Imperial Japanese Army

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Imperial Japanese Military

Components
Image:Imperial japan.GIF
Image:Imperial japan.GIF Japanese Navy
Image:Imperial japan.GIF Japanese Army
Rank insignia
Naval rank insignia
Army rank insignia
History of the Japanese Military
Military History of Japan during World War II

The Imperial Japanese Army (大日本帝國陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945. It was controlled from the Imperial General Headquarters and the Ministry of War of Japan.

1 History
2 Ideology
3 Special reserved ability of the Emperor
4 Strength
- 4.1 Arsenals
5 Casualties
6 See also
7 External links

History

The Imperial Japanese Army was created to replace the traditional Japanese samurai with a modern European-style conscript army during the chain of events, known as Meiji Restoration, that led to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate (bakufu) and the restoring of Imperial rule in Japan.

Image:JapaneseArmy1900.JPG The Imperial Japanese Army was initially developed with the assistance of American (post Civil War), then French and finally by German advisors (post Franco-Prussian War); eventually it had grown to become the most modern army in Asia, well-trained, well equipped and high in morale. However, it was at times relatively deficient in artillery, tanks and other armoured vehicles when compared with its European contemporaries. Since Japan had no independent air force, the Imperial Japanese Army also developed a potent air arm, the Army Air Service equipped with modern locally-built aircraft with the primary mission of tactically supporting the ground operations.

The Imperial Japanese Army saw combat during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the occupation of Formosa in 1895 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1905; during the occupation of Korea in 1910; at the seizing of the German territory at Qingdao during World War I; at the occupation of Manchukuo in 1931; and throughout the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). From December 1941 the Imperial Japanese Army served as the main instrument in the Japanese Empire's aggressive expansion across East Asia during World War II. It was finally dissolved in September 1945 by the Allied forces, and later replaced by Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Throughout the Sino-Japanese War and World War II the Imperial Japanese Army had gained a reputation both for its fanaticism and for its brutality against POWs and civilians alike. After Japan surrendered in the summer of 1945 many of the Imperial Japanese Army's officers were tried and punished for committing numerous atrocities and war crimes.

Ideology

Japanese nationalism meant that the military was built around a concept of the time period: a Rich Country has a Strong Military. Japan as a land was sacred, and its people were special due a combination of Zen and other forms of Japanese Buddhism with Shinto. Service in the Japanese military was seen as service to the Emperor. Each soldier in theory believed it was a great honor to die for the Emperor as the samurai concept "to serve" was deeply ingrained in all the soldiers culture.

The concept of Yamato Damashi gave each soldier the concept, no capture, never break down, never surrender. To be a coward, or captured was a disgrace to the family, to the community and to the country. Each soldier was brought up to fight to the death and was expected to die before dishonor. Often imperial soldiers would shout "Banzai" before they fight or charge, so they would die with honor. This unique code forbidden each soldier from ever becoming a prisoner of war or P.O.W. captive. Every soldier accepted this as part of their bushido code, death before dishonor.Sadao Araki,Army theorist,also devised the contemporary adaptation to bushido code in for of Seishin Kyoiku (spiritual training) doctrine for the army indoctrination and operative training.

Each soldier culturally leaves everything at nothing, need nothing but honor. Name, and face meaning everything to these soldiers. Thus Yamato Damashi is an old Nippon spirit self pride in persistence in the face of grave danger, as to personally never give up.

The Emperor was a concept of investiture of power by the state in a figurehead. In effect the power of the Emperor was in name only, as the real power was held by the bureaucrats underneath him. While the Emperor was in theory the commander in chief, the Emperor usually went along with whatever the government "asked" him to do. The IJA had only two Emperor commander in chiefs, Taishō and Shōwa. The Emperor wore a command in chief uniform, and was saluted to by the Imperial Forces, at all ceremonial functions involving the IJA forces.

The government at the time period could only mobilize the military if everybody in the government came to a unanimous consensus. To which the Emperor gives his blessing to execute and bind the order of the imperial japanese government. The Emperor must be present at all imperial government official minister government meets for their decision to be binding. At which point the requests of the ministers becomes the order of the Emperor.

Special reserved ability of the Emperor

Only in rare moments of Imperial council, where the government ministers are completely unable to agree, and where the votes of all the government ministers tallies as even, does the government ministers asks for the Emperor's opinion. In those moments the Emperor acted as a tie breaker in giving an opinion, on decisions only within the choices presented him by the government ministers.

In World War 2, the Imperial Japanese government used this special ability of the Emperor Hirohito to decide to end the war. In 1945, executing the will of the Imperial government, Emperor Hirohito for the first and last time directly ordered via recorded radio broadcast to all of Japan, as his last role as commander in chief, the surrender to American forces.

Strength

1870, consisted of 12,000 men.
1885, consisted of seven divisions including the Imperial Guard Division.
In the early 1900's, the IJA consisted of 12 divisions and numerous other units. These contained the following:
- 380,000 active duty and 1st Reserve personnel - former Class A and B(1) conscripts after 2 year active tour with 17 and 1/2 year commitment
- 50,000 Second line Reserve - Same as above but former Class B(2) conscripts
- 220,000 National Army
  - 1st National Army - 37 to 40 year old men from end of 1st Reserve to 40 years old.
  - 2nd National Army - untrained 20 year olds and over 40 year old trained reserves.
- 4,250,000 males available for service and mobilization.
1934 - army increased to 17 Divisions
1940 - 376,000 active with 2 million reserves in 31 divisions
- 2 Divisions in Japan (Imperial Guard plus one other)
- 2 Divisions in Korea
- 27 Divisions in China and Manchuria
In late 1941 - 460,000 active in 41 divisions
- 2 divisions in Japan and Korea
- 12 divisions in Manchuria
- 27 divisions in China
1945 - 145 Divisions (includes 3 Imperial Guard), plus numerous individual units, with over 5 million men (includes Imperial Japanese Army Air Service).
Japan Defense Army in 1945 had 55 divisions with 2 million men.

Arsenals

Additionally Japanese Army managed various Arsenals:

Japanese Army Sagami Arsenal - with Mitsubishi, developed and manufactured tanks
Japanese Army Sasebo Arsenal - with Mitsubishi, manufactured tanks
Japanese Army Heijo Arsenal - with Nambu, manufactured hand and long infantry weapons
Japanese Army Mukden Arsenal - with Nambu, manufactured infantry weapons
Japanese Army Tachikawa Arsenal - dedicated to develop and manufacture aircrafts for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service