Japans Expansionism in Asia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japans Expansionism in Asia - Research Paper Example Poring over Japan’s adversarial history in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century it is easily discernible that the sole incentive for the nation’s aggressive expansionism policy was its unquenchable thirst for natural resources. Japan’s seemingly interminable drive to conquer Asian colonies was clearly spurred by its three nationalistic campaigns namely, modernization, industrialization and an imperialistic militarism, which required an infinite source of natural resources to succeed. Late in the 19th century, Japan which was undergoing rapid industrialization and modernization realized that it needed to simulate Western nations to achieve significant success in its developing mainland1. The nation required a blend of two key drivers of Western economies to surge its economic aspirations; technology and capitalism. However, for Japan with its limited natural resources, capitalism dictated colonialism in order to furnish its needs for raw materials2. The country was further influenced into an imperialistic stance by its relatively hostile neighborhood featuring Russia and China and its inherent vulnerability considering its location3. The nation thus had no choice but to adopt an antagonistic policy for its neighbors. This policy dictated that the nation had to establish a palpable military to establish itself as one of the powers in Asia if not the sole power. The Japanese military evolved at a rapid pace just like its industries and added its materials’ demands to the already choked Japanese natural resource needs.