Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan was an imperial complex centered on Imperial Japan.
History
China
Japanese expansion began with the First Sino-Japanese War. The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed on April 17, 1895 and involved the cession of the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands to Japan. Korea was also made independent.
A week later, Russia, Germany, and France intervened diplomatically in what is known as the Tripartite Intervention (三国干渉, Sangoku Kanshou). The claim to Liaodong Peninsula was dropped; Russia instead began to occupy the peninsula, and other European powers immediately began to occupy other port cities as well.
Chousen
In 1905, the Japan-Korea Treaty made Korea a protectorate of Japan.
Two years later Gojong (고종) was forced to abdicate the throne and a formal annexation into Japan as Chousen began.
Manchukuo
Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and established the Manchukuo puppet state.
Thailand
Phibun allied with Japan and purged anti-Japanese nationalists from government.
New Guinea
Following the declaration of World War 1, Japan joined the Allied Powers with the intention of seizing colonial territory. German territories in the Pacific were partitioned in the South Seas Mandate; Japan took command over the portions of German New Guinea north of the equator.
Structure
Power in the Empire of Japan was split in a complex relationship between the military, the emperor, and ministries.
Prime Ministers |
Terms |
1885 - 1888 |
|
Kiyotaka Kuroda (黒田 清隆) |
1888 - 1889 |
Sanetomi Sanjou (三條 實美) |
1889 |
Aritomo Yamagata (山縣 有朋) |
1889 - 1891 |
Masayoshi Matsukata (松方 正義) |
1891 - 1892 |
Horobumi Ito |
1892 - 1896 |
Masayoshi Matsukata |
1868 - 1898 |
Horobumi Ito |
1898 |
Shigenobu Oukuma (大隈 重信) |
1898 |
Aritomo Yamagata |
1898 - 1900 |
Horobumi Ito |
1900 - 1901 |
Tarou Katsura (桂 太郎) |
1901 - 1906 |
Kinmochi Saionji (西園寺 公望) |
1906 - 1908 |
Tarou Katsura |
1908 - 1911 |
Kinmochi Saionji |
1911 - 1912 |
Tarou Katsura |
1912 - 1913 |
Gonbee Yamamoto (山本 権兵衛) |
1913 - 1914 |
Shigenobu Oukuma (大隈 重信) |
1914 - 1916 |
Masatake Terauchi (寺内 正毅) |
1916 - 1918 |
Takashi Hara (原 敬) |
1918 - 1921 |
1921 - 1922 |
|
Tomosaburou Katou (加藤 友三郎) |
1922 - 1923 |
Gonbee Yamamoto |
1923 - 1924 |
Keigo Kiyoura (清浦 奎吾) |
1924 |
Takaaki Katou (加藤 高明) |
1924 - 1926 |
Reijirou Wakatsuki (若槻 禮次郎) |
1926 - 1927 |
Giichi Tanaka (田中 義一) |
1927 - 1929 |
Osachi Hamaguchi (浜口 雄幸) |
1929 - 1931 |
Reijirou Wakatsuki |
1931 |
Tsuyoshi Inukai (犬養 毅) |
1931 - 1932 |
1932 - 1934 |
|
Keisuke Okada (岡田 啓介) |
1934 - 1936 |
1936 - 1937 |
|
... |
|
Shidehara Kijuurou (幣原 喜重郞) |
1945 - 1946 |
Most of the prime ministers were military officers rather than civilians. The imperial family all served in the military officer corps. There were several attempted coups.