Why Did Japan Choose War? Equipment was obsolete and poorly maintained, while ammunition was dear and hard to replace. Who were the men behind this drive? Japanese logisticians had assumed that the Soviets could not launch a major offensive any farther than 200-250 kilometers from a major supply base. In Japan, this led to the rise of ultra-right wing and nationalist leaders, such as Fumimaro Konoe and Sadao Araki, who advocated uniting Asia under the rule of the emperor. The Japanese knew what it was. Critics have claimed, however, that even during this brief period there was no true republican system in Japan. Japanese estimates of U.S. warship production through December 1945 were close enough for any staff to plan a war. Why Did Japan Choose War? Certain events of the years between 1932 and Pearl Harbor had convinced even the arrogant descendants of the gods that the United States was not going to be pushed around much longer. Jan 20, 2021 - The 2021 AHA Jobs Report The higher education faculty job market for historians grew a modest 0.9 percent in 2019–20, fueled by a 7 percent rise in tenure-track positions. To understand why Japan lashed out, we must go back to World War I. Japan had been our ally. We know that the Japanese will be defeated. Their period of influence reached its high point with the signing of the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Because Japan could not successfully fight a long war, planners assumed it would be short—in accordance with the decisive battle doctrine. The government of Japan during the ten years before Pearl Harbor has been aptly described as “government by assassination.”. They underestimated the toughness of Australian and U.S. infantry in New Guinea. How Can We Keep the Japanese from Future Aggression? The extremists are sometimes referred to as the “younger officers,” because many of them were below the rank of colonel. Huge Mistake: Why Did Imperial Japan Choose War? A valuable ally during World War I, the European powers and the U.S. recognized Japan as a colonial power after the war. Japan Before World War I: Until the late 1860s, the Japanese were a backward and isolated country, and as they watched China fall to outside forces, several in Japan began to fear a similar fate. By the end of its occupation of Korea, Japan had even waged war on people’s family names. Even big business, since 1937 an uneasy partner in the wartime economy, could no longer offer effective opposition to the fascists in uniform. “Soldiers have always saved Japan,” said fire-eating General Araki. Why did Japan do it? But we must never forget that all Japanese children are instructed in these beliefs from the cradle and that many of the strongest of Japanese emotions are centered in them. Dangerously ignorant of the world outside Japan, they dislike foreigners and regard prosperous Japanese businessmen and politicians who have absorbed Western culture with a mixture of envy and suspicion. The so-called “liberals” of Japan who came to the fore after 1920 were not liberal in our sense of the word. He is worshiped, but he does not originate either policy or action. But they did, advocate a moderate foreign policy to further the expansion of international trade and they realized the value of remaining on friendly terms with the United States. Could the United States Have Avoided a Showdown? By 1930 there was serious discontent in the armed forces. The truth of the matter seems to be that the government did not create a new faith or loyalty. To follow the rise of military-fascist dictatorship in Japan it is necessary to understand the unique position which the armed forces occupy in the government and in, the minds and hearts of the people. Japan Counted Planes and Ships Correctly, but Overlooked the Intangibles. From EM 15: What Shall Be Done about Japan after Victory? It was often worse than disdain; it became a virulent, decades-long, government-driven indoctrination of contempt. The mingling of emperor worship with the glorification of war, plus continued victories over half a century, have given the army and navy a popular prestige that will be hard to destroy. The bad thing is, that those Japanese soldiers probably didn't tell their families what they did so later generations, a hundred years from now, will probably think everyone is speaking bullcrap when accusing Japan of the war crimes. Shall We Destroy Japanese Trade and Industry? The army took over the conduct of affairs in China, allowing the politicians little or no say. By a combination of bluff and bloodshed Japan’s warlords, in less than half a century, had increased their holdings from 147,669 square miles to more than 1,000,000. Huge Mistake: Why Did Imperial Japan Choose War? For the purposes of this pamphlet the principal causes of Japanese aggression may be summarized as follows: The Japanese actually believe that they are descendants of the gods, that their emperor is divine, and that they have a heaven-inspired mission to rule the world. Please note that the pamphlets did not list specific authors, due to the often significant rewriting by staff and censorship by the War Department and other agencies in the federal government. A known known was the extent America’s 1941 aviation strength. In order to execute this ideology and grow its military, Japan needed more natural resources to increase its industrial productivity and strength. It had allies in this fight--most importantly Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Many historians think the note was designed to draw Japan into war and thus claim Japan was not the aggressor nation in the Pacific War. What Should We Do When Japan Has Been Defeated? In February 1933, Japan quit the League of Nations, burning its most important bridge with the outside world. The war involved people from all over the world. For centuries the imperial power has been in the hands of a few nobles, soldiers, or statesmen who had the strength to use it. Subcategories. The “New Order in Greater East Asia,” to include not only China but the rich territories in southern Asiatic waters, became the official foreign policy. The army underestimated Soviet prowess, firepower, and logistical sustainability before Nomonhan in 1939. At the end of World War I, the victorious powers handed the Japanese a mandate over the former German islands north of the equator, one of the most important strategic areas in the Pacific. Allied forces ordered Japan to abolish the In 1941, a known unknown for the Japanese was certainly a realistic estimate of America’s projected aircraft production for 1942. After 1868 the old system of warrior clans was abolished and universal conscription was introduced. But the big landowners and industrialists were not prepared to accept changes which threatened their interests. As a result, they underestimated its considerable impact, both on field forces and on logistics. But that was not the starting point of Japanese aggression. Relevance. Did Japan Have to Go to War for Economic Reasons? "War of the Year of the Yang Earth Dragon"), sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution, was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the Imperial Court.. Should Japan Pay Damages? Only a few Americans seem to have realized that the peace and security of the United States were being endangered every time Japan seized a slice of its neighbors’ territory. The most serious short-term strategic failure in estimating the enemy concerned the Allies’ ability to recuperate after the first Japanese blows. At the head of the state is the emperor, assisted by his privy council. A citizen’s duties and obligations to the nation are emphasized, but almost no recognition is given to his rights. On the other hand, a powerful army and navy tuned to a high pitch of enthusiasm and efficiency are a strong temptation to a war-minded government in time of crisis. © Copyright 2021 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. China could easily be subdued. The army had another sort of program in mind—expansion by force in China to overcome Japan’s dependence on foreign trade, plus a military dictatorship with the emperor as figurehead, and a wartime “controlled economy” on the home front. Can Japan Pay Damages? There is nothing to be gained by reproaching ourselves for not having read the future correctly. Nationalist leaders in Japan desired to unite all of Asia under one emperor, an ideology known as hakkô ichiu. There were, in 1937, a total of 10 fairly well-trained Chinese divisions. However, the Soviets launched their victorious campaign 600 kilometers from the nearest major supply base. The declaration passed with just one dissenting vote. There is a cabinet, headed by the prime minister, and a parliament consisting of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives, the latter elected by the people. The Futures of History from the Liberal Arts College Perspective, AHA Colloquium Information for Those Accepted for the 2021 Program, AHA Council Annual Meeting Travel Grant Recipients, Jerry Bentley World History Travel Grant Recipients, Beveridge Family Teaching Prize Recipients, William and Edwyna Gilbert Award Recipients, J. Franklin Jameson Fellowship Recipients, Helen & Howard R. Marraro Prize Recipients, Fellowship in Aerospace History Recipients, National Institute of Social Sciences Annual Meeting Travel Grant Recipients, Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award Recipients, Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award Recipients, Dorothy Rosenberg Phi Beta Kappa Travel Grant Recipients, Award for Scholarly Distinction Recipients, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013, Donors to the Association, July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, Policies and Documents of the Association, EM 15: What Shall Be Done about Japan after Victory? They estimated British forces in Singapore at 30,000 when there were 85,000. In recent years Japanese education and propaganda have featured a phrase supposed to have been used by the first emperor—eight corners of the world under one roof. Doing nothing is a viable strategic option, and oftentimes a good one. In July of that year Japanese naval guns fired on Chinese ships without warning. Their own rather vague political philosophy was not unlike Hitler’s National Socialism. “To our soldiers will fall the grave responsibility for quieting unrest in our agrarian communities—both material and spiritual unrest.” To gain their ends the army extremists developed two characteristically Japanese methods: first, resorting to direct military action in China without authorization by the government; and second, terrorism against their political opponents at home. Every department of the national life—industry, commerce, agriculture, education, the press, even religion—is subject to their will. Historians agree Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 for two main reasons: ideology and natural resources. Economic resources were at a low ebb; this was the chief weakness. The speeches and writings of Japanese statesmen and superpatriots in modern times reveal dozens of similar warnings of their intentions. In the summer of 1940 all political parties “voluntarily” disbanded. Japan began the war facing the possibility that every bit of U.S. manpower, matériel, and resolve (and a little of Britain’s) would be aimed at Japan alone. Japan started in business as a land-grabbing power in a small way. By the end of World War Two, Japan had endured 14 years of war, and lay in ruins - with over three million dead. In 1894-1895, Japan defeated China in a short war and gained control of the island. Actually, the emperor is a figurehead. Repeated Underestimating of the Enemy’s Strength, Faulty estimates of enemy strength originated during fighting in China. Key point: Tokyo's warplanners mistakenly thought that Washington would demoralized and sue for peace. When we study it reasonably well, and so acquire some usable habits of mind, as well as some basic data about the forces that affect our own lives, we emerge with relevant skills and an enhanced capacity for informed citizenship, critical thinking, and simple awareness. They considered it inconceivable that the landing was anything more than a reconnaissance. Could the United States Have Avoided a Showdown? In fact, as War Minister Hajime Sugiyama had assured the Emperor in 1937, Japan could crush China in a month. The United States objected to the Second Sino-Japanese War and the occupation of part of China by Japanese troops. In 1910, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan after years of war, intimidation and political machinations; the country would be considered a part of Japan until 1945. 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