Zrod a vývoj japonského imperialismu

Japanese imperialism was an important factor of the policy in the Far East in the first half of the 20th century. Due to its victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese war, Japan obtained a considerable empire on the Asian mainland. In this step it followed as the only Asian nation the European imperial countries. Japanese imperialism is therefore sometimes considered as an extension of the European one. On the other hand, Japanese overseas expansion was motivated by quite different reasons — especially by an effort to ensure national security. It also used completely different rhetoric of Pan-Asianism and anti-colonialism. The building of empire was perceived differently than the same process in European countries. The shape of Japanese imperialism was therefore quite distinct and had a completely different legacy as in the case of Europe.