Japans Expansionism in Asia - Research Paper Example

Japan’s Expansionism in Asia Abstract The following paper analyses Japan’s expansionism in Asia from a needs- satisfaction perspective. Japan is essentially a ‘bare country’ in terms of natural resources. The island nation depends on other nations to import raw materials for its vast network of industries. This research focuses on Japan’s warring activities in a bid to occupy, control and consolidate new territories in Asia in a bid to satisfy its need for natural resources. The research studies the various territorial wars that have occurred in Asia and the involvement of Japan in these wars. The research further analyzed the territorial wars in context for an in depth insight on the issue. This association is narrowed further to connect the various wars with Japan’s need for natural resources by considering the nation’s mainland needs during the wars. Introduction Poring over Japan’s adversarial history in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century it is easily discernible that the sole incentive for the nation’s aggressive expansionism policy was its unquenchable thirst for natural resources. Japan’s seemingly interminable drive to conquer Asian colonies was clearly spurred by its three nationalistic campaigns namely, modernization, industrialization and an imperialistic militarism, which required an infinite source of natural resources to succeed. Late in the 19th century, Japan which was undergoing rapid industrialization and modernization realized that it needed to simulate Western nations to achieve significant success in its developing mainland1. The nation required a blend of two key drivers of Western economies to surge its economic aspirations; technology and capitalism. However, for Japan with its limited natural resources, capitalism dictated colonialism in order to furnish its needs for raw materials2. The country was further influenced into an imperialistic stance by its relatively hostile neighborhood featuring Russia and China and its inherent vulnerability considering its location3. The nation thus had no choice but to adopt an antagonistic policy for its neighbors. This policy dictated that the nation had to establish a palpable military to establish itself as one of the powers in Asia if not the sole power. The Japanese military evolved at a rapid pace just like its industries and added its materials’ demands to the already choked Japanese natural resource needs4. However, the military offered a self-cure solution because it could seek out and conquer territories that could replenish its needs and in so doing help to alleviate the needs of other sectors in Japan. This gave rise to the establishment of an imperialistic military in Japan that would later resort to unsanctioned conquests and eventually result in the country’s downfall5. Japan’s Asian conquests and territorial wars in the late 19th and early 20th century were all spurred by the country’s needs for natural resources. In the 1930s and 40s, Japan continued with its expansionism policy in order to occupy and control territories rich in natural resources such as Manchuria.. Historical Context In order to understand Japan’s expansionism in Asia and its subsequent war activities in the 20th century, there is need to reflect on its earlier activities in the region. This is because Japan’s expansionism wars in Asia started way before the First or the Second World War and the country’s needs for natural resources can be traced to the late 19th century. Japan’s expansionism in Asia started in the late 19th century as illustrated by the Sino-Japanese War of 18956. Japan established and developed its industrial and military might after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. After the ousting of the oppressive and dysfunctional Shogun kingdom, the Meiji administration under the ruler-ship of an Emperor focused on economic development and militarization of the nation. The first two Japanese expansionism wars between China (1894-95) and Russia (1904-05) respectively ended in Japanese victories. During the two territorial wars, Japan was seeking to enhance its position in Asia and to consolidate its territories7. During this period, Japan had an induced necessity for natural resources. The nation was undergoing rapid industrialization and its industries had an insatiable need for raw materials8. The Sino-Japanese War profited Japan’s modernization and industrialization campaign with the payment of an indemnity of 200 million Kuping Taels of Silver by China9. Japan invested this money in some of its industrial endeavors such as the establishment of the Yahata Steel Works. However, the main benefits following this war included; the recognition of Japan as a military might and the subsequent formation of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Japan’s alliance with Britain ensured that the country had a powerful ally who came in handy to intimidate Russia and China in territorial supremacy hence safeguarding the country’s Asian interests10. This was very vital when Japan attacked Russia in a bid to gain control over Manchuria inn 1904. The Russo-Japanese War guaranteed Japan’s place in the League of Nations fortifying its territories11. After the Russo-Japanese War to the Invasion of Manchuria Overpopulation and Economic Turmoil Japan started experiencing economic problems as early as 1918 when the Rice Riot occurred. The economy experienced a short post-war resilience but the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 crushed it12. Grievances ranged from low wages to high prices for basic commodities which were caused by the war’s inflation. During this period the Japanese population had expanded significantly and hence the demand for basic commodities was high13. These riots led to the resignation of major players in the Japanese government then. High prices were attributed to a shortage in food products and the high population growth rate in the nation14. These problems continued throughout the 1920s and they constituted some of the reasons for Japan’s expansionism in Asia especially its invasion of Manchuria. Japan needed other territories that were rich in natural resources including large tracts of cultivatable land to feed its growing population. Manchuria was such a place that could offer cultivation land for the Japanese population. Manchuria became a symbol of hope for Japan due to its wealth of natural resources. Meiji clashes. The region was sparsely populated leaving huge tracts of land untilled and fertile. 15. This land could accommodate immigrants from Japan to lighten the heightened population density. Manchuria was also mineral rich; the region produced coal, oil, iron and steel, aluminum amongst other natural resources16. Japan needed to mine these minerals and use them in its manufacturing industries; after which then country could export the finished products17. This could supply the nation with some extra source of foreign income hence alleviating its flailing economy. The Invasion of Manchuria After WW I, the situation in the Japanese mainland was one of the main reasons that forced the Japanese military to consider occupation and control of Manchuria in 193118. Manchuria offered a horde of natural resources such as coal, petroleum, iron and steel, aluminum. The country was also sparsely populated and hence it offered cultivation land. The Mukden Incident This refers to the staged blow up of the Southern Manchuria Railway line by the Japanese in a bid to ignite a war with the Chinese in order to occupy and control Manchuria19. This incident was staged by the Kwangtung Army under the leadership of Ishiwara Kanji on September 193120. Imperialistic military After the First World War, the five Great Powers decided to limit their national armaments in the navy. Militarists and nationalists in Japan objected to the arms limitation policy because they perceived this as a limitation to power21. They advocated for large scale armament in a bid to boost Japan’s military strength. This would be viewed as an act of aggression and could escalate into a military conflict with the European powers. The country needed great military strength and resources to possess sufficient military power to handle external military aggressors22. According to Japanese military strategist Ishiwara Kanji, for any nation to achieve this it had to have substantial resources23. Ishiwara Kanji had a plan to consolidate all Japanese colonies in order to forge a strong Japanese empire24. Kanji was basing his actions on this line of thought when he led the Kwangtung Army on the Mukden incident and in his control of Manchuria. He anticipated that Japan would go into war with the Western Powers any time in the future. Kanji was a military strategist who had spent some time with the post-World War 1 soldiers from Germany25. Kanji was convinced try hat for Japan to survive a military onslaught by the Western nations it had to be strong economically and militarily26. He described the state of a country that was economically fulfilling in terms of resources which he stated was a requisite for military strength27. Basing his war strategies on the experience with the Germans and the lessons he had leant regarding their loss in the First World War, Kanji proposed autarky for Japan28. Kanji illuminated Japan’s need for natural resources when he indicated that Japan would need many tanks and war planes in order to win a future war with the United States29. Kanji anticipated that the war would be fought in the 1970s and he thought that Manchukuo would be the battle ground30. Kanji hired an economist, Miyazaki to help him design the country’s financial plan and natural resources program. Miyazaki observed that majority of Japanese conglomerates were based in China because they considered Manchuria to be risky for business. Poor Soldiers The Kwantung Army consisted of impoverished soldiers31. Their families in the mainland were wallowing in poverty and this drove their ambition to seek colonies which were rich in natural resources32. Soldiers of the Kwangtung Army could not talk about their families at home without getting emotional33. The poverty levels in rural Japan had reached a high level and some of their female relatives were being sold into prostitution34. There was great resentment between the Kwangtung army and rich businessmen or Zaibatsu. The soldiers sought to recruit ordinary businessmen to help them convert the resources in the foreign lands ion to economic capital. They recruited Nissan Auto founder, Ayukawa Yoshisuke successfully and brought him to Manchuria to aid in the industrialization process35. This led to the establishment of Manchuria Heavy Industries which is one of the industries that relied on the natural resources available in Manchuria36. Immigration Ban The United States and Japan had friendly relations; considering that they were also key trade partners, however the events of 1924 shattered this relationship. The United States banned Japanese immigration into its territories37. The country was also banned from Australia and as Tokutoni Soho suggested the country’s bulging population needed foreign lands to migrate into38. Manchuria offered a land for the Japanese population to emigrate into. After the Triple Intervention in 1895, Sun who was by then the leader of China confided in Toyama that he would not object if Japan took over Manchuria from Russia39. Manchuria was sparsely populated because the natives refused Chinese immigrants from settling in their land40. This offered an opportunity for Japan to solve its population problems considering the large size of Manchuria. The Nomonhan-Khalkhin Gol War The war with the Russians stressed Japan’s need for natural resources because they wanted to affirm their position in Manchuria in a bid to discourage the Russians from future invasions41. The dispute centered on a border strip of land which lay between Nomonhan and Khalkhin Gol and which measured around 25 kilometers42. The Japanese Army was greatly disadvantaged because of resource constraints resulting from its ongoing with China43. The Imperial Japanese Military failed miserably in this war qualifying Ishiwara Kanji’s propositions that victory was ingrained in autarky and resource mobilization. Dutch East Asia Conquest Japan was also considering enlarging its territory to the Southeast Asia. Although Japan did not realize this objective it serves to illustrate the country’s thirst for natural resources. The Japanese journalist, Murobuse Koshin described the vast forests that were in this region which was referred to as the Dutch East Indies44. He declared that the region had been left untilled and was full of natural resources. He further confirmed the growing population problems and resource scarcity in Japan when he noted that Japan was suffering from overpopulation and inadequacy of natural resources45. Murobuse suggested that the Western countries ought to release the Southeast Asian lands and avail them for cultivation and mining46. Japan took a stance of liberating the Asian races that were colonized in these lands but the nation was mainly interested in the vast fertile lands for cultivation and natural resources47. Also after the Manchuria events, Japan became estranged by the Western countries hence suffering oil shortages48. Conclusion Japan has been involved in many territorial wars historically. The small island nation has risen from civil wars and primitive administrations to become one of the most powerful and formidable nations in the world. The meteoric rise of Japan began after the Meiji Restoration in 186849. After the Meiji Restoration the nation established an orderly form of governance that enabled it to develop into one of the most powerful nations in Asia and in the world50. Japan grew tremendously both economically and militarily in 19th and 20th century although it was plagued by several territorial wars in Asia. According to this report this country engaged in expansionism to complement its small land mass and its lack of natural resources. The country succeeded to a large extent in establishing itself on the global scene and an Asian power. Bibliography Dinmore, Eric G. "A Small Island Nation Poor in Resources: Natural and Human Resource Anxieties in Trans-World War II Japan." Order No. 3214558, Princeton University. URL http://search.proquest.com/docview/305274356?accountid=14270. ----. “Japan's Quest for Power and World War II in Asia,” in Asia for Education. Columbia University. Last modified 2009, http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1900_power.htm Jukes, Geoffrey. The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. Vol. 31. Osprey Publishing, 2002. Mansfield, Edward D., and Jack Snyder. "Democratization and war." Foreign Affairs (1995): 79-97. Marshall, Jonathan. To have and have not: Southeast Asian raw materials and the origins of the pacific war. Univ of California Press, 1995. Paine, Sarah CM. The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895: perceptions, power, and primacy. Cambridge University Press, 2005. Wilson, Sandra. The Manchurian crisis and Japanese society, 1931-33. Routledge, 2003. Yasuba, Yasukichi. “Did Japan Ever Suffer from a Shortage of Natural Resources Before World War II?” The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 56, No. 3 (1996); 545, URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2123713 Yoshikawa, Yukie. "Japan’s Asianism, 1868-1945." in Asia-Pacific Policy Papers Series. 1-123 No. 8. The Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, 2009. URL http://www.reischauercenter.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Asianism.pdf Read More