Japanese Imperialism: War and Depression - Essay Example

Political leadership figured out very quickly that if steps were not proactively taken to restore foreign trade on a significant scale, the country would suffer a devastating economic crisis. At this point, Japan would consider all options.It is general knowledge that one of the fastest ways to overcome domestic economic efficiencies is to engage in a foreign war. War-time economies ramp up domestic production and, in the case of imperialistic expansion, vanquished foes provide valuable natural resources and developmental possibilities.

Given the political and military mindset of the Japanese during this era, imperialism and warfare would logically provide the necessary economic stimulus to get the nation back on track.Taking note of the economic landscape, Japanese leadership was certainly aware of its foreign trade needs and had observed that "foreign trade had resisted the depression best. where Japan exercised political authority. It followed that to assert authority in other areas where trade was important might have equally beneficial results" (Beasley 190).

From the Japanese standpoint, this notion simply confirmed the obvious sensibility of imperialistic expansion. If foreign trade was not able to be obtained through traditional market channels, it could be virtually assured by asserting military might.Faced with a collapsing national economy and a compelling need for foreign trade, as well as the loss of trading opportunities exacerbated by worldwide economic conditions, Japanese political and military leadership came to the most obvious conclusion; it was time to fight or die.