Imperial Japanese Armed Forces

For the present-day Japanese military, see Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Imperial Japanese Armed Forces
日本軍
Flag of Imperial Japan
Founded	3 January 1868
Disbanded	November 1945
Service branches	IJA IJAAS Kempeitai IJN IJNAS SNLF Tokkeitai
Headquarters	Imperial General Headquarters
Leadership
Emperor of Japan	Meiji (1868–1912) Taishō (1912–1926) Hirohito (1926–1945)
Personnel
Conscription	18–35
Related articles
History	Military history of Japan
Ranks	Army ranks Navy ranks

The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the unified forces of the Empire of Japan. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were disbanded in 1945, shortly after Japan's defeat to the Allies of World War II; the revised Constitution of Japan, drafted during the Allied occupation of Japan, replaced the IJAF with the present-day Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy functioned as the IJAF's primary service branches, with the country's aerial power being split between the Army Air Service under the former and the Navy Air Service under the latter.

History

Main article: Japanese military modernization of 1868–1931

The IJAF was founded with an edict emanated on 3 January 1868, as part of the Japanese reorganization of the army and the application of innovations during the Meiji Restoration. The reorganization of the army and the navy during the Meiji period boosted Japanese military strength, allowing the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy to achieve major victories, such as during the First Sino-Japanese war and the Russo-Japanese War.

The IJAF also served in WW1 and WW2. It was operational until the Surrender of Japan after World War II in 1945.

Organization

During the pre-war era the army and navy had separate school branches. Since the Meiji era, the Choshu Domain from Yamaguchi Prefecture dominated the IJA. The IJN was dominated by the Satsuma Domain from Kagoshima Prefecture. This resulted in that they operated separately rather than a single umbrella strategy.

During the Showa period, the IJA and IJN had different outlooks on allies and enemies. The IJA considered Nazi Germany as a natural partner and the Soviet Union as a threat, while the IJN stressed that collaboration with Nazi Germany would hurt relations with the United Kingdom and the United States.

Some equipment was also procured separately. For example, the IJA secured its own ships and self-designed submarines in World War 2. Former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida criticized the sectionalism of the IJAF.

Interservice rivalry

Main article: Interservice rivalry § Japan

The Imperial Army and Navy had a fierce interservice rivalry centering around how the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces ought to secure territories containing valuable natural resources not available at home to fuel and grow the Japanese economy. The Army mainly supported the Hokushin-ron doctrine, which called for expansion into Manchuria and Siberia and would have the army take on a prime role, while the Navy supported the Nanshin-ron doctrine, which stated that Japan ought to expand into Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands and would be reliant on the navy to do so.

Main chronology

Under Emperor Meiji

• 1870 (1870) Proclamation of unified military system (Army is French-style, Navy is British-style)
• 1871 (1871) Goshinpei are organized by donations from Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa.
• Proclamation of conscription order in 1873
• 1874 Saga Rebellion, Taiwan troop dispatch
• Ganghwa Island Incident in 1875
• 1876 Kumamoto Shinfuren Rebellion, Akizuki Rebellion, Hagi Rebellion
• Meiji 10 (1877) Satsuma Rebellion
• 1882 (1882) Promulgation of the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers
• 1888 (1888) Promulgation of the Army General Staff Ordinance, the Navy General Staff Ordinance, and the Division Headquarters Ordinance
• 1889 (Meiji 22) Promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan
• 1893 (Meiji 26) Promulgation of the Wartime Imperial Headquarters Ordinance
• Meiji 27 (1894) Sino-Japanese War
• The Sino-Japanese War ended in 1895. Japanese troops requisition Taiwan based on the Treaty of Shimonoseki
• 1899 (Meiji 32) Boxer Rebellion Incident
• 1900 (Meiji 33) Established an active military officer system of the military minister, Kitasei incident
• Meiji 37 (1904) Russo-Japanese War
• 1905 (Meiji 38) Operation Sakhalin, the end of the Russo-Japanese War

Under Emperor Taishō

• • In 1913, the military minister can be appointed as a reserve, back-up, or retired general.
• 1914 Siemens scandal, World War I (Battle of Qingdao)
• 1918 Siberian intervention, end of World War I
• 1919 (Taisho 8) Promulgation of the Kwantung Army Headquarters Ordinance
• Nikolayevsk Incident in 1920
• 1921 Washington Naval Treaty
• The Amakasu Incident in 1923
• Siberian intervention ended in 1925, Ugaki military contraction

Under Emperor Shōwa

• Shōwa 2 (1927)
  • First Shandong troops
  • First Nanking Incident
• Shōwa 3 (1928)
  • Second Shandong troops
  • Jinan Incident
  • Zhang Zuolin bombing case
• Shōwa 5 (1930)
  • London Naval Treaty
  • Taiwan Musha Incident
• Shōwa 6 (1931)
  • March Incident
  • Manchurian Incident
  • October Incident
• Shōwa 7 (1932)
  • January 28 Incident
  • May 15 Incident
  • Manchuria founded
• Shōwa 9 (1934)
  • Washington Naval Treaty abolished
• Shōwa 11 (1936)
  • February 26 Incident
  • Resurrection of the military minister's active military service system
  • Japan-Germany Anti-Comintern Pact
• Shōwa 12 (1937)
  • China Incident (Sino-Japanese War)
  • Marco Polo Bridge Incident
  • Tongzhou case
  • Battle of Beiping-Tianjin
  • Battle of Shanghai
  • Rape of Nanking
• Shōwa 13 (1938)
  • Battle of Wuhan
  • Battle of Lake Khasan
  • Promulgation of the National Mobilization Law
• Shōwa 14 (1939)
  • The Battle of Khalkhin Gol
• Shōwa 15 (1940)
  • Annexation of French Indochina
• Shōwa 16 (1941)
  • Declaration of war against the United States and United Kingdom, Greater East Asia War (Pacific War), Southern Operation (Invasion of Hong Kong, Malayan Campaign, Pearl Harbor attack, etc.)
  • Sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
• Shōwa 17 (1942)
  • Battle of Rabaul (start of New Guinea Campaign)
  • Fall of Singapore
  • Bombing of Darwin
  • Dutch East Indies Campaign
  • Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road
  • Battle of Ceylon
  • Battle of Midway
  • Kokoda Track Campaign
• Shōwa 18 (1943)
  • Battle of Guadalcanal Island
  • Navy Instep Incident
  • Battle of Attu
• Shōwa 19 (1944)
  • Navy B case
  • Operation C (U Go Offensive)
  • Operation Ichi-Go
  • Battle of Mariana and Palau Islands
  • Philippines Defense Battle
  • Creation of a special attack corps
• Shōwa 20 (1945)
  • February Yalta Conference
  • Rape of Manila
  • Battle of Iwo Jima
  • March Tokyo air raid
  • Battle of Okinawa
  • Participation in the Soviet Union against Japan (Soviet invasion of Manchuria / Battle of Sakhalin / Battle of Shumshu)
  • Accepting the Potsdam Declaration
  • Soviet troops occupy the South Karafuto and Kuril Islands
  • September 2-Japanese Instrument of Surrender Signing Ceremony on Battleship Missouri (Japanese Instrument of Surrender, All Armies Stopped Combat, Disarmament Order), Greater East Asia War (Pacific War) and End of World War II
  • Soviet Union occupies the Northern Territories
  • November The Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy are dismantled and become the 1st Ministry of Demobilization and the 2nd Ministry of Demobilization.
• Shōwa 21 (1946)
  • May International Military Tribunal for the Far East opens
  • November 3-Promulgation of the Constitution of Japan
• Shōwa 22 (1947)
  • May 3-Enforcement of the Constitution of Japan
• Shōwa 25 (1950)
  • August 10-Establishment of National Police Reserve
• Shōwa 27 (1952)
  • August 10-National Safety Forces reorganization
• Shōwa 29 (1954)
  • July 1-Established "Self-Defense Forces (land, sea, aviation)" and established the Defense Agency (shifted to "Ministry of Defense" on January 9, 2007)