Japanese Foreign Policy and Aggression pre-1914

A major part of Japan’s history from the late Nineteenth Century up to 1914 was military aggression. During this period there were many economic, social and political pressures that facilitated military expansion. Japanese militarism manifested on the Asian mainland in wars, aggression and military presence on foreign soil. Japan’s foreign policy was influenced by it’s government, education, religion and social structure. Economic pressures facilitating military expansion up to 1914. Japan was a new consumer …

…to the military and as Japan became a world power with annexes in Korea and Taiwan, it boosted confidence and nationalism within all classes of society. Japan was pressured in economic, social and political areas to expand it’s borders. Japan’s military manifested on the Asian mainland during the Sino-Japanese War(1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War(1904-05). Nationalism and Militarism filtrated into every aspect of Japanese life, including government, education, religion and social structure.