What this lesson teaches
I can describe the political problems new governments faced in Europe and Asia after World War I.
Syllabus K227, Rise of Authoritarian Regimes, Learning Outcomes. Demonstrate awareness of political developments after World War I.
I can explain how authoritarian regimes rose and how they changed politics, the economy and society.
Syllabus K227, Rise of Authoritarian Regimes, Learning Outcomes. Explain the rise of authoritarian regimes and their impact on the political, economic and social context of countries.
Make a guess
In 1925 all Japanese men aged 25 and over got the vote. Do you think that meant elected politicians controlled the army?
- No, because the emperor commanded the army personally in battle.
- Yes, the elected cabinet could order the army as it chose.
- No, military leaders claimed the right to command in the emperor's name.
Show the answer
No, military leaders claimed the right to command in the emperor's name.
Elections did not give the cabinet firm control of the army and navy. Military leaders acted outside civilian orders.
Japan had elections, but elected politicians had no firm control over the army and navy.
A civilian leader is a political leader who is not in the armed forces. In Japan, party politicians could lead the cabinet, the prime minister's team of senior ministers. The elected lower house of parliament debated laws and spending. Party government grew stronger in the Taisho period, 1912 to 1926. In 1925, all men aged 25 and over got the vote, because the rule that voters must pay tax was removed. Women still could not vote.
But winning votes did not give the cabinet firm control of the army and navy. The emperor was at the centre of the political system. Military leaders claimed a separate right to command the forces in his name, instead of taking orders from elected politicians. Senior advisers and officials also had influence. So a cabinet could want restraint abroad but struggle to make officers obey.
Many people also lost trust in politicians. Parties quarrelled, faced claims of corruption and were close to big business groups called zaibatsu. Ultranationalism is an extreme nationalism that puts the nation above individuals and can justify ruling other peoples. Ultranationalists attacked compromises, such as agreements to limit the size of navies, saying politicians were making Japan weak. These attacks made restraint harder to defend, but they did not prove that compromise threatened Japan.
- 1925
- All men aged 25 and over gain the vote; women do not.
- Military claim
- Commanded the forces in the emperor's name, not the cabinet's.
- Zaibatsu
- Large business groups linked to party politicians.
Worked example: Who can make an order stick?
A cabinet wants to limit expansion abroad, but officers want to advance.
- The cabinet announces a policy of restraint.
- Officers advance anyway, and the cabinet cannot stop them.
- So elected leaders hold office but cannot enforce their policy on the military.
Watch out for this
Because Japan held elections, the cabinet could command the armed forces.
Military leaders claimed to answer to the emperor, so the cabinet could not reliably control them.
Check your understanding
Why could Japan's cabinet struggle to control the military?
- Japan held no general elections in the 1920s, so the cabinet lacked support.
- Military leaders claimed to command in the emperor's name, not under the cabinet.
- The cabinet was made up mostly of serving army officers chosen by the emperor.
Show the answer
Military leaders claimed to command in the emperor's name, not under the cabinet.
Yes. Elections did not give politicians firm control of the forces.