What's new

Japan and WWII: Asian hegemony

This is a far-fetched dead propaganda

Yeah link is dead...

Sun Yat-sen's speech on Pan-Asianism - Wikisource, the free online library

Gentlemen: I highly appreciate this cordial reception with which you are honoring me today. The topic of the day is "Pan-Asianism," but before we touch upon the subject, we must first have a clear conception of Asia's place in the world. Asia, in my opinion, is the cradle of the world's oldest civilization. Several thousand years ago, its peoples had already attained an advanced civilization; even the ancient civilizations of the West, of Greece and Rome, had their origins on Asiatic soil. In Ancient Asia we had a philosophic, religious, logical and industrial civilization. The origins of the various civilizations of the modern world can be traced back to Asia's ancient civilization. It is only during the last few centuries that the countries and races of Asia have gradually degenerated and become weak, while the European countries have gradually developed their resources and become powerful. After the latter had fully developed their strength, they turned their attention to, and penetrated into, East Asia, where they either destroyed or pressed hard upon each and every one of the Asiatic nations, so that thirty years ago there existed, so to speak, no independent country in the whole of Asia. With this, we may say, the low water mark had been reached..........
 
Last edited:
As one point of view, to solve the serious depression in the United State, President Roosevelt decided to stop exporting oil to Japan. After staring the war, the economy in the United States went up.
 
Why did Japan invade other Asian countries ?

To answer this question, we have to start from the Meiji restoration in the late 1800's. Japan, forced to open its trade to the United States then other Western powers, realized that its technology and political system were lagging far behind, and a group of revolutionary samurai from Choshu, Satsuma and Tosa (all in South-Western Japan) toppled the Shogunate and created a new Westernized government. All the society followed, and soon Japan had launched its industrial revolution. As the first and only Asian country to do so, Japan became quickly much richer and militarily more powerful than its neigbours.

In 1895, it proved its strength to the international community by defeating China quite easily - and annexed Taiwan. Russia and Japan then started to fight over the control of the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. In 1905, The Russo-Japanese war started, but proved much harder for the Japanese. Although they officially won (and annexed Southern Manchuria and the Karafuto/Sakhalin peninsula, North of Hokkaido), loss were similar on both sides. But Japan became confident that it could rival Western powers for the first time. Japanese people began to feel a duty to protect their Asian neighbours from Western colonial imperialism. Korea was officially annexed in 1910, while Japanese troops continued to extend their control over Manchuria.

Japanese politics became increasingly dominated by the military, eventhough no military party ever gained any influence in the Diet (parliament). The cabinet of ministers was made mostly of nonparty politicians, supported by violent ultra-nationalist military factions such as the Imperial Way, who assassinated numerous politicians or opponent in the army itlself.

Those militarists pushed to take control of China. Economic and social upheaval in the 1920's led many Japanese farmers to move to Manchuria to release tensions inside Japan, and in 1931 the nominally independent puppet state of Manchukuo was created. From 1937, the Japanese army invade and took Peking, Shanghai, Nanjing and most of North-East China, although the countryside remained uncontrolable due to local guerillas and the low proportion of Japanese to Chinese (600.000 Japanese soldiers vs 300 millions Chinese in occupied land).

How did Japan and Germany become allies ?

In 1936, Hitler and Japanese prime minister Hiranuma signed the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union, by which they pledged to help each other in case of Russian attack. Italy joined in 1937.

However, in August 1939 Hitler violated the pact by signing a non-agression treaty with the USSR in order to invade Poland in September. Himanuma felt betrayed and resigned as prime minister. But Japan, Germany and Italy signed the Tripartite pact in September 1940 to support each other against the United States.

After the Nazi had entered France and set up the collaborationist Vichy regime, Japan was able to negotiate the occupation of French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) through the Tripartite pact.

But when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Japan decided not to follow Germany.

South-East Asia and Pearl Harbor

The situation between Japan, Britain and the USA had been tensed since 1922 when a treaty was signed to limit the naval warships of each nation to a respective ration of 6:10:10. Japan tried to raise its ratio to 7 in 1930, but only obtained it for some kind of ships. Inceasingly frustrated and under pressure from expansionist military at home, Japan renounced to the treaty in December 1934.

The US had been supporting China against Japan by selling them cheap equipment, and broke the Japanese-American commericial treaty to enable them to place an embargo on exports to Japan if necessary. When Japan occupied the whole of Indochina in June 1941, Roosevelt immediately called for an international embargo to cut off all foreign oil supplies to Japan. This way, Japan would not be able to support its army and economy and would have to cede to American pressure to withdraw completely from China and Indochina.

But the Japanese government was resolved to stay. It tried to find a diplomatic agreements on a partial withdrawal from China, but the US were intransigent. When it became obvious that no agreement would be reached, the Japanese planned an attack on the oil-rich British and Dutch South-East Asian colonies (Malaysia, Indonesia...), as well as the American Philippines, while preparing a pre-emptive attack on the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese knew very well that they couldn't wage a prolongated war against the poweful industry of the United States, but they also didn't expect them to be so determined to pursue a war and mobilize tens of thousand of men to such a distant land. That is why on 7/8 December 1941, they attacked Hawaii, pulling the United States into WWII, which resulted in the collapse of the Japanese Empire.

Some historians argue that the USA pushed Japan into declaring war on them. But could the Japanese military expansionism have stopped had the US taken conciliatory measures ? That is probably interesting to discuss in the context of the war in Iraq and against terrorism undertaken by the US at the moment. Did the Bush administration provoke the Muslim world to incite them to attack the US on September 11 ? Is history repeating itslef ? Are American leaders playing with fire or are they really acting in the name of democracy and freedom ? Nice debate in perspective.
Hello,
I was wondering if you could help me, I was wondering what ur views are on Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism. I see good in it BUT, as with all religion, I don't belive it is all good and has alot of power play and ego involved and was wondering what negative stories u have heard about them

Thank you
 
Like most established religions, Nichirenshu Buddhism from its inception had a political streak. Nichirenshu however was overtly political in its stance upon such issues as accepting donations from non-believers, marriage between its adherents and followers of other sects. During the crises created by the Mongol invasions, Nichiren refused the pleas of the Kamakura Bakufu to offer prayers for national security, since Nichiren saw the nation-state as corrupt and the Mongol invasion attempts as a manifestation of divine retribution. To the Bakufu, predominantly Zen adherents, such opinions were intolerable and Nichiren was exiled twice (and was to be executed but his chosen executioner refused after an alleged epiphany).
Entering the 14th and 15th Centuries, Nichirenshu had spread to Kyoto and gained a strong foothold centred on 21 temple complexes, and in 1532 gained control of the city (a time, chroniclers report, that was dominated by religious intolerance and summary justice), although they were virtually wiped out in 1536 when the population turned away from them and offered no support when Enryakuji attacked. In the latter half of the 16th Century, Oda Nobunaga turned upon them again (the so-called Azuchi Persecution), and although they regained toeholds in the capital under Hideyoshi then Ieyasu, they remained vociferous and somewhat troublesome in their strict adherence to core beliefs.
However, for all their opponents, they were rarely a united sect and this weakened them, divided between staunch nationalist adherents and those who were accomodating with other sects and the Bakufu.
In the 1930s its nationalist elements suited the militaristic section of society and politics who gained the ascendancy, and by 1940 its popularity had exploded and allegedly had 10,000,000 adherents.
Today it's much more mainstream, Soka Gakkai its widely known image (and if I remember rightly, its followers include such figures as Roberto Biaggio and Orlando Bloom!).
 
I revise some mistakes about the Sokagakkai.
Because the executive officer of the Sokagakkai criticized Shinto shrine Shinto in wartime, they are arrested by Japanese Government.
And he died in prison.
The Sokagakkai is done expulsion of by Nichiren Shoshu.
 
Are you saying that the Nichirenshu expelled Soka Gakkai? Just clarifying.

The Sokai Gakkai International still follow Nichiren Buddhism though;
"The 12 million members of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) around the world embrace Nichiren Buddhism, a dynamic philosophy grounded in the realities of daily life." (from Soka Gakkai (global)), but of course the situation for both is very much different now to how it was in the 1920s.
 
My comment

In World War One, Japan obtained a lot with very few losses. By comparing with the other members of the Entente Cordiale, Japan had by far the smallest casualties in World War One. The reward was great: few archipelagoes former belonging to Germany. That confirmed to the Japanese leadership that the only way to get great in the world is solely military.
I noticed that all countries eager to start WWII did not have battles on their own territory in World War One. This means that their civilians did not get in World War One the bitter and sad taste of war. The only exception: for few weeks there were battles at the border of Eastern Prussia, in 1914.

Another thing: a common misconception for most people is that Japan was never defeated before the United States did it, in 1945. That was useful for the leadership of those days, in order to suggest an invincibility myth. The truth was that Japan actually was defeated in a row of naval and land battles in Korea, at the end of the 15th century.

Also, "Maciamo" wrote: "However, in August 1939 Hitler violated the pact by signing a non-agression treaty with the USSR in order to invade Poland in September. Himanuma felt betrayed and resigned as prime minister…..But when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Japan decided not to follow Germany."
However, he did not mention the real reason why "Himanuma felt betrayed" and why "...in 1941, Japan decided not to follow Germany." Exactly in the moment when the Germans and the Soviets were signing their treaties in Moskow, the Imperial Japanese Army was engaged in bloody battles with the Red Army in Mongolia, and the Japanese lost this unofficial war. Not surprisingly, when Hitler made his worst mistake ever by declaring war to the United States, Japan did not return the favor, and did not attack Soviet Union.
 
Last edited:
Article courtesy of Wapedia.com

Why did Japan invade other Asian countries ?

To answer this question, we have to start from the Meiji restoration in the late 1800's. Japan, forced to open its trade to the United States then other Western powers, realized that its technology and political system were lagging far behind, and a group of revolutionary samurai from Choshu, Satsuma and Tosa (all in South-Western Japan) toppled the Shogunate and created a new Westernized government. All the society followed, and soon Japan had launched its industrial revolution. As the first and only Asian country to do so, Japan became quickly much richer and militarily more powerful than its neigbours.

In 1895, it proved its strength to the international community by defeating China quite easily - and annexed Taiwan. Russia and Japan then started to fight over the control of the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. In 1905, The Russo-Japanese war started, but proved much harder for the Japanese. Although they officially won (and annexed Southern Manchuria and the Karafuto/Sakhalin peninsula, North of Hokkaido), loss were similar on both sides. But Japan became confident that it could rival Western powers for the first time. Japanese people began to feel a duty to protect their Asian neighbours from Western colonial imperialism. Korea was officially annexed in 1910, while Japanese troops continued to extend their control over Manchuria.

Japanese politics became increasingly dominated by the military, eventhough no military party ever gained any influence in the Diet (parliament). The cabinet of ministers was made mostly of nonparty politicians, supported by violent ultra-nationalist military factions such as the Imperial Way, who assassinated numerous politicians or opponent in the army itlself.

Those militarists pushed to take control of China. Economic and social upheaval in the 1920's led many Japanese farmers to move to Manchuria to release tensions inside Japan, and in 1931 the nominally independent puppet state of Manchukuo was created. From 1937, the Japanese army invade and took Peking, Shanghai, Nanjing and most of North-East China, although the countryside remained uncontrolable due to local guerillas and the low proportion of Japanese to Chinese (600.000 Japanese soldiers vs 300 millions Chinese in occupied land).

How did Japan and Germany become allies ?

In 1936, Hitler and Japanese prime minister Hiranuma signed the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union, by which they pledged to help each other in case of Russian attack. Italy joined in 1937.

However, in August 1939 Hitler violated the pact by signing a non-agression treaty with the USSR in order to invade Poland in September. Himanuma felt betrayed and resigned as prime minister. But Japan, Germany and Italy signed the Tripartite pact in September 1940 to support each other against the United States.

After the Nazi had entered France and set up the collaborationist Vichy regime, Japan was able to negotiate the occupation of French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) through the Tripartite pact.

But when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Japan decided not to follow Germany.

South-East Asia and Pearl Harbor

The situation between Japan, Britain and the USA had been tensed since 1922 when a treaty was signed to limit the naval warships of each nation to a respective ration of 6:10:10. Japan tried to raise its ratio to 7 in 1930, but only obtained it for some kind of ships. Inceasingly frustrated and under pressure from expansionist military at home, Japan renounced to the treaty in December 1934.

The US had been supporting China against Japan by selling them cheap equipment, and broke the Japanese-American commericial treaty to enable them to place an embargo on exports to Japan if necessary. When Japan occupied the whole of Indochina in June 1941, Roosevelt immediately called for an international embargo to cut off all foreign oil supplies to Japan. This way, Japan would not be able to support its army and economy and would have to cede to American pressure to withdraw completely from China and Indochina.

But the Japanese government was resolved to stay. It tried to find a diplomatic agreements on a partial withdrawal from China, but the US were intransigent. When it became obvious that no agreement would be reached, the Japanese planned an attack on the oil-rich British and Dutch South-East Asian colonies (Malaysia, Indonesia...), as well as the American Philippines, while preparing a pre-emptive attack on the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese knew very well that they couldn't wage a prolongated war against the poweful industry of the United States, but they also didn't expect them to be so determined to pursue a war and mobilize tens of thousand of men to such a distant land. That is why on 7/8 December 1941, they attacked Hawaii, pulling the United States into WWII, which resulted in the collapse of the Japanese Empire.

Some historians argue that the USA pushed Japan into declaring war on them. But could the Japanese military expansionism have stopped had the US taken conciliatory measures ? That is probably interesting to discuss in the context of the war in Iraq and against terrorism undertaken by the US at the moment. Did the Bush administration provoke the Muslim world to incite them to attack the US on September 11 ? Is history repeating itslef ? Are American leaders playing with fire or are they really acting in the name of democracy and freedom ? Nice debate in perspective.

i wonder why japan did not join german invade Soviet Union from the East, if Japan did so it would pressure to SU including Hitler resume original plan by authorized Panzer division attack Moscow better than move to Kiev, if Moscow fall US and british may be the next target.
 
Back
Top Bottom