Japan and Fascism

Discussions on all aspects of the Japanese Empire, from the capture of Taiwan until the end of the Second World War.
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Jordisson
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Japan and Fascism

#1

Post by Jordisson » 24 Jan 2020, 20:48

Hello everyone, new poster here so I hope this is the right place to ask this,

My question is, in short: to what extent can the political developments in 1930's Japan be described as the rise of fascism?
I restrict myself here to the 1930's because I consider that during a period of total war all political systems tend to gain fascist-like characteristics, which blurs the analysis.
More precisely, my questioning concerns the following topics:
- Fascism or military dictatorship? related: was right-wing nationalism a mass or strictly an elite movement?
- Was there a philosophical/ideological emphasis on violence as a central component of state ideology like in German/Italian fascism?
- To what extent did showa statism emerge and gain power as a reaction to a perceived and/or actual leftist threat in Japan proper?
- Would the differences between the political systems of Japan in the late 1930's and Nazi Germany and/or Fascist Italy be greater than those between Nazi Germany and/or Fascist Italy and Francoist Spain?
Rather than specific, definitive answers I would like to spur a discussion, so if people have pertinent points that do not pertain to the previous questions you are most welcome to give them.

To clarify the question, I consider fascism as a global political phenomenon of the Interwar period that emerged in some part independently of similar conditions around the world, rather than a form of ideology that is specific to Europe and gained influence mostly through spreading. I think with this view it makes sense to wonder if Japanese state nationalism is a form of fascism in a homological rather than genealogical sense.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

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wm
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Re: Japan and Fascism

#2

Post by wm » 24 Jan 2020, 22:33

By the late 1930s, Japan and Germany were associated ... through a superficial resemblance of their ideologies and a convergence of their foreign political objectives.
Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan: The Hollow Diplomatic Alliance


OpanaPointer
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Re: Japan and Fascism

#3

Post by OpanaPointer » 24 Jan 2020, 22:40

Fascism was a facade for power grabs. Nobody who mattered actually believed in it.

But then the same can be said for democracy.
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Jordisson
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Re: Japan and Fascism

#4

Post by Jordisson » 24 Jan 2020, 23:04

OpanaPointer wrote:
24 Jan 2020, 22:40
Fascism was a facade for power grabs. Nobody who mattered actually believed in it.
To me, fascism was a form of power grab in itself, that had specific characteristics that go beyond ideology. What I wonder is, to what extent the Japanese power grab can be qualified as fascism.

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Re: Japan and Fascism

#5

Post by OpanaPointer » 25 Jan 2020, 02:31

Jordisson wrote:
24 Jan 2020, 23:04
OpanaPointer wrote:
24 Jan 2020, 22:40
Fascism was a facade for power grabs. Nobody who mattered actually believed in it.
To me, fascism was a form of power grab in itself, that had specific characteristics that go beyond ideology. What I wonder is, to what extent the Japanese power grab can be qualified as fascism.
I don't know your list of specific characteristics, but if you say fascism is a militarist control of the country I'd agree. Have you looked at the Feb. 26, 1936 Incident?
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Jordisson
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Re: Japan and Fascism

#6

Post by Jordisson » 25 Jan 2020, 03:02

OpanaPointer wrote:
25 Jan 2020, 02:31
Jordisson wrote:
24 Jan 2020, 23:04
OpanaPointer wrote:
24 Jan 2020, 22:40
Fascism was a facade for power grabs. Nobody who mattered actually believed in it.
To me, fascism was a form of power grab in itself, that had specific characteristics that go beyond ideology. What I wonder is, to what extent the Japanese power grab can be qualified as fascism.
I don't know your list of specific characteristics, but if you say fascism is a militarist control of the country I'd agree. Have you looked at the Feb. 26, 1936 Incident?
I had, but as I think there is a significant distinction between a fascist and a militaristic takeover, most prominently in the form of a mass civilian (or paramilitary) movement, it did not seem like be a purely fascist power grab. Maybe my sources are bad but I did not have the impression that the attempted coup had significant civilian support. I also am not sure that the coup was the reaction to a leftist threat (even if only perceived). I do think however that the Kodoha (and the Toseiha) had visions that were clearly fascist-inspired, and by the time the takeover by the military was complete in 1940-41 it clearly transformed into "war fascism".

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Re: Japan and Fascism

#7

Post by OpanaPointer » 25 Jan 2020, 03:10

The general public didn't have any say in events. The Diet was a rubber stamp, nothing more. The coup was a blatant challenge to anyone who wanted to rein in the militarists.
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Jordisson
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Re: Japan and Fascism

#8

Post by Jordisson » 25 Jan 2020, 03:22

This was indeed my understanding. It tends to support the militarist view over the fascist one.

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Re: Japan and Fascism

#9

Post by Garuda » 24 Feb 2020, 11:57

I don't know if I'm contributing info or not but I think that you could have a monarchy and still be fascist. Spain and Italy had a monarchy and were still considered Fascist. As for dictatorial power, I think in Japan it was the military that had full power rather than a single man like Hitler or Mussolini as I don't think Tojo had full power. One question, was Tojo considered a dictator in the same way as Hitler or Mussolini was? I usually hear Tojo get called prime minister but not anything similar to Fuhrer or Il Duce.

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