Author Description
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.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
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.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War as catalysts for expansion.
- Examination of the economic policies that fueled imperial growth.
- Evaluation of the shifting geopolitical landscape in East Asia during the early twentieth century.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a detailed military history of individual battles.
- The analysis focuses primarily on state-level policy rather than the social history of occupied territories.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
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
History
Military History
Imperialism
Japanese History
Asian History