Case Study of Militarist Japan, 1920s-1930s

G2 Full History - syllabus K227, 2027

Why did Japan's military gain power in the 1930s? Hard times, expansion abroad and political violence, and what changed in factories, villages and schools.

• Why politicians could not control the military

  Japan had elections, but elected politicians had no firm control over the army and navy.

• How hard times fed anger

  Rising prices, lost jobs and falling farm incomes hurt people in different ways, and all made party politicians look weak.

• How victories boosted the military

  Past wins and the 1931 seizure of Manchuria made the army look strong and showed the cabinet could not stop it.

• How violence changed who could govern

  Murders and a failed coup made opposing the military dangerous, and a rule on ministers let the army block governments it disliked.

• Recovery tied to war

  A cheaper yen, cheap loans and government spending helped Japan recover, while growing state controls steered industry towards war.

• Helping the villages

  The 1932 rural campaign encouraged villages to plan, cooperate and save, but it could not fix low incomes and debt on its own.

• Schools and workplaces serve the nation

  Schools taught obedience and readiness to fight, and workplace controls stopped workers from organising freely.

• Put it together: Why did military influence grow?

  Falling incomes could make military promises appealing. But popularity alone does not explain why officers could ignore cabinet orders or stop a government from forming. Connect each cause to the change it helps explain.