Past wins and the 1931 seizure of Manchuria made the army look strong and showed the cabinet could not stop it.
Japan beat China in 1894 to 1895 and Russia in 1904 to 1905. These wins raised the military's prestige, the respect and influence it enjoyed. Japan also built an empire, ruling Taiwan and Korea as colonies. Ultranationalists used these successes, fear of foreign threats and anger at unequal treatment by Western powers to argue that military leadership would keep Japan strong. Their claims that Japan was superior were excuses for expansion, not evidence that neighbouring peoples wanted Japanese rule.
Manchuria is a region in north-east China. The Kwantung Army was a Japanese force based there. In September 1931, some of its officers set off an explosion on a Japanese-run railway near Mukden and used it as an excuse to attack. The cabinet wanted to limit expansion but failed to stop the army. In 1932, Japan created Manchukuo, a puppet state that looked independent but was controlled by Japan.
Military supporters praised these gains as successes that cautious politicians had failed to deliver. When the government accepted what the army had done, officers learned that disobeying could bring success instead of punishment. So Manchuria mattered in two ways. It boosted the military's reputation, and it showed the cabinet could not control the army. Neither public enthusiasm nor land gained made the invasion right.
- 1894-1895, 1904-1905
- Japan defeats China, then Russia.
- Mukden, September 1931
- Kwantung Army fakes an excuse to seize Manchuria.
- Manchukuo, 1932
- Puppet state controlled by Japan.
Worked example: An advance abroad shifts power at home
In 1931, the cabinet urges restraint, but the Kwantung Army keeps advancing.
- Officers act against the cabinet's wishes.
- Their supporters praise the land gained and mock cautious politicians.
- The government accepts the gains, so officers learn disobedience can pay.
Watch out for this
Manchukuo was an independent country.
Manchukuo looked independent, but Japan controlled it. It was a puppet state.
Check your understanding
What did the Manchurian Incident show about Japan's government?
- The cabinet ordered the army to invade.
- Manchuria chose to become independent.
- The cabinet could not stop the army from acting on its own.