Description
In the 15 years between 1931 and 1945, imperial Japan pursued aggressive military expansion in Asia and social, political, and economic “renovation” at home. Japan’s bid to solve its modern crisis and become “Asia’s Leader” culminated in a disastrous military defeat at the hands of the Allied Powers. The experience had profound consequences for Japan, for its Asian neighbors, and for Japan’s relationship with the wider world, and continues to haunt the present. What drove Japan to follow this ambitious and destructive course? What were the roles of the military, the state, the business community, the media, intellectuals, the masses in country and city? Did Japan go to war because its society was not “modern” or “Westernized” enough, or rather as a result of its very modernity? How much can we learn by comparing the Japanese experience with that of its wartime allies, fascist Italy and Nazi Germany? To what extent was Japan’s experience a product and expression of global developments, trends, and relationships? What exactly is “fascism,” and is this a useful way of describing and explaining what happened in Japanese society and culture in the1930s and 40s? Sixty years on, there remains little consensus on any of these questions, but there are few issues of history that continue to inspire more passion and controversy. For to unravel the mystery of wartime Japan is, in many ways, to unravel the mystery of modern Japan itself. Seen in a broader, comparative perspective, the experience of wartime Japan can also cast light onto more general patterns and processes of 20th-century history.
Teaching method
Lecture
Tutorial
Independent study of academic literature
Study visit
Field trip
Work placement
Test method
Participation element (attendance, participation, presentation): 30%
Review element (literature review, 1000-1500 words): 20%
Research element (researchessay, 2500-3000 words): 30%
Summative element (webpostings/ resit exam): 20%
Time table
For more information, check time table.
Contact
Registration
Via U-twist, check enrollment