A History Of Knowledge What The Modern Age Knew Part 1: The Age Of World Wars Chapter 8: Japan Piero Scaruffi (2004) www.scaruffi.com Edited and revised by Chris Hastings (2013) “We are not shooting "Pacifism is objectively enough professors” pro-Fascist.” - Lenin’s telegram “An eye for an eye - George Orwell, 1942 makes the whole world "The size of the lie is a blind” definite factor - Mahatma Gandhi “What good fortune for in causing it to be governments that the believed” people do not think” - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler Japan Economic boom of 1905-13 Mostly driven by military expenses 2 Japan Economic boom of 1915-20 Fueled by World War I and maritime trade (European shipping was destroyed by war) 3 Japan Stagnation of 1920-1932 Collapse of banking system in 1927 Great Depression of 1930 4 Japan Economic boom of 1932 Fueled by devaluation of yen (cheaper exports) and military expenses 5 Japan Most exports are manufactured goods competing with European goods Economy controlled by small number of business leaders, "zaibatsu" (Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Yasuda) 6 Japan Industrialization Urbanization Higher education 7 Japan "Ero, guro and nansensu:” Western-inspired lifestyle 8 Japan Power shared by Oligarchs of Meiji Restoration Military commanders Zaibatsu (business leaders) 9 Japan Country of powerful earthquakes and storms Theocracy that borrows political and economic elements from China and West 10 Japan No system of law (system of consensus among elite) Bushido code rules army 11 Japan After 1931, military dictatorship under nominal imperial rule Parliament “is” opposition 12 Japan “Kodoha”/“The Imperial Way” (1932): Shinto revived as military expansionist ideology Booming population (64 million in 1930, growing by one million per year) 13 Japan – Western Influence Large industrial groups created within two generations: Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Yasuda, etc. 14 Japan – Western Influence Evolution of British-style “democracy” (1920s), but… Largely symbolic vs military power Universal male suffrage (1925) 15 Japan – Western Influence Fascist/communist-style military violence and rationalization of mass murder General Sadao Araki’s (1931- 34) fanatical opposition to communism 16 Japan – Western Influence Territorial expansion viewed as essential to modernization (mimicking European powers) 17 Japan 1922 treaty with Britain and USA Elevates Japan’s status as power Guarantees Japan naval superiority in Pacific 18 Japanese Liabilities 35.9% of Japan’s trade is with USA (1929) Manchuria’s resources essential to sustain Japan’s industry Scarce natural resources and booming population 19 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Booming economy depends on foreign raw materials (notably USA oil) Ambition to create self-sufficient empire on model of Western ones 20 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Nobody in charge Unlike Germany, Russia, and Italy where one man is in charge 21 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Nobody in charge cont’d Unlike Britain, France, and USA, where democratically-elected government is in charge) 22 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Nobody in charge cont’d 1931: War with China initiated by low-level officers 1932: Murder of prime minister by nationalist officers 23 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Nobody in charge cont’d 1934: Puppet state of Manchuria established by army 1936: Attempted putsch by nationalist officers 24 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities Nobody in charge cont’d 1937: War with China initiated by troops 1938: Military law grants power to generals 25 JapanJapanese – Liabilities Liabilities War economy de facto run by army 26 Japanese Public Less nationalistic than army Fascists lose election of 1937, unlike Italy in 1922 and Germany in 1933 27 Japanese Public Views Japanese military actions as legitimate Hypocrisy of Western powers that condemn Japanese actions in China after having conquered most of planet 28 Japanese Public Views Japanese military actions as legitimate cont’d Need of Japanese economy for resources of Southeast Asia, which is occupied by European powers (Holland, France, Britain) 29 Japanese Public Views Japanese military actions as legitimate cont’d Japan helped Chinese revolutionaries of 1911 and even trained its army 30 Japanese Public Views Japanese military actions as legitimate cont’d Atrocities in China not well known USA embargo that cripples Japanese ambitions viewed as unfair 31 Japanese Public Very little internal dissent to actions of military At end of World War II, very little sense of individual guilt 32 Japan 1931: Invasion of Manchuria from Korea 1933: Invasion of China’s Hebei province 1934: Establishment of puppet state in Manchuria 33 Japan 1934: Japan repudiates London Naval Treaty 1937: Full-scale war with China (“Rape of Nanjing,” 350,000 dead) 1938: Japan seizes Canton 34 Japan 1940: Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy 1941: Japan attacks USA 1945: Japan surrenders to China and USA 35 This is a chapter in Piero Scaruffi’s “A History Of Knowledge:” http://www.scaruffi.com/know .