
This is a study of the origins and nature of Japanese imperialism from the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-1895 through to 1945. Japan is the only Asian country in modern times to have built both a successful industrial economy and an empire, and it is Professor Beasley's contention that these two phenomena are closely related. Japan's aims were influenced by its experience of western imperialism and its own growing industrialization, but as external circumstances changed and Japan's capacity grew, so did its needs and ambitions. The creation of the Japanese empire is one of the most remarkable exploits of the twentieth century. Professor Beasley has provided a much-needed scholarly investigation into its development, expansion, and eventual destruction.
This work investigates the causal relationship between Japan's rapid industrialization and its expansionist imperial policy between 1894 and 1945. W. G. Beasley, a noted scholar of Japanese history, utilizes a historical framework to analyze how Japan's exposure to Western imperial models shaped its own geopolitical ambitions. The text argues that the domestic requirements of a modernizing industrial economy were the primary drivers behind the state's aggressive territorial acquisition and eventual collapse.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Historians and academics frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the structural origins of the Japanese empire. Readers often note the scholarly density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the intersection between economic development and foreign policy.
Page Count:
293
Publication Date:
1987-01-01
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0191501301
ISBN-13:
9780191501302
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