Japan was - relatively speaking - democratic and internationalist in the 1920s. If the lurch towards hyper nationalism and millitarism in the early 1930s could be avoided, and with it the path that led to war how long could they control Korea and Taiwan?
If Japan remained democratic and avoided the Sino-Japanese War and World War II how long would it control Taiwan and Korea?
- Thread starter Ditzy Vixen (RossN)
- Start date
Taiwan they could hold for a while as the only serious resistance to Japanese rule on the island came from the austronesian aboriginals in the interior. After 1915 the resistance of the Han (Hakka included) was reduced to political and cultural activism. Further, the locals (Han and Aboriginal alike) were not interested in unification with China, as the prevailing view was that their loyalty had been to the Qing Dynasty rather than the geographic mainland, so there'd be few if any likely recipients of KMT/CPC aid.
Korea on the other hand is liable to be more of a headache. Cross border raids by communist and nationalist guerrillas are liable to continue, they will probably even intensify as weakening the Kwantung Army is a pre-requisite for the Japanese maintaining civil control over the military.
Korea on the other hand is liable to be more of a headache. Cross border raids by communist and nationalist guerrillas are liable to continue, they will probably even intensify as weakening the Kwantung Army is a pre-requisite for the Japanese maintaining civil control over the military.
Japan could maybe keep Korea if it becomes part of some kind of dual-monarchy similar to Austria-Hungary, with domestic Korean autonomy. What doomed A-H was its many other ethnic groups that felt left out; the relationship between Germans and Hungarians was fine for the most part. A Japanese-Korean Empire wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of ethnic conflict, since both countries are pretty homogeneous.
But I don‘t see Japan keeping Korea as an actual colony in the long term. Taiwan is another matter; I could see it remain a Japanese colony for a long time.
But I don‘t see Japan keeping Korea as an actual colony in the long term. Taiwan is another matter; I could see it remain a Japanese colony for a long time.
probably loses korea in the 60s or 70s with taiwan becoming an extra home island
One of Japan greatest mind was from Taiwan, or more correctly, Japanese Formosa. I'm talking about Go Peh-Hok, who later changed his name in Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin (1948) and inventor of istant noodles (1971).
Trivia apart, Japanese rule of Taiwan was stable. Harsh against dissence, but locals who cooperated saw their standard of livings rising quite significantly. The colony scholarization was among the highest of Asia, second only to Japan itself. The economy was also strong. Counting Japan's active policy of assimilization, it wouldn't have been strange to have Taiwan being integrated into Japan itself, albeit with a particular status.
Despite this, we must not forget Japan heavy handed administration regarding some sectors of society and the government involment into the opium trade (for which Japan was denounced before the League of Nations in 1921 by Taiwanese residents).
Trivia apart, Japanese rule of Taiwan was stable. Harsh against dissence, but locals who cooperated saw their standard of livings rising quite significantly. The colony scholarization was among the highest of Asia, second only to Japan itself. The economy was also strong. Counting Japan's active policy of assimilization, it wouldn't have been strange to have Taiwan being integrated into Japan itself, albeit with a particular status.
Despite this, we must not forget Japan heavy handed administration regarding some sectors of society and the government involment into the opium trade (for which Japan was denounced before the League of Nations in 1921 by Taiwanese residents).
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I doubt it...relations between Japan and Taiwan were weird to say the least
Lucius Verus
Banned
IIRC, weren't overseas Japanese citizens denied the vote? They'll come first before any local Taiwanese inclusion.
And wasn't the military ruling autonomously instead of Tokyo? A democratic Japan implies that they reigned in the militarists in the 1920s before it gained momentum.
And wasn't the military ruling autonomously instead of Tokyo? A democratic Japan implies that they reigned in the militarists in the 1920s before it gained momentum.
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I mean, Taiwan isn't that far from Japan, and with the Ryukyus regarded as part of the homeland, it would have been a matter of time before Taiwan is considered a Home Island as well.
Korea, however, is simply untenable. Eventually, the Japanese would have to consider forming an equal confederation with Korea, or be forced to give it up.
The problem with keeping Taiwan in the long run is that Japan will have to treat the people there as equals, or some Tokyo University Taiwanese alumni gets consistently discriminated against professionally and socially, goes back home and starts agitating. Or even more likely, tensions rise between Japanese colonialists and the natives (since the former are likely to insist on keeping their de jure and de facto privileges, and uncompromising settler minorities ultimately doomed Algeria and Rhodesia)
Taiwan might be doable, but it'd be very difficult for at least those two reasons.
As for Korea, no latter than the late 1940s/1950s.
Taiwan might be doable, but it'd be very difficult for at least those two reasons.
As for Korea, no latter than the late 1940s/1950s.
Given the Japanese view of Han and Korean racial inferiority . Attempting assimilation isn’t going to amount to anything .
Which is impossible due to the status of Korea as a Japanese colony dominated by Japanese along with a view of Korean inferiority.
Not at all. Taiwan's population today is 1/6th of Japan's, and that's with the post CCW influx after the KMT fled there. From 1905 and 1940 it hovered between 5 and 10% of the population of the home islands.
Absent WW2, Taiwan is most likely going to remain Japanese. It's not an almost certainty like Sakhalin and the Kurils would be, but it's not an uphill struggle like Korea either.
Which is a large percentage of people who the Japanese consider inferiors and not to mention the overwhelming Han majority on the island or how much poorer the island is compared to Japan.
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Japan was never all that democratic, not in the currently understood use of the term.
The Constitution was designed, from the start, to give both the Army and Navy an absolute veto on the rest of the government. Both the Army and Navy Ministers had to be seated before any government could be formed .Both HAD to be active duty officers, meaning that either service could collapse the government at will. It was effectively a military dictatorship with a human face.
What happened in the late 20's was a rise in Nationalism making the reintroduction of a perversion of Bushido almost inevitable.
But to address the two specific colonies.
Formosa was far more likely to become a permanent, more or less willing part of the Empire (there are some similarities to Hawaii, there is a small political movement pushing for native Hawaiian rights, but the number of people who actually are pushing for independence amount to a handful (in no small part due to massive migration from the Mainland, Japan, and the Philippines over the last 120 years). The dominant "local"population of Formosa had little to no identification with Mainland China something that would allow a reasonably gentle colonial administration to succeed.
Korea, to the contrary, had a long established national identity including a fabled history of defeating Japanese aggression going back to before the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The population resisted, to a strong degree efforts in "Japanization". This effort, which was remarkably heavy handed, up to and including requiring the changing of everyone's NAME (in some cases TWICE*), suppression/outlawing of the Korean language while attempting to hijack parts of Korean culture to make it appear to be of Japanese origin.
If Formosa can be likened to 1970 Hawaii, Occupied Korea can be best likened to 1916-23 Ireland, which continues to have a serious flashpoint to this day with the "Six Counties"/Northern Ireland despite a vastly more "enlightened" administration out of London.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sōshi-kaimei
tl;dr: Formosa okay, Korea sucking chest wound
The Constitution was designed, from the start, to give both the Army and Navy an absolute veto on the rest of the government. Both the Army and Navy Ministers had to be seated before any government could be formed .Both HAD to be active duty officers, meaning that either service could collapse the government at will. It was effectively a military dictatorship with a human face.
What happened in the late 20's was a rise in Nationalism making the reintroduction of a perversion of Bushido almost inevitable.
But to address the two specific colonies.
Formosa was far more likely to become a permanent, more or less willing part of the Empire (there are some similarities to Hawaii, there is a small political movement pushing for native Hawaiian rights, but the number of people who actually are pushing for independence amount to a handful (in no small part due to massive migration from the Mainland, Japan, and the Philippines over the last 120 years). The dominant "local"population of Formosa had little to no identification with Mainland China something that would allow a reasonably gentle colonial administration to succeed.
Korea, to the contrary, had a long established national identity including a fabled history of defeating Japanese aggression going back to before the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The population resisted, to a strong degree efforts in "Japanization". This effort, which was remarkably heavy handed, up to and including requiring the changing of everyone's NAME (in some cases TWICE*), suppression/outlawing of the Korean language while attempting to hijack parts of Korean culture to make it appear to be of Japanese origin.
If Formosa can be likened to 1970 Hawaii, Occupied Korea can be best likened to 1916-23 Ireland, which continues to have a serious flashpoint to this day with the "Six Counties"/Northern Ireland despite a vastly more "enlightened" administration out of London.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sōshi-kaimei
tl;dr: Formosa okay, Korea sucking chest wound
That's a large percentage, but ultimately not really able to challenge the sheer demographic weight of nearby Japan. Especially when Japanese or Japanized Formosans are going to make up an increasing percentage of the population. Unlike Korea, the island just simply isn't going to be able to cause a massive strain on Japan even if we assume a large percentage of the population wanted to, which is doubtful under the circumstances provided in the OP.