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Autarky
Economic self-sufficiency, where a state aims to produce all goods and resources domestically rather than relying on international trade. Pursued by fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the USSR.
Gekokujo
A Japanese concept meaning "the lower overruling the higher." It describes how junior military officers took radical action (including assassination and insubordination) to force policy changes, undermining civilian government control.
Kokutai
The concept of Japan's unique national identity or "national polity," centred on the divine emperor. Ultranationalists used kokutai ideology to justify military expansion and suppress political dissent.
Kwantung Army
Japanese military force stationed in Manchuria that initiated the 1931 invasion, defying civilian authority.
Manchukuo
Japanese-controlled puppet state established in Manchuria in 1932, ruled nominally by the last Qing emperor, Puyi.
Mukden Incident (1931)
A staged explosion on the South Manchuria Railway near Mukden on 18 September 1931, orchestrated by Kwantung Army officers Itagaki and Ishiwara. The incident was used as a pretext to invade Manchuria without authorisation from the Japanese civilian government in Tokyo.
New Order in East Asia
A policy announced by Japanese Prime Minister Konoe in November 1938, envisioning a Japanese-led political and economic bloc in East Asia. It aimed to replace Western influence with Japanese hegemony and justify continued expansion in China.
Zaibatsu
a large Japanese business conglomerate