Government E-1275: Session #2. The Rise of Japan and the Pacific War What is distinctive about Asia as a world region? 2. Was the Pacific War inevitable? 3. What were the consequences of Japanese imperialism?

Asia as a Distinctive World Region 1.Early development of a relatively centralized state organization on the Chinese mainland. –“universal domination” (Victoria Hui). –Balance of power/threat; rising costs of expansion. –Qin ( BC). –“Divide and conquer strategies,” “ruthless tactics,” state- building. 2. Early development of merit-based civil service and bureaucratic state (David Kang): –Confucianism and Confucian ideals. –Tang Dynasty (8 th century); Korea (10 th c); Vietnam (12 th). –“…genuine admiration for the Chinese civilization, and conscious efforts to emulate [its polity].”

Asia as a Distinctive World Region (cont.) 3. Hierarchy and Sino-centric world order (Takeshi Hamashita): –Tributary system: Emissaries and tributes, in return for trade & diplomatic relations. –Political legitimacy for surrounding polities. –“Concentric circles” of inferior civilizations and “barbarians.” –Sovereignty (Europe) vs. Suzerainty (Asia): cultural and symbolic system of hierarchy. –Reinterpretation of Japanese imperialism since the late 19 th century. –Relevance to the contemporary rise of China? (D. Kang).

Asia as a Distinctive World Region (cont.) 4. Effects of Western imperialism in the 19 th century: –India: British East India Company; formal colony ( ). –China: internal & external problems of the Qing dynasty; Opium Wars ( , ); unequal treaties; treaty port system. –Japan: Tokugawa bakufu (military government); unequal treaties; collapse of the Tokugawa regime (1868). –Southeast Asia. 5. Nationalism and anti-Western ideology. –Resistance against Western imperialism compelled nationalists to promote modernization.

The Rise of Japan: The Meiji Restoration Insurgency from the Satsuma and Choshu provinces. –Humiliation of the unequal treaties; poverty, inflation. –“Honor the emperor, expel the barbarians.” The revolutionary consequences of the “Restoration”: –Abolish the rule of provincial military rulers (daimyo). –Strong military: universal military conscription (1873). –Centralized tax system. –Universal compulsory education (1872). –Abolish Tokugawa’s status system. –Transform foreign policy: “Rich Nation, Strong Army” –Restore the power and authority of the Japanese emperor.

SAIGO Takamori as the Last Samurai?

The Meiji Political System and Imperialism The Meiji Constitution (1889): –Emperor: supreme command of the military; “emergency imperial decrees.” –Privy Council. –House of Peers, House of Representatives. Meiji imperialism: –Sino-Japanese War ( ): reparations; control of Taiwan; railroad building rights in southern Manchuria; “independence” of Korea. –Russo-Japanese War ( ): Boxer Rebellion ( ); railroad building/leasing of ports in Manchuria; “exclusive right” on Korea’s internal affairs.

“Imperial democracy” and Militarism Development of “imperial democracy”: –Empire and “taxation without democracy.” –Economic effects of World War I. –Expansion of voting rights: universal male suffrage in –Meaning of “imperial democracy.” Militarism. –Global economic depression. –Imperial Japanese military: dissatisfaction with the status quo (e.g. Washington Naval Treaty). –Political assassinations at home: PM INUKAI Tsuyoshi’s assassination (May 1932); “February 26 Incident” (1936). –Manchurian Incident (Sept. 1931), and Manchukuo (Feb. 1932). –Left the League of Nations (1933). –Marco Polo Bridge Incident (July 1937).

Origins of the Pacific War Mearsheimer (offensive realism) vs. Taliaferro (defensive realism). Emperor’s war responsibility (Herbert Bix): –Frequent meetings/constant questioning of generals, admirals, and field commanders. –Disagreement among services: sided w/ more expansionist/aggressive strategies. –Delayed surrender: concern with saving himself and the institution of the imperial family. –MacArthur: postwar “humanization” and deliberate “exoneration” of his moral and political responsibility.

Nature Consequences of Japanese Imperialism High intensity of repression and investment. –Korea: geographical proximity and shared racial/cultural traits: long time horizon (Kohli, p. 1272). –Korea: state-building (bureaucracy, police, education, tax collection, infrastructure development). –Economic development/productivity growth in colonial Korea: Its effects on South Korea’s economic miracle? The Nanjing Massacre (Dec Jan. 1938). –Atrocities: Why? Japanese memory of war as “victims” rather than “perpetrators.”

Conclusions 1.Legacies of the Sino-centric world order (?). –China as a “civilizational state” (Kang, P. Katzenstein) vs. European state system and imperilism in the 19 th -20 th c. 2. Multiple (realist) causes of Japan’s rise and the road to the Pacific War. 3. Japan’s “history problem.” –Prime Minister ABE to FUKUDA. –Root causes remain unresolved.