(no subject)
Yoshihisa Tak Matsusaka, The Making of Japanese Manchuria, 1904-1932 (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001).
An extremely detailed account - much of it focusing on the South Manchurian Railway (SMR) - of the political and economic origins of Manchukuo. The story Matsusaka tells is not significantly different from many other accounts on the origins, just fleshed out to the nth degree.
Probably the most significant thing we see here is the shifting nature of Japanese 'colonialism' - the situation in 1931 gradually evolved, and we see a lot of indecision, in fighting, 'left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing,' and shifts corresponding with changing of the guard in domestic politics.
Mastusaka concludes that by 1931, the 'moderate' imperialism plans were untenable, and the choices were either total withdrawal or 'total empire.' The adaptive nature of Japanese imperialism also fueled escalation:
Many of the initiatives launched in Manchuria over the course of two and a half decades fell wide of their mark, and no small number ended in abject failure. For moderates, the lack of demonstrable success in realizing the territory's promise provided an argument for downgrading the nation's commitments. Activists, however, regarded failure not as an indication of the intrinsic impracticality of their aims but as the result of Chinese obstruction and the inadequacy of Japanese control in Manchuria. (401)
Manchuria was a constantly moving target, and goals and plans moved with it. Like all things, it's important to remember that the Manchurian Incident wasn't something planned from the start, but evolved over time, and was subject to no small measure of debate from many corners. Not exactly the steamrollering united front it is sometimes made out to be.
An extremely detailed account - much of it focusing on the South Manchurian Railway (SMR) - of the political and economic origins of Manchukuo. The story Matsusaka tells is not significantly different from many other accounts on the origins, just fleshed out to the nth degree.
Probably the most significant thing we see here is the shifting nature of Japanese 'colonialism' - the situation in 1931 gradually evolved, and we see a lot of indecision, in fighting, 'left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing,' and shifts corresponding with changing of the guard in domestic politics.
Mastusaka concludes that by 1931, the 'moderate' imperialism plans were untenable, and the choices were either total withdrawal or 'total empire.' The adaptive nature of Japanese imperialism also fueled escalation:
Many of the initiatives launched in Manchuria over the course of two and a half decades fell wide of their mark, and no small number ended in abject failure. For moderates, the lack of demonstrable success in realizing the territory's promise provided an argument for downgrading the nation's commitments. Activists, however, regarded failure not as an indication of the intrinsic impracticality of their aims but as the result of Chinese obstruction and the inadequacy of Japanese control in Manchuria. (401)
Manchuria was a constantly moving target, and goals and plans moved with it. Like all things, it's important to remember that the Manchurian Incident wasn't something planned from the start, but evolved over time, and was subject to no small measure of debate from many corners. Not exactly the steamrollering united front it is sometimes made out to be.