Item number: M73

Year: AD 1935

Material: Silver

Size: case 81.18 x 66.03 x 16.73 / medal 28.94 x 52.69 mm

Weight: case 9.19 / medal 22.3 g

Provenance: Quan Jian Zhai 2022

This medal, the ‘Korean Army Divisional Special Large Maneuvers Participation Medal,’ was issued to participants of the Divisional Maneuvers in Korea (AD 1935), which belonged to the Japanese Korean Army. The maneuver was conducted by Japan with the aim of providing emergency reinforcement for front-line units.

The medal is made of silver, featuring a cherry blossom bar at the top and an elliptical badge suspended below. The obverse is in the shape of a brass five-star, with the words “皇軍” (Imperial Army) above and below. The reverse side bears Qin script characters stating “朝鮮軍 師團對抗 特別演習 參加章 80兵步 皇紀二五九五年非常時” (Korean Army Divisional Special Large Maneuvers Participation Medal, 80th Infantry, Extraordinary Period, Year of Imperial Era 2595(AD 1935)).

Japanese militarism was the ideology in the Empire of Japan which advocated the belief that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and the belief that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation. It was most prominent from the start of conscription after the Meiji Restoration until the Japanese defeat in World War II, roughly AD 1873 to 1945.

The rise of universal military conscription, introduced by Yamagata Aritomo in AD 1873, along with the proclamation of the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors in 1882 enabled the military to indoctrinate thousands of men from various social backgrounds with military-patriotic values and the concept of unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor as the basis of the Japanese state (kokutai). Yamagata, like many Japanese, was strongly influenced by the recent striking success of Prussia in transforming itself from an agricultural state to a leading modern industrial and military power. He accepted Prussian political ideas, which favored military expansion abroad and authoritarian government at home. The Prussian model also devalued the notion of civilian control over the independent military, which meant that in Japan, as in Germany, the military could develop into a state within a state, thus exercising greater influence on politics in general.

After the Manchurian Incident in 1931, the Japanese military focused on guiding public opinion towards militaristic ideologies. The Imperial Japanese Army, in particular, utilized regional army veterans’ associations as intermediaries between the military and the civilian population, playing a crucial role in propaganda. On the other hand, the Imperial Japanese Navy also made contributions to the promotion of militaristic ideologies. Under the leadership of Saito Jitsugu as the head of the Navy Association, reforms were initiated, local branches of the Navy Association with governors as chiefs were established throughout Japan, membership was expanded, criticisms were made against the naval disarmament treaties Japan was involved in, and the argument was made that Japan should have equal naval status with Britain and the United States. As a result, a hawkish stance dominated Japanese public opinion at that time, contributing to Japan’s withdrawal from the disarmament conference and departure from the existing international arms control treaty system during the Second London Naval Treaty. 

物件編號: M73

年代: 公元 1935 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 盒 81.18 x 66.03 x 16.73 / 獎章 28.94 x 52.69 mm

重量: 盒 9.19 / 獎章 22.3 g

來源: 泉鑒齋 2022

公元1935年，日本在韓國進行了特別演習，其主要目標是緊急補充前線部隊。此參加章的發行即為紀念此次演習，發行對象為參與演習的日本朝鮮軍。

本參加章為銀質，上方為櫻花雕紋別針，下方為垂墜之橢圓形徽章，徽章正面鑲嵌一黃銅五星圖案，上下有「皇軍」字樣，背面則有「朝鮮軍 師團對抗 特別演習 參加章 80兵步 皇紀二五九五年（公元1935年） 非常時」等篆體鑄字。

日本軍國主義是大正時代至二戰結束期間日本帝國的意識形態，主張軍國主義應主導國家政治和社會生活，並認為軍事實力等同於國家實力。此思潮在明治維新後實施的徵兵制度開始至二戰結束（約公元1873至1945年）達到巔峰。

由山縣有朋於公元1873年引進的全國性兵役制度，以及公元1882年發布的《賜給陸海軍軍人的敕諭 》，使得軍方能夠灌輸千千萬萬來自各個社會階層的男性軍事愛國主義價值觀，並將對天皇的盲目忠誠視為日本國家（國體）的基礎。山縣等許多日本人深受普魯士近期在將自身轉變為領先現代工業和軍事強權的成功所影響。他接受了普魯士的政治觀念，支持對外擴張的軍事政策和國內的威權政府。普魯士模式也削弱了平民對獨立軍隊的控制的概念，這意味著在日本，如同在德國一樣，軍方可能發展成為一個國家內的狀態，因此對整體政治產生更大的影響。

九一八事變後，日本軍部開始著重於將普通民眾的輿論思想導向至軍國主義思想，其中大日本帝國陸軍利用在鄉軍人會充當軍隊與民間的溝通媒介，在其的宣傳中發揮了重要作用。另一方面，大日本帝國海軍也為軍國主義思想的宣傳做出一定的貢獻。在齋藤實就任海軍協會會長後，齋藤實開始對海軍協會進行改革、在全日本的都道府縣內設置以知事為長官的海軍協會支部，並廣泛發展會員、批評日本當時參與的限制海軍軍備的條約，主張日本在海軍軍備上應與英國、美國持平等地位，其結果是，當時日本的民間輿論中強硬派占據上風，助推了日本在參加第二次倫敦海軍條約時退出裁軍會議、脫離國際現行的軍控條約體系 。