Fascism in China & Japan

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Prior to the Second World War, extreme nationalism in the sense of Fascism ran rampart throughout the world. Japan saw massive influence that eventually lead to their commitment towards the Axis powers. Whilst in a different manner, China witnessed a smaller Nationalist Group (GMD) try to take hold of the government via means of being portrayed as a faux Communist group (CCP). Their attempts would ultimately fail, obviously leading to a strong communist government in China and fascism in Japan. One must consider what factors both countries have in common in their rightist movement via an analysis of their impact or lack thereof on each country.

The Nationalist Party primarily competed against the Chinese Communist party starting in the early 20th century. Leader of said party was Sun Yatsen, he is described as “a patriot whose sincerity permitted him to be startlingly nonideological and opportunistic....”1 While he did not initially adopt the ideals of communism (class battles) he knew it would be necessary to spread a nationalist theory throughout China. In theory they [the communists] violated his Three Principles of the People -- “Nationalism, People's Rights or Democracy, and People's Livelihood...”2 Eventually becoming overwhelmed with warlordism and misfortune, Sun would retreat to Shanghai and begin reorganizing the Guomindang (or Chinese Nationalist Party). This would reveal that early efforts were futile for a strong nationalist party in China. Sun would later then ally with the Soviets and model his government model after theirs.

In said committee, the CCP (Or Chinese Communist Party) was greatly outnumbered. Thus they gave in to nationalist idealism: “ it [the CCP] numbered more than 300 members in 1922, only 1,...

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...to their fascist movement. They used more violent tactics and took advantage of the commoners to run an effective fascist country. Although both short lived, these ideological rises in stature are crucial to both. It would help with later development in varying fields. Japan would become apart of the Axis during the Second World War and eventually one of the closest allies of the West. And China would place a strong emphasis on communism via the CCP and the People's Republic of China.

Works Cited

Jansen, Marius B.. "Japan Between the Wars." The making of modern Japan. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2002. 495. Print.

Fairbank, John King, and Merle Goldman. "The Nationalist Revolution and the Nanjing Government." China: a new history. 2nd enl. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2006. 279. Print.

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