e o f t h e

M i l i t a r !

& 5 t e r n a l R e a s o n s

f o r t h e R i s e o f

t h e M i l i t a r !


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1. The Diet’s Limited Power:

The Diet had limited power and could not make important decisions but

the Army and Navy were more powerful than the rest of the Diet and

had direct access to the Emperor. They also had veto power, so that they

could veto any policies which were unfavourable to them, includingrecommended cuts to the military budget by the Diet. The Democratic

Government in apan thus failed because it was powerless and was unable

to command the clout carried by the military with the Emperor and were

unable to do anything to curb the military!s growing power.

2. Corruption Damaged Demora!’s Reputation:

As the election campaigns of democratic leaders were financed by

"aibatsus, many people believed rumours that democratic politicians were

corrupt because over the years some "aibatsus had been able to makethe government pass laws to benefit their companies. #hile some of

these rumours were true, some were made up by political rivals. At Diet

meetings, these accusations would continue and fights would break out.

As a result, the Democratic Government failed because the apanese

people did not support them as they thought they were corrupt and did

nothing but fight during Diet meetings instead of helping the people.

". Demorati Leaders #ailed to $ol%e &onomi Pro'lems:

Democratic leaders were unable to solve the problems of farmers who

suffered because they could not make profits from their small fields.

Tenant farmers also suffered from high rentals and low productivity.

#orkers in apan also suffered from poor working conditions and felt

that the government did not care about them.

apan also suffered from a trade imbalance due to its lack of raw

materials and had to import food to feed the apanese people. After the

#all $treet %rash, many apanese became unemployed because factories

shut down due to a fall in demand for goods. apanese farmers who had

always grown fewer crops in order to concentrate on producing silk for

the factories were badly hit by the drop in demand for silk.

Due to their failure to solve the problems of the farmers and workers,

the Democratic Government was not supported by the people.

&urthermore, the economic crisis which followed painted the Democratic


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Government in a bad light as it was powerless to make any decisions that

could save the country. %oupled with a lack of faith in its abilities, the

Democratic Government!s failure of solve all these problems lost it

valuable support and steered the apanese people to the arms of the

military.

&onomi Disaster after the 6all $treet Crash 6$C;

After the #$%, many apanese became unemployed because factories

shut down due to a fall in demand for goods. As a result of falling

unemployment, there was great suffering. As the democratic government

had been unable to solve their problems, they gave their support to the

military who promised effective solutions to their problems. apanese

farmers who had always grown fewer crops in order to concentrate on

producing silk for the factories were badly hit by the drop in demand forsilk. 'it by a drought and with low production, the farmers made less

money. As a result, many suffering farmers saw democracy as a failure as

it could not do anything to help them. They (oined the army and patriotic

societies and agreed with their stand on national reconstruction, military

strength and respect for authority, giving the military movement added

strength in numbers.

,. Patrioti $oieties

A growing number of patriotic societies associated with the Army andthe Navy were formed in apan. These societies and their members were

e)tremely nationalistic and believed in apan!s superiority. They also

believed in adopting an aggressive foreign policy. These societies led to

the rise of militarism in apan because many people who were

disillusioned with the democratic government and its failure to solve the

nation!s problems, (oined the patriotic societies and gave them their

support.

-. $howa Restoration

The $howa *estoration, which emphasi+ed nationalism, loyalty to the

Emperor, selfsacrifice and obedience, was apan!s response to the Great

Depression and foreign opposition of apan!s growing empire. The

movement re(ected #estern influences and produced youths who were

blindly loyal to the Emperor and apan. These youths also believed in

militarism and an aggressive foreign policy which led to a rise in support


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for militarism which was seen as a solution to end the economic problems

associated with the Great Depression.

. /rm!’s 0 a%!’s *reat )nfluene o%er the *o%ernment

Due to the limited power of the Diet, the military could wieldconsiderable power and had considerable influence over political

decisions. 'aving this influence allowed the military access to large

budgets from the government. &urthermore, the apanese Army had

been successful in #orld #ar - and as a result, was popular and gained

considerable support. The apanese Army also made use of their

influence to assassinate leaders who opposed them, gaining even more

power through fear.

. Militar! Ta(e3o%er of JapanThe military assassinated two rime /inisters between the years of 0123

and 0124 when they critici+ed the actions of the military. The murderers

were also let off with very light punishments.


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the 9$A could build. The apanese were angry that they were being

discriminated against and not respected for their military achievement.

As these agreements were presided upon by the democratic government,

they were seen as weak. The democratic government was seen as having

:betrayed! apan and being too :soft! in handling relations with the #est.This gave the military faction a cause to rally discontented apanese who

were already unhappy with the government for having been unable to

solve their economic problems.

18. )mmigration Laws in the 9$/ in the mid31+28s

Due to its isolationist and protectionism policy, the 9$A tried to

prevent Asian immigration. -t forbade the entry of all Asians e)cept

&ilipinos. There were also restrictions placed on e)isting Asian

migrants in the 9$A. These policies angered the apanese who sawthem as discriminatory. %oupled with the problems caused by the

Great Depression, many apanese turned away from Democracy and

supported an e)pansion of apan!s empire.

11. Resurgene of Chinese ationalism

reviously, apan had benefitted from a weakly ruled %hina and

managed to obtain many concessions and territories in North %hina.

'owever, when a united front was formed by the ;/T and %% to

fight the warlords, they gained control of %hina and the %hinese

demanded an end to all apanese Army in /anchuria? urged an

occupation of /anchuria before the %hinese grew stronger. This was

supported by many apanese and gave a rise to militarism in apan.


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#asist Japan: )mpat of Militarism on the Japanese people

Positi%e )mpat:

• roviding #ork

o Employed people by e)pandingbuilding programmes

generating much needed (obs

and helping apan recover

economically from the Great

Depression.

o @ne year of military service

took young men offunemployment for one year,

reducing the strain and

allowing them to contribute

financially towards their

families.

o #omen were given the

opportunity to work addingmuch needed workforce to

the economy and helping

apan recover economically

from the Great Depression .

• %ontrolling Education

o apanese children were given

years of compulsory freeschooling allowing the

apanese nation to educate

children and generate talent.

This also relieved the financial

burden of apanese families

• %ontrolling of #omen

o #omen who were workinglived in special flats so that

they could be monitored and

controlled

• %ontrolling #orkers

o #hile trade unions were not

banned, various workers!

groups were provided but allthey did was to work towards

brainwashing them and

turning them into obedient

workers willing to work for

the common good of the

country. This did not solve the

earlier problems of poor

working conditions faced bythe workers. -nstead, it

taught the workers to put

their right second and the

nation first, making them

accept the poor conditions

instead of fighting them so

that the country could

progress.

• %ontrolling the @pposition

o eace reservation 6aw

allowed the government to

arrest and imprison people


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who might not have sent their

children to school. The free

education also e5uipped the

children with the necessary

basic skills to contribute to

the economy in the future.

who were a danger to the

government or who were

critical of the government

suppressing political freedom

and allowing the military to

gain more power and act

unopposed.

o eople who were critical of

the government also lost their

(obs which suppressed the

peoples! freedom even more.

• %ontrolling Education

o -nfused military training and

brainwashed the children with

traditional ideas of self

sacrifice and total obedience

allowing the apanese military

to have a ready supply of

patriotic soldiers willing to lay

their lives down and sacrifice

themselves for the good of

apan and to help build the

country into an empire.

combined humanities revision_elective history_fascist japan

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