Book Review: Japan-1941-Countdown to Infamy

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Wellgunde
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Re: Book Review: Japan-1941-Countdown to Infamy

#16

Post by Wellgunde » 22 Mar 2014, 02:14

cstunts wrote:As a single-volume work, Michael Barnhart's study, JAPAN PREPARES FOR TOTAL WAR (Cornell U Press, 1987) is far superior & absolutely essential.
I quite agree. Although, I don't wholly go along with Barnhart's view that Japan's decision to go to war was largely outside it's own control.
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OpanaPointer
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Re: Book Review: Japan-1941-Countdown to Infamy

#17

Post by OpanaPointer » 22 Mar 2014, 03:05

Wellgunde wrote:
cstunts wrote:As a single-volume work, Michael Barnhart's study, JAPAN PREPARES FOR TOTAL WAR (Cornell U Press, 1987) is far superior & absolutely essential.
I quite agree. Although, I don't wholly go along with Barnhart's view that Japan's decision to go to war was largely outside it's own control.
Utterly unconvincing. The rational choice was to not get into a war they couldn't win. Unfortunately the militarists had invested too much of their ego in winning the war in China to back off, after the Feb. 26th Incident formalized "government by assassination" there was not much anyone else could do.

At least that's the way I see it.
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Re: Book Review: Japan-1941-Countdown to Infamy

#18

Post by cstunts » 22 Mar 2014, 04:57

Well, first of all--I would not dream of paying such prices. That is what a good university library is for...

And second: I don't believe Barnhart says anything of the sort. His conclusions are consistent from start to finish--the drive for autarky, especially as hijacked by militarists in Japan after the Russo-Japanese War, was the chief force behind the slide into Dai Toa Senso. (Reread pages 263-273) Barnhart argues that Japan's economic vulnerability was key, but it did not therefore mean she had to go to war...The delusion of autarky (especially as it grew in the minds of extremists) legitimized irrationality, in effect. But she always had her fate in her own own hands...It is a complete misreading to attribute anything which smacks of victimization into Barnhart.

But, of course you can always read someone else, too. (Like Morley or Crowley or Asada...among others.)

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Re: Book Review: Japan-1941-Countdown to Infamy

#19

Post by OpanaPointer » 22 Mar 2014, 12:07

When I said "Utterly unconvincing", I was referring to the concept, not to Barnhart in particular.
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