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SECTION IV
to
MILITARY SITUATION
1.
GENESIS OF THE PRESENT MILITARY POLICIES.
The military development of ancient Japan is a history of almost constant struggle
to expand and consolidate territory wrested from the aboriginal inhabitants, and the
struggle among the clans themselves for supremacy. While at the seats of government,
Nara, Kyoto, and finally at Kamakura, various types of refined, and sometimes effete,
cultures were developing, the outlying provinces were in a state of perpetual warfare.
It was this warfare that fostered the early growth of the armed forces and shaped the
military tradition of Japan.
Compulsory military service was first attempted by the Empress Jito in 689 when,
by an imperial decree, one-fourth of all the able-bodied men in each province were
forced to serve a specified time in the armed forces. A few years later the number was
increased from one-fourth to one-third. This first attempt at the formation of a
national conscript army was short-lived and ended in failure. Although the system
remained legally in effect until 780, by that time it had become thoroughly discredited
and as a result was abolished. It had failed because arbitrary selection had left many
families destitute and because the army thus formed was poorly trained, malcontent,
and finally came to prey upon the people.
The conscript army was gradually replaced by a professional one composed of
volunteers who made fighting a career. Whereas the conscript soldier had come from,
and had remained a part of the peasant class, the professional soldier formed a new
class of his own. With the passing of years, the distinction between the soldier and the
peasant became more and more accentuated until the cleavage was complete and the
right to bear arms became hereditary. The knight replaced the peasant soldier as the
defender of the realm.
During the middle ages the hereditary military class, the "samurai," partly as a
result of deliberate government policy, attained an exalted position and received the
homage of the nation. This group possessed a passionate devotion to duty, and a
loyalty that accepted death rather than compromise. There is little wonder that Japan
regarded, for centuries, its samurai as the embodiment of its highest national ideals.
Japan's modern army had its beginning in the conscription law of 1893, five years
after the restoration of Emperor Meiji. This law abolished all special privileges of the
feudal knights and made conscription universal. In the words of the Emperor, "The
era of freedom is now gradually dawning upon the people. The hereditary distinction
between the soldier and the farmer will be done away with."
The impact of the western world on newly awakened Japan convinced its leaders
that in order for Japan to escape the fate of western exploitation and to gain a place
of distinction among the nations of the world, a modern army was essential. They also
realized that the army could be made effective only by the employment of western
methods and western techniques. French influence was strong in Japanese military
IV-1
SECRET
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nSECTION IV\nto\nMILITARY SITUATION\n1.\nGENESIS OF THE PRESENT MILITARY POLICIES.\nThe military development of ancient Japan is a history of almost constant struggle\nto expand and consolidate territory wrested from the aboriginal inhabitants, and the\nstruggle among the clans themselves for supremacy. While at the seats of government,\nNara, Kyoto, and finally at Kamakura, various types of refined, and sometimes effete,\ncultures were developing, the outlying provinces were in a state of perpetual warfare.\nIt was this warfare that fostered the early growth of the armed forces and shaped the\nmilitary tradition of Japan.\nCompulsory military service was first attempted by the Empress Jito in 689 when,\nby an imperial decree, one-fourth of all the able-bodied men in each province were\nforced to serve a specified time in the armed forces. A few years later the number was\nincreased from one-fourth to one-third. This first attempt at the formation of a\nnational conscript army was short-lived and ended in failure. Although the system\nremained legally in effect until 780, by that time it had become thoroughly discredited\nand as a result was abolished. It had failed because arbitrary selection had left many\nfamilies destitute and because the army thus formed was poorly trained, malcontent,\nand finally came to prey upon the people.\nThe conscript army was gradually replaced by a professional one composed of\nvolunteers who made fighting a career. Whereas the conscript soldier had come from,\nand had remained a part of the peasant class, the professional soldier formed a new\nclass of his own. With the passing of years, the distinction between the soldier and the\npeasant became more and more accentuated until the cleavage was complete and the\nright to bear arms became hereditary. The knight replaced the peasant soldier as the\ndefender of the realm.\nDuring the middle ages the hereditary military class, the \"samurai,\" partly as a\nresult of deliberate government policy, attained an exalted position and received the\nhomage of the nation. This group possessed a passionate devotion to duty, and a\nloyalty that accepted death rather than compromise. There is little wonder that Japan\nregarded, for centuries, its samurai as the embodiment of its highest national ideals.\nJapan's modern army had its beginning in the conscription law of 1893, five years\nafter the restoration of Emperor Meiji. This law abolished all special privileges of the\nfeudal knights and made conscription universal. In the words of the Emperor, \"The\nera of freedom is now gradually dawning upon the people. The hereditary distinction\nbetween the soldier and the farmer will be done away with.\"\nThe impact of the western world on newly awakened Japan convinced its leaders\nthat in order for Japan to escape the fate of western exploitation and to gain a place\nof distinction among the nations of the world, a modern army was essential. They also\nrealized that the army could be made effective only by the employment of western\nmethods and western techniques. French influence was strong in Japanese military\nIV-1\nSECRET"
}