‘The lives of the Japanese people were improved by the rise of militarism in the 1930s.’ Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

Introduction:
The Japanese military dominated the Japanese government for the most part of 1930s. This had a major impact on the Japanese people.

Main Body:
The lives of the Japanese improved in terms of the economic recovery they experienced. With the military government adopting an aggressive foreign policy, the Japanese economy started to recover. The invasion of Manchuria in 1931 meant that there would be enough raw materials for Japanese industries. This helped in providing employment for many Japanese workers. The takeover of Manchuria also meant that Japanese industries were able to expand their markets to sell their products. This resolved the problem of protectionism caused by the Great Depression.
Socially, the Japanese people developed a stronger sense of pride towards their country. With the takeover of Manchuria in 1931-33 and large chunk of Chinese territories onwards, Japan had become a major power equal in status with powerful countries in the West. The empire built by the military government strengthened the sense of nationalism that Japanese felt for their country.

However, the people’s lives might not have benefitted entirely. While there were more resources coming from areas conquered by Japan, many of these resources were channelled back to the industries linked to the military. This was hardly surprising, since the Japanese had been constantly at war in the 1930s. However, this meant that industries that were not related to the military were neglected.
Socially, there was heavy censorship on anti-government views. Such lack of freedom in expression was most evident in the assassination of politicians who opposed the dominant influence of the military, such as Prime Minister Ki Inukai in 1932. In schools and public places, the people were expected to show full support for the military government. In addition, there was also the constant pain of losing loved ones among Japanese families. This was the result of the constant waging of wars by the military government, which meant that many families might lose their fathers, sons and husbands.