Was the rise of militarism in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s unavoidable? Explain your answer.

One of the reasons that made the rise of militarism in Japan inevitable was the development of anti-West feelings. There had been instances when the actions of the West appeared to discriminate against the Japanese. For example, the West refused to accept the equality of races as part of the rules in the League of Nations in 1919. Japan was also given a lower ratio in the Washington Naval Agreement in 1921. All these made the Japanese felt discriminated. In order to overcome such perceived discrimination, many Japanese felt that Japan must prove themselves to be as strong as the West. To them, militarism was the only way to do so.

The long history of military successes also made the rise of militarism inevitable. Since Japan started it modernisation, it had experienced unending military successes. They were victorious in the Sino-Japanese War (1895), the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. As such, the Japanese developed a great sense of pride and belief in the army. This was especially the case when there was low confidence in the civilian government, which was seen as corrupted and inefficient. When the Great Depression came about, many Japanese began to see the military as the only group capable of solving the country's problems. Thus, an increase in military influence in the Japanese government was well-supported by the people. This made the rise of militarism unavoidable.

However, certain factors contributing to the rise of militarism in Japan could have been avoided. The Showa Restoration, which perceived Western influence as being selfish, greedy and individualistic, deepened the anti-West feelings. The Emperor and Japanese virtues were glorified. These propaganda produced youth who were not only blindly loyal to the Emperor and nation but also became deep believers in militarism. If the propaganda had been less extreme, the support for militarism would not be so strong. The existence of patriotic societies also led to rising militarism. Their belief in the superiority of the Japanese culture meant that they supported the military solution of empire-building. They viewed democracy as an obstacle and thus, wanted to replace it with a military dictatorship. If these patriotic societies had been banned and uprooted, the rise of militarism could have been controlled.