Politics And History Of Japan Essay

Nazi rule in Germany was unleashed after the Reichstag Fire in Berlin and almost 3 years after this, the February 26 incident helped to go into militaristic rule in lacquer. The February 26 incident awakened the sleeping giant that was lacquer and triggered off major human being conflicts.The February 26 misadventure On February 26, 1936 a breakaway religious order of the violet japanese legions composed of young junior officers and verbalise wholeegiance to the Kodo ha faction within the army, slipped into the middle of Tokyo and captured key g overnment buildings including the one which housed the nutriment or Nipponese parliament and Army headquarters. Groups raided the residences of the native Minister and ranking(prenominal) officials in an attempt to assassinate them. Prime Minister Okada Keisuke had a concentrate escape when the dissents kil direct his brother in law instead.Others, among them the Finance Minister, were murdered. Subsequently that day, the r ebel faction went to the Army Minister to make their demands. They declared the government high-risk to take in the affairs of lacquer not able to do affluent for it as a forces power, instead more involved with government activity and their self- interest. The action, the group declared was taken in the name of the emperor moth. They demanded an immediate decay of the Government and the installation of a military General sympathetic to their cause.However, this incense Emperor Hirohito who was appalled at the killing of senior colleagues. He summoned adjutant stork de Camp General Shigeru Honjo and declared the faction members as rebels who were acting with forbidden the endorsement of the majestic Army. The Emperor wanted the rebellion to be squashed. entirely Army retaliation was not forthcoming as senior officers were still in agreement with the agenda of the rebels. However the Toseiha faction in the Army which was against the doctrines of the Kodo Ha, volunteered j ust run to the Emperor and sluice the Imperial Nipponese navy blue sprung into action, touching its ships into the Tokyo Bay to cut off the rebels. When Emperor Hirohito was informed close the reluctance of the Army to take decisive action, he vowed to personally lead his Imperial Guard into the fray.The pursuit day, martial law was declared and the rebels were package in and pamphlets of the Emperors resolution were circulated indicating that on that point was no support from any of the forces for their attack. General Honjo, once a believer of Kodo Ha doctrines was on the Emperors side.The wretched lasted till February 29 when the army move in to capture the rebels and senior members of the faction were ordered to commit seppuku or ritual suicide rather than lose their honor in a public trial. Other junior officers were spared. Altogether, 70 coup members were arrested and prosecuted for the crime.1Subsequent Events The quartette day siege resulted in martial law bein g stretched to July. The army, catching an opportunity, used the power provided by martial law to expand its powers and budget. Prime Minister Okada was replaced by Koki Hirota. This effectively ushered in totalitarian rule in japan which was to set the stage for the Second Sino lacquerese warfare.2Historical desktop of MilitarismIn japanese history, the design of the military, or to be more precise, militarism has had an elicit role in shaping japans world view. Militarism stands for a farmings strength and should play a dominating role in political as advantageously as cordial life.The stoop of militarism goes back to the days of the Meiji Restoration, cognize in Japan as the Meiji Ishin or Revolution. This period stretched back to the days of the Tokugawa Shogunate and caused far reaching social changes in Japan of the late 19th century. This was a direct reply to the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perrys choke of American ships on Japanese shores.Commodore Perry coer ce a treaty ending 200 years of Japanese disengagement in matters of business enabling trade between Japan and the fall in States. The Restoration came into being with the Satsuma Choshu Treaty which ultimately led to swearing of complete allegiance of the ruling Shoguns of that date to the Emperor. This was a creed minacious all defiance to the Emperor (as Japanese history of that period depicts). close to Japanese leaders of that period were of Samurai descent and swore by the codes of the ancient Samurais verity and allegiance to the ruler, dignity and honesty. The Japanese perception of events of that time was that the rural areas sovereignty was threatened by outside forces. This justified building up a strong economical and military foundation to snack counter such(prenominal) a threat. This tradition continued till the 1800s when mass rough drawing to the army and navy was considered an indication of unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor.Part of the mind for the widespread intrusion of militarism with to 1878 was the complete detachment of the forces from civilian society. The stave instructions established by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were trusty for formulating all defense strategy and were directly below the command of the Emperor. The stave Chiefs were therefore under no obligation to the Prime Minister or any form of civilian law,During the Taisho period there was a harvest-tide to democratic governance when the Washington naval Treaty was signed and Japan participated in the League of Nations further to crumple with the onset of the owing(p) economic depression in 1929 when the world economy collapsed and caused trade barriers to be compel by air jacketern nations.This was also coupled with domestic problems at piazza where several radical groups surfaced and there was even an attempt on the Emperors life, in 1932. These distressing events gave rise to patriotic feelings (maybe misplaced) in Japan. such(prenomina l) jingoism saw the military as the only solution to Japans seemingly unending series of crises. The romantic notion that it was time for an Asian resurrection under Japanese rule took root.With the signing of the London Naval Treaty in 1930 by Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi and his party, the Navy was heavily curbed in influence. This was seen by both the opposition and the military as endangering the countrys security. This whipped up jingoistic sentiment to the extent that Hamaguchi was killed in 1930 and the drawing interlude with democratic rule came to an abrupt end. Subsequently, patriotic fervor in Japan gave the military free rein in Asia.3This was responsible for Japans involvement in several Asian conflicts the Boxer Rebellion, public warfare 1, the Russo Japanese War. The infamous Manchurian Incident of 1931 led to Japanese forces take-.over of all Manchuria to protect Japans interests, chiefly Manchurian vegetable petroleum fields. The idea of military expansion ism drove Japan into successive conflicts with China. In fact, there even was an attempted coup in Tokyo labeled the Imperial Colors Incident which failed but was not made public knowledge.Ultimately, however, the triumphant domination of Japanese militarism failed to establish a dictatorship. The first nails into its coffin were driven by the government of Konoe Fumimaro, when, following wartime priorities his government, through the subject field Mobilization Law, brought all of Japans assets under its purview. Also, in 1940, the formation of the Imperial manage Assistance Association led to a single party political rule much discrediting the military.On February 26, 1936, the rebel officers would hardly agree been to see all this when they tried to take over Tokyos streets and were unleashing a murderous campaign. Until recent times, much romantic lore still encircled military campaigns which allude to the glory of Japans military and Samurai kindred allegiance to the Emp eror.The Emperor still re master(prenominal)s a symbol of sovereignty in Japan and is much revered, being treated like a Head of State but is no longer the supreme office staff over all Japans matters specially build up conflicts. Yukio Mishima utter about the glory of Japan and the Emperor just before committing suicide inside a military barracks in 1970 and he was a wholesome known literary figure in Japan who wrote a novelette on the February 1936 Incident proving that modern Japanese society still retains vestiges of its gray fascination for matters martial.The members of the group that was behind the failed coup in 1936 are even being seen by some academics as. These were misguided bunch of young radicals who were only acting for Japan and God. They were not as ruthless as members of Hitlers army were during the days of the Putsch.4February 26, 1936 Its ImplicationsUnder Koki Hirotas rule m Japan and China engaged in the biggest war Asia right through 1945 from 1937 onwa rd. The trend of militarism and military aspirations made stronger by the February Incident increased Japanese military invasion in Asian territory mainly to buttress its economic interests. The Second Sino Japanese War was directly the result of Japanese policy toward China aimed at exploiting its natural reserves like oil. every bit aggressive was the Chinese stance founded upon a new found recognition of the unity of the Chinese people and their right to their own territory. A series of comparatively smaller sized conflicts led to a spacious surpass conflagration. In 1937The invasion of Manchuria described above and particularly, the Marco Polo twainIncident of 1937 led to the war.Lugou Bridge in China is also known as the Marco Polo Bridge because Marco polo is supposed to have referred to this bridge while on his travels. It was controlled on its west end by the Japanese army and on the East by the Chinese Kuomintang Army. The bridge was a lifeline to capital of Red Chi na to all areas under the Chinese armys command if this bridge fell Beijing would too.5On June 1937, Japanese forces sent a message to the Kuomintang on the occidental end of the bridge about a missing soldier who big businessman have gone over. They asked to be allowed to carry out a explore on the opposite end. The Chinese refused the request acting under orders from their command chain. The Japanese countered this with a threat to open artillery fire if they were not allowed through.The prolonged aftermath saw led to the Japanese finally annihilative the Kuomintang resistance and driving on toward Beijing and taking it over following which Japan had assumed control over the northern China Plain, a strategically important region. The northern China Plain has Beijing to its North East edge and Tianjin , an important industrial center on its North coast, What the Japanese actually did was to set up a puppet demesne called Manchuoko , in Manchuria, installing the last Chines e Emperor as a figurative head. This region actually prospered and its steel production exceeded Japans.Japan even gave up its membership of the League of Nations in 1933 after internationalistic protests over the incident but continued with its trespass in Chinese territory.Following the Marco Polo bridge incident, China and Japan engaged in full scale conflict from 1937 till 1945. On December, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a full scale attack on the American excrete docked at Pearl moderate.The compulsion of Japanese militarism post the February 1936 Incident and its avaricious instincts in Asia made Japan very sensitive to the mien of others in the region. Its attack on Pearl Harbor was part of a contraceptive device strategy aimed at deflecting what its military leaders saw as a build up of American interests in the region. Preventive conflicts have always risen because one or the other side believes that an offensive will result in preventing some projected or incoming incident. In Japans case it was its apprehension that American presence in the region was building up and would result in counter aggression for control over its territories in Asia and the Pacific.Pearl Harbor was the base for the American Naval Fleet and was attacked by almost 6 carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Waves of air attacks were also launched from the Navy vessels and over 300 aircraft flew over Pearl Harbor and destroyed the standing American fleet of ships.By this attack, America was forced to abandon its position of neutrality and enter into innovation War 2. For long America was also building up its armed presence in Indo China as we as the East Indies as part of a series of counterbalancing moves aimed at keeping a specify on Japanese movement in the region which was aggressively aimed at securing Asia and therefore its supreme position as its leader.Japan. Specifically, the objective of the Pearl Harbor attack was to secure Japanese advances in to the East Indies islands and Malaya, both rich sources of oil and rubber. President Roosevelt was conscious of this when he ordered his fleet be strategically stationed in the Philippines region. According to Japanese assumption a complete halt to American activity in the Pacific region turned out to be completely wrong and it eventually had to surrender to American host in 1945 bringing an end to World War II.6The Axis compactIn September 1940, Japan entered into a pact also known as the three-way Pact, with Fascist Italy and Adolph Hitlers Nazi Germany which was the official resolving power of the Axis Powers against the Allied powers. At the height of their power all 3 members commanded huge territories in Europe and Indo-China.Japan was under Emperor Hirohito and its main objective of signing the Pact was to protect its protect its military and economic bases in the pacific region. When Europe was engaged in its conflict with Germany, Japan insidiously moved into Europea n colonies around the Pacific. America was the only nation to alert to Japanese intentions in this part of the world and countered Japan.Japanese believed that a war with the West was inevitable given its cultural differences but, given its uncurbed militarism, Japans intentions were also materialistic. However, a certain section of the military leadership believed the conflict was to be aimed at hemming in Soviet Russia. But relations with the USA were also strained with American sponsored embargos on Japan m partly in response to its offensives against China. Japan saw US action against it as an act of western Imperialism and proceeded to band with Germany and Italy through the Tripartite Pact.Japan rushed headlong into its military inspired acquisitions also honed by the oil embargo imposed by the USA, which made it dependent on the resources of other countries. Many in Japan believed the conflict with the Americans could be persistent through negotiations but military leaders i nsisted on stepping up military offensive in Asia. When Germany was carrying out its Blitzkrieg in Europe m Japan was doing the same in Asia having control over large separate of Asia including Taiwan and Manchuria. But uncontrolled military offensives inevitably end and so did Japans end in the Battle of Midway when its fleet was destroyed by American ships.7The atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki preceded by the declaration of war by the Soviet Union broke Japans military might forcing it to surrender to America in 1945.The international War Crimes Tribunal sentenced Japanese military leaders to death. Japans militarism blind it to the might of Americas military might and made it carp at Chinese resistance. Its territories were taken under American control. The Japanese also miscalculated the output of the war machinery in America which h outrivaled that of Japans. Truly Japans military leaders had become complacent and could not understand that they were going through a dea th wish which was to almost score out Japan (the atom bombings) from the face of the Earth.8In conclusion it should be say that one good outcome was Japans access to American industrial technology and Japans subsequent rise to the worlds major industrial leader. Today, largely because of this Japan is also a technology leader and makes business conquests in place of military ones through its electronics goods ad cars. Japan wages its own internal battles with rising economic science problems and unemployment and job cutbacks but the collective Japanese psyche has grown acute to blind nationalism and tries to blend with the world.It now enjoys a stable country and single party rule with its armed forces under the command of the strand Minister, Japan has no need for war and a Pacifist theme has m in fact been built into the Constitution which forces it to renounce aggression and armed conflict .this was bequeathed to it by America after the .defeat of 1945. Japan is well on it s way to new millennium bidding goodbye to its aggression and the February Incident will always remain a blot on its history and its pacifist character.BibliographyGoddard, J Nation Management Making the nearly Out of It (Christchurch Howard & Price. 2006) pp 433-5Gervers, V Japan at War (Melbourne HBT Publishers Pvt. 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