Who were the army extremists? Names are not important, except as labels
of a whole group. There has been no outstanding fascist leader in
Japan, such as Mussolini in Italy or Hitler in Germany. It is enough
for us to note that, in the 1930-32 period, the high army leadership
centered in three generals--Araki, Muto and Mazaki. This trio was
supported by a powerful group of “young officers,” such as Doihara and
Itagaki, who have since become ranking generals.
These men were not from the old clan aristocracy. They came mostly
from the lesser clans, or from the middle classes in town and village.
They knew at first hand the sufferings of the farmers and the small
tradesmen. Like Mussolini and Hitler, they claimed to be the friend of
the common man. They bitterly denounced the “corrupt alliance” of the
political parties and the capitalists.
All this was part of their fight for political control at home. They
wanted a “national socialist” reformation in Japan. By this they
meant that the army, under the Emperor, should run the government.
They wanted the political parties suppressed and industry run by the
state--all, as they said, for the benefit of the common man.
On the home front, the army extremists have had little success. None of
their glowing promises of economic “reforms” has been carried out. In
the foreign field, however, their program has been largely adopted. We
must now see what their aims in foreign policy were.