Meiji Restoration: The Opening of Japan
Aggressive Expansionism
Nanking Massacre 1937
The Meiji Restoration brought about a fierce nationalism in Japan. Nationalistic groups such as the Amur River Society and the Cherry Society threatened, harassed, and even assassinated government officials who opposed military action in other countries such as China.
Nanking Massacre 1937
This led to a violent political climate Many Japanese believed that Japan could only return to the greatness of the Meiji Era through the conquest of all of Asia.
Nanking massacre, bayonet practice
The atrocity of Nanking in 1937 was a great failure of expansionism, 42,000 Chinese civilians, most of them women and children, were killed when Japan tried to capture this city.
Click here to return to the Failures page
