2. JAPAN 1868: A 15 YEAR-OLD
BECOMES EMPEROR & BEGINS THE
MEIJI REVOLUTION IN JAPAN
3. “THE DEAR OLD SAMURAI (JAPANESE
TEACHER) WORE A QUEUE & 2
SWORDS. RELIC OF FEUDALISM”.
4. MEIJI REFORMERS RECONSTRUCT
JAPAN’S BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF
GOVERNMENT IN 4 YEARS
1. LAWS ESTABLISHED THAT “WHOLE OF
JAPAN” & ITS PEOPLE WERE SUBJECTS OF
THE EMPEROR.
2. 268 FIEFDOMS OF INDEPENDENT DAIMYOS,
ABOLISHED. 72 PREFECTURES IN PLACE ,
RULED BY GOVERNORS, APPOINTED BY
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.
3. MINISTRIES SET UP STAFFED BY PERSONS
SELECTED ON MERIT, AND WHOSE MISSION
WAS TO SERVE THE EMPEROR.
5. MEIJI REFORMERS ABOLISHED
PRIVELEGES & STATUS OF SAMURAI.
1876.
1. FOR JAPAN TO BECOME A WORLD POWER:
“THE RACE WILL GO TO THE SWIFT, NOT
THE EMPTY HEADED.”
2. THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT
REFORM WAS TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE
MILITARY, AT THE SAME TIME AS
PRESERVATION OF THE HAGAKURE, WHICH
SET OUT THE “WAY OF THE SAMURAI”
7. MODERNISATION OF MEIJI ARMY
1. 1872. CONSCRIPTION WAS UNIVERSAL AND
OBLIGATORY
2. 1882. “ AN IMPERIAL RESCRIPT OF 1882
ADDRESSED TO SOLDIERS & SAILORS ENJOINED
YOUTHS TO SERVE THE EMPEROR WITH
LOYALTY & VALOUR”.
3. COMMONERS, FARMERS AND ORDINARY
YOUNG MEN FROM TOWNS AND CITIES NOW
COMPRISED THE RANK & FILE OF THE IMPERIAL
JAPANESE ARMY – BUT IMBUED WITH
SAMURAI TRADITIONS WHERE POSSIBLE.
9. JAPAN AS THE “WORKSHOP OF ASIA”
• BETWEEN 1895 & 1915 JAPAN’S MANUFACTURING
OUTPUT ROSE BY 5% PER YEAR, NEARLY TWICE THE RATE
OF REST OF THE WORLD, BECOMING A TEMPLATE FOR
OTHER INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIES 100 YEARS LATER.
• ECONOMIC TAKE-OFF BASED ON EXPORT OF SILK &
COTTON.
• 3500 MILES OF RAILWAY LINES IN DIFFICULT TERRAIN.
• JAPANESE ARISTOCRACY ESTABLISHED ZAIBATSU
(FINANCIAL CLIQUES) SOME FORMED IN TOKUGAWA
TIMES. SOME NEW EG: MITSUBISHI.
• IDENTITY “CRISIS” WITH JAPANESE AS THEY
‘WESTERNISED’. FEAR OF CHAOS OF WESTERN CULTURE
LED TO CONSERVATISM
14. JAPAN’S SOCIALIST LEADER, KOTOKU
SHUSUI (1894) EXCORIATES
GOVERNMENT ON IMPERIALISM
“ IMPERIALISTS IN JAPAN & ELSEWHERE ARE LIKE
DRUNKEN MEN, INTOXICATED BY PATRIOTISM
AND MILITARISM, WHICH ARE NOTHING BUT
EXPRESSIONS OF THEIR ANIMAL INSTINCTS.
THEY BLEED PEOPLE WHITE WITH TAXES,
EXPAND ARMAMENTS, DIVERT PRODUCTIVE
CAPITAL FOR UNPRODUCTIVE ENDS, CAUSE
PRICES TO RISE, & INVITE EXCESSIVE IMPORTS.
THESE ARE ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THE STATE.
GOVERNMENT EDUCATION, COMMERCE, &
INDUSTRY ARE SACRIFICED TO PATRIOTISM,
WHICH IS THE ROOT OF MILITARISM &
IMPERIALISM.”
15. JAPANESE EMPIRE 1939: AFTER
RUSSO/JAPANESE WAR 1904/05 &
WORLD WAR 1 AS BRITISH ALLY
16. JAPANESE GAINS IN RUSSO-JAPANESE
WAR 1904/05
• RUSSIA WANTED TO EXPAND ITS SPHERE OF
INFLUENCE IN INDO-PACIFIC BY
ESTABLISHING WARM WATER PORT FOR
TRADE & NAVAL POWER
• BEGAN BUILDING TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY
FOR COMPLETION AT PORT ARTHUR 1906.
• JAPAN SAW THIS AS A CHALLENGE TO ITS
IMPERIAL AMBITIONS IN KOREA & CHINA.
17. IJN BATTLESHIP MIKASA FLAGSHIP IN
BATTLE OF TSUSHIMA 1904 WHICH
DEFEATED RUSSIAN NAVY
18. JAPAN’s ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR 1
AS A PARTICULAR ALLY OF BRITAIN &
WAS WELL REWARDED
• 1902 ANGLO-JAPAN ALLIANCE: ANGLO-PHILE FOREIGN MINISTER
& NAVY MENTORED BY ROYAL NAVY.
• JAPAN FOCUSSED ON CAPTURING GERMAN COLONIES: TSINGTAO
(CHINA); ISLANDS OF MARIANAs, CAROLINEs & MARSHALLs.
• 1915: JAPAN ISSUED INFAMOUS “21 DEMANDS” ON WEAK
CHINESE GOVERNMENTS
• NAVY GOT USEFUL SERVICE DOING CONVOY ESCORTS
• 1917: LANSING-ISHI AGREEMENT : U.S. ACKNOWLEDGED JAPAN’s
“SPECIAL INTERESTS” IN CHINA.
• 1921: MENTORING FROM ROYAL NAVY CONTINUED, ENABLING
JAPAN TO BUILD THIRD LARGEST NAVY IN THE WORLD, WITH
TESTED NAVAL OFFICERS.
• 1921: IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY (IJA) HAD TO BE COMPLETELY
OVERHAULED BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT BEEN TESTED IN ANY
BATTLE EXPERIENCE.
19. JAPAN’s ROAD TO WORLD WAR 2
“THEN , BEGINNING WITH THE YEARS FROM 1929 TO 1932, A
COMBINATION OF SHOCKS – ECONOMIC DEPRESSION, INTENSE
SOCIAL CONFLICT, MILITARY EXPANSION, & THE ASSASSINATION
OF PRIME MINISTERS & LEADING CAPITALISTS – TRANSFORMED
JAPAN’S POLITICAL SYSTEM. BY THE END OF THE 1930s,
INDEPENDENT POLITICAL PARTIES, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS,
PRODUCER COOPERATIVES, LABOUR UNIONS, & TENANT UNIONS
WERE REPLACED BY A SERIES OF STATE-CONTROLLED MASS
BODIES INTENDED TO MOBILIZE THE NATION FOR THE “HOLY
WAR” WITH CHINA& BRING HARMONY & ORDER AT HOME. A
NEW POLITICAL ORDER THAT BORE GREAT SIMILARITY TO THE
FASCIST SYSTEMS OF GERMANY & ITALY HAD BECOME
ASCENDANT & WOULD PLUNGE JAPAN & ASIA INTO A
DISASTROUS WAR.”
( ANDREW GORDON. “ A MODERN HISTORY OF JAPAN”)
20. JAPAN 1937
• 1932 – 1937 BEGINNING OF JAPAN’S “15 YEAR WAR IN
ASIA” OR “SPECIAL UNDECLARED WAR” IN CHINA WITH
300,000 IJA ( WITH SOLDIERS UNIQUE IN 20TH CENTURY).
• 1936: REALISTIC PLANNERS ESTIMATED IF JAPAN WENT TO
TOTAL WAR WITH U.S. IT ONLY HAD 3 YEARS TO ACHIEVE
ITS GOALS.
• PLANNING BEGAN FOR GREATER EAST ASIA CO-
PROSPERITY SPHERE (NOT IMPLEMENTED UNTIL 1942).
• PLANNERS GAVE IJN KEY ROLE: OVER-RUN S.E. ASIA THEN
PUT AROUND CONQUERED LAND A DEFENSIVE PACIFIC
OCEAN PERIMETER TO BLOCK ANY U.S. COUNTER-
OFFENSIVE.
22. WHY THE JAPANESE PLANNING WAS
BASED ON A “STRATEGIC IMBECILITY”
1. SUBMARINE (KEY ROLE) SURFACE SPEED TOO SLOW.
2. PERIMETER DEFENCES LOGISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
3. SHIPS IN PERIMETER DEFENCE VULNERABLE.
4. IJN DID NOT UNDERSTAND USN COMMAND FLEXIBILITY.
5. IJN LIMITED REPLACEMENT OF PLANES & AIRCREW.
6. 1400 IJN AIRCRAFT CARRIER CREW vs. USN 2700 .
7. IJN ONLY 9 OILERS & 40 TANKERS.
8. 40% OF JAPAN’s TRADE ON FOREIGN SHIPS STOPPED
9. JAPAN’s MERCHANT NAVY GROSSLY “UNDER-SHIPPED” MOSTLY
WENT TO IJN & IJA.
10. CRITICAL DEFICIENCIES IN IJN WEAPONRY
11. FIXATION ON “DECISIVE BATTLE” WHEN USN WAS ABLE TO
DECIPHER CRITICAL PARTS OF NAVAL CODE –ESPECIALLY BATTLE
OF MIDWAY.
24. THE “BUTCHER’s BILL” FOR JAPAN’s
“15 YEAR WAR”
• JAPAN: 1.7 MILLION IJN & IJA + 800,000 CIVILIANS
DEAD.
• CHINA: 1.1 MILLION MILITARY + 17 – 22 MILLIONS
CIVILIANS DEAD.
• DUTCH EAST INDIES: 300,000 DEAD
• KOREA: 300,000 DEAD.
• MANCHURIA: 270,000 – 800,000 DEAD
• BURMA –THAILAND RAIL: 100,000 DEAD
• MALAYA: 83,000 DEAD
• SINGAPORE: 150,000 DEAD
• PHILIPPINES: 1.1 MILLION DEAD
25. LESSONS & LEGACY OF WORLD WAR 2
IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: JAPAN
THE FIRST BUILDING BLOCK
“ THE ENFORCED OPENING OF JAPAN TO EXTERNAL
TRADE IN 1853-54 SET IN MOTION A TURBULENT
PERIOD OF INNER DEBATE ON JAPAN’s FUTURE
COURSE, CLIMAXED IN 1868 BY THE MEIJI
RESTORATION & THE EMPEROR’s CHARTER
OATH….THE SAMURAI STATESMEN, IN PARTICULAR,
WERE DETERMINED TO AVOID THE HUMILIATION &
TRAVAIL VISITED UPON CHINA SINCE THE EARLY 1840s
. IN THE NEXT SIXTEEN YEARS, THE JAPANESE
ESTABLISHED THE TECHNICAL CONDITIONS FOR
SUSTAINED INDUSTRIAL GROWTH, DESPITE PASSAGES
OF CIVIL WAR & ACUTE INFLATION.” (W.W. ROSTOW)
26. THE CHARTER OATH OF 1868: THE
SECOND BUILDING BLOCK
ESTABLISHING MACHINERY OF GOVT.
1. A CENTRALISED & EFFICIENT BUREAUCRACY.
2. A CONSTITUTION SUPPORTING AN ELECTED
PARLIAMENT.
3. A MODERN TRANSPORT/ COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM.
4. AN EDUCATED CLASS OF JAPANESE WHO
BROKE FREE OF FEUDAL RESTRICTION.
5. A MODERN INDUSTRIAL SECTOR BASED ON
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
6. AN ARMY & NAVY WHICH MATCHED THE
EUROPEAN POWERS IN THEIR CAPABILITIES.
27. MARINE ARCHITECTURE &
SHIPBUILDING, WORLD’S BEST
PRACTICE: BUILDING BLOCK 3
• HISTORICAL AFFINITY WITH THE PACIFIC OCEAN BY
AN ISLAND PEOPLE.
• STRONG AND ENDURING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
WORLD’S BEST, 19TH & EARLY 20TH CENTURY
BRITAIN.
• BUT JAPAN STILL UNDERESTIMATED THE
CUMULATIVE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FIGHTING A
HIGHLY COMPLEX NAVAL WAR ON AN OCEAN THE
SIZE OF THE PACIFIC WITH 20TH CENTURY
TECHNOLOGY.
28. NEW BUILDING BLOCKS IMPOSED BY
ALLIES IN THE “POTSDAM
DECLARATION” 26/7/1945
“ THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SHALL REMOVE
ALL OBSTACLES TO THE REVIVAL &
STRENGTHENING OF DEMOCRATIC
TENDENCIES AMONG THE JAPANESE PEOPLE.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OF RELIGION, & OF
THOUGHT, AS WELL AS RESPECT FOR
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS SHALL BE
ESTABLISHED .”
29. A NEW CONSTITUTION
1. THE EMPEROR REMAINED AS A SYMBOL OF THE JAPANESE PEOPLE.
2. FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
3. RENOUNCED WAR.
4. ANNOUNCED EQUALITY OF THE PEOPLE & DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS
5. PROHIBITED PEERAGE, SLAVERY.
6. SEPARATION OF STATE & RELIGION
7. ANNOUNCED FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, ASSOCIATION, SPEECH, &
SECRECY OF COMMUNICATIONS.
8. RIGHTS OF WORKERS, RIGHTS OF PROPERTY, RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS,
& A FAIR TRIAL
9. PROTECTION AGAINST UNLAWFUL DETENTION, & SELF
INCRIMINATION.
10. THE NEW CONSTITURION HAS PRECEDENCE OVER ANY LAWS THAT
OFFEND THE CONSTITUTION’S PRINCIPLES.
30. RESURRECTION OF THE INDUSTRIAL
FAMILIES OF JAPAN
AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO BREAK
THE INFLUENCE OF THE ANCIENT FAMILIES
WHO RAN THE HUGE CONGLOMERATES
(MITSUI, MITSUBISHI, YASUDA, SUMITOMO)
MACARTHUR WAS FORCED TO ALLOW THE
FAMILIES BACK, & ESTABLISH LINKS WITH A
NEW JAPANESE BUREACRACY SO THAT
JAPAN COULD RE-ESTABLISH ITS INDUSTRIAL
STRENGTHS – UNDERPINNING THE MASSIVE
ECONOMIC RECOVERY FROM 1955 – 1998.
