The Japanese expansionism during the first part of the Shōwa Era: 1926-1945

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/16/2009

Category :

History & geography

Sub category :

Modern history

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Summary :

Introduction.
The context which explains the expansionism.
1. The ideological background.
2. The Greater Asia Co-Prosperity sphere.
3. The economic development organisms.
4. The military structure.
The main conflicts led by Japan during that period.
1. Manchuria.
2. The war against China: The second Sino-Japanese war.
3. The Second World war.
The role of the emperor and the consequences.
1. Was the emperor guilty?
2. The new analysis about the Emperor role.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.

Abstract

In 1926, Hirohito, the grandson of the Meiji emperor, reached the throne and chose Showa ("enlightened Peace") as the official name of his reign. However, the General Tanaka Giichi became Prime Minister in 1927, confirming the dominating role of the army. The fast industrialization of the country involved a strong growth of the production. In front of the insufficiency of its outlets on the domestic market, Japan took back its policy of aggressive expansion with regard to China. Having doubled its population since 1868, Japan argued soon in favour of an extension of space and its resources. That period was deeply marked with a great sense of nationalism. That subject is a very vast one, and leads to the development of many concepts, events, even controversies, and their consequences. Thus, I will first define the contextual background around that period. Then, I will deal with the main conflicts led by Japan which illustrate the expansionism of the country (but I won't depict precisely the battles during the conflicts-only the main facts-, since this essay is not about war strategies but more about the japanese expansionist ideology and strategy).