Late Meiji and Taisho Japan 1868-1926

1
Late Meiji and Taisho Japan1868-1926

• 13b

2
Sino-Japanese War 1894-95

• Tonghak rebellion in Korea
• Korean government brings in Chinese help
• Japan asserts and shows right to join China
• China and Japan clash in Korea
• Japan wins handily
• Demands Taiwan, the Pescadores, and the Laodung
  Peninsula.

3
Triple Intervention

• Germany, France and Russia
• Insist that Japan was too greedy
• Japan must give up
• Laodung Peninsula
• Russia takes over
• Japans role on
• Laodung Peninsula

4
Triple Intervention

• Japan learns
• Were not there yet
• Westerners still dont respect us
• Japans response
• We need to get richer, stronger
• Fukoku Kyohei!!

5
Russo-Japanese War 1904-05

• Negotiations over Russias and Japans roles in
  Korea and Manchuria break down

• Japan withdraws ambassador from Moscow
• Launches all-out, surprise attack on Russias
  Pacific fleet in harbor at Vladivostok

6
Russo-Japanese War 1904-05

• Japan attacks Russias Pacific fleet in harbor at
  Vladivostok
• Decimates Russian Pacific Fleet in port

• Quickly defeats Russia
• Assumes primary control over Korean and
  Manchurian economic interests

7
Japanese MotivationWhy expansion and aggression?

• Vulnerability Japan is small and vulnerable
• Triple intervention proved Japan must demand
  respect must earn respect
• Expanding population needed food supply stability
• Expanding industry needed raw materials and
  markets
• The ONLY Solution???
• Fukoku Kyohei!!

8
Meiji EraJapanese Industry

• Zaibatsu Japans major, family owned
  conglomerates
• Largely built from Tokugawa era merchant fortunes
  or Daimyo estate fortunes
• Single-family, wholly owned firms
• Diversified product lines

9
Zaibatsu Labor System

• Lifetime employment
• No layoffs
• No firing
• No changing firms for promotion
• Loyalty above all else
• Seniority
• Strict, lock-step advancement and salary scale
• Investment in employee training

10
Zaibatsu Labor System

• Labor Unions
• Company Union not craft union
• Focus on sustainability and accommodation
• Flexibility in job descriptions
• Company as a family
• Company clinic
• Company resort
• Company entertainment
• Company retirement

11
Japan Continues to Expand

• Annex Korea 1910
• Korea as a Japanese province
• Koreans as Japanese sort of
• Northern Korea Like Manchuria provides natural
  resources, lumber, ore, manufacturing
• Southern Korea Like Taiwan, provides food,
  especially rice

12
Japan Expands

• WW I 1914
• Japan enters on British, U.S. side
• Moves on German interests in Asia
• 21 Demands on China (Jan. 1915)
• Effectively China accepts tributary status
  behind Japan
• China rejects 21 Demands
• Washington, Pres. Wilson, rejects 21 Demands
• Upholds Chinese Sovereignty
• Japanese see this as persecution of Japan

13
JapaneseEmpire 1922

• Fukoku
• Kyohei
• By 1922 Japan controlled
• Korea
• Manchuria
• Taiwan
• Enclaves in China

14
Domestic PoliticsTaisho Democracy

• New Emperor Taisho
• 1912-1926
• New era of domestic politics
• From Oligarchs to Genro (elder statesmen)
• Party Government
• Cabinet unofficially selected by Diet through
  party nominations (like in Britain)

15
Domestic PoliticsTaisho Democracy

• Expansion of the franchise
• Universal male suffrage 1926
• Freedom of Press
• Freedom of Speech
• Recognition of political parties
• Human rights and democracy movements emerge

16
Taisho DemocracyFlounders

• Economic slowdown (precursor to Great Depression)
  hits Japan _at_1925
• Difficult economic times unsettle emerging
  democracy
• Zaibatsu leaders fear loss of resources and
  markets
• Military/Zaibatsu alliance emerges

17
Taisho Democracy Flounders

• Signs of reasserted authoritarian control1925-27
• Peace Preservation Act 1926 reigns in excesses
  of free press and free speech
• Military disrupts cabinet by withholding
  ministers
• Campaign of political assassinations decimates
  liberal ranks of politicians and government
  officials
• Imperial decree on education re-emphasizes
  Amaterasu and Divinity of the Emperor
• Military ethics system reinvigorated
• through schools
• Japans special role as leader of Asia
• becomes standard doctrine in schools

18
Taisho Democracy Undone

• International Events disrupting Taisho Democracy
• WW I 1914 Military reinvigorated
• 1915 21 Demands on China
• Begin occupation of Manchuria
• US President Wilson Supports Chinese Sovereignty
• 1921 Washington Treaty Naval Arms Control
• 553 Japan gets DISrespected
• 1924 US Japanese Exclusion Act
• 1925 economic crisis strikes
• Leads to 1929 Depression

19
Taisho Democracy Undone

• Taisho Democracy Collapses 1926
• Taisho Emperor dies
• Showa Emperor emerges
• International and domestic crises emphasize
• Japans smallness
• Japans vulnerability
• Japans military-industrial alliance combines
  with Bureaucrats to reassert control
• Refocus nations efforts on you guessed it

20
Fukoku Kyohei!

• Emphasis on military
• Emphasis on economic independence
• Capture natural resources through colonies
• Capture markets through colonies
• Keep building strong manufacturing base
• Establish domestic order by
• Silencing chaos of democratic opposition
• Unifying government -- assassinate liberals