Morgan Clelland
HIST 274
Japanese Fascism
, In the aftermath of the damage of World War One and the economic meltdown that swept
through the world during the Great Depression, new forms of government arose in an attempt to
revive their nations and lead them to success. In the countries that became known as the Axis
powers, the form of government that eventually arose was fascism. While many characteristics
defined these governments, a definition may be given of a strong authoritarian government that
is built upon heavy military buildup and extensive economic interference and which emphasizes
hypernationalism, violence, and/or propaganda to achieve its means. While Germany and Italy
may be considered extreme fascist examples, Japan offered a contrast. The Japanese military
government may have employed fascist policies, but the impact of fascism was reduced by the
eventual loss of civilian support and not fully implementing fascist polices.
One fascist tendency of Japan in the 1930s was the increasing militarization of Japan.
Japan in the previous decade had taken a liberal path that emphasized internationalism over
conquest, a path that took a considerable turn towards militarism at the turn of the decade. The
first mark of a militaristic emphasis came with compulsory service. By 1930, military training
was required for all males beyond elementary grades and for those not continuing education
(Murphey 386). This requirement was largely carried out due to existing concern over China and
the situation in Manchuria, but set the stage for a more influential military. What actually
launched Japan on the path to full militarization were the elections of 1930 and 1932. These
elections displayed a strong show of support for conservatives, a group that strongly supported
the military (Murphey 386). The dominance of conservatives in the Diet allowed for the military
leaders to be more independent of the civilian government and launch operations such as the
invasion of Manchuria in 1931 despite opposition from cabinet leaders. Conservative dominance
also allowed the Diet in 1934 to appoint military leaders to the cabinet, which ended all civilian
HIST 274
Japanese Fascism
, In the aftermath of the damage of World War One and the economic meltdown that swept
through the world during the Great Depression, new forms of government arose in an attempt to
revive their nations and lead them to success. In the countries that became known as the Axis
powers, the form of government that eventually arose was fascism. While many characteristics
defined these governments, a definition may be given of a strong authoritarian government that
is built upon heavy military buildup and extensive economic interference and which emphasizes
hypernationalism, violence, and/or propaganda to achieve its means. While Germany and Italy
may be considered extreme fascist examples, Japan offered a contrast. The Japanese military
government may have employed fascist policies, but the impact of fascism was reduced by the
eventual loss of civilian support and not fully implementing fascist polices.
One fascist tendency of Japan in the 1930s was the increasing militarization of Japan.
Japan in the previous decade had taken a liberal path that emphasized internationalism over
conquest, a path that took a considerable turn towards militarism at the turn of the decade. The
first mark of a militaristic emphasis came with compulsory service. By 1930, military training
was required for all males beyond elementary grades and for those not continuing education
(Murphey 386). This requirement was largely carried out due to existing concern over China and
the situation in Manchuria, but set the stage for a more influential military. What actually
launched Japan on the path to full militarization were the elections of 1930 and 1932. These
elections displayed a strong show of support for conservatives, a group that strongly supported
the military (Murphey 386). The dominance of conservatives in the Diet allowed for the military
leaders to be more independent of the civilian government and launch operations such as the
invasion of Manchuria in 1931 despite opposition from cabinet leaders. Conservative dominance
also allowed the Diet in 1934 to appoint military leaders to the cabinet, which ended all civilian
