Militarism in Japan: Ch. 19.4: pages 583-585

Japan and the West

• Post WWI• Received Germany’s Pacific islands north of the equator• Third largest naval power after Great Britain and the U.S.• Bitter towards the west; not viewed as an equal.

• League of Nations refused to accept Japan’s statement on racial equality.

• US banned further Japanese immigration.• Japanese staged demonstrations• Boycotted American goods

• Angered by West’s refusal to support Japanese policy in China.

Social and political tensions

• Population explosion• 35 mil in 18872 to 60 mil in 1925

• Industrial growth• Emphasis on manufacturing and foreign trade

• Hoped it would provide employment• Encourage expansion of heavy industry, but needed capital• 1920s and 1930s—industry grew rapidly and manufactured goods

flood world markets.• But this stimulated the need for raw materials—forced to look

elsewhere.

Social and political changes

• Rural labor moved to urban industries

• Labor unions become more powerful• Working class demanded more social changes

• Western influences were changing the urban landscape.

• 1925, universal male suffrage; women in 1947

Political weaknesses

• Hirohito; constitutional monarch.

• Military leaders were opposed to democratic reforms.

• Great Depression devastated Japan.

• Silk industry and other industries were hurting and millions of workers lost their jobs.• Workers and people turned to strong military leaders– emperor just a

figure head.

• Militarism flourished.• Opposition of western ideas—clothes, etc.• School children carried out military drills in schools.

Military expansion

• September 1931, Japan expands into Manchuria.

• 1932, military leaders would kill anyone who opposed their viewpoints—Prime minister

• By 1937, the army and the government were one.