Japanese Army - Definition and Overview

The Imperial Japanese Army (大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was in existence from the Meiji Reformation to the end of World War II. It was created to replace the traditional Japanese samurai with a modern Western-style conscript army.

The Imperial Japanese Army was initially developed with the assistance of French and German advisors; eventually it had grown to become the most modern army in Asia, well-trained and high in morale. However, it was at times relatively deficient in tanks and other armoured vehicles when compared with its European contemporaries. Since Japan had no independent air force, the Imperial Japanese Army also developed a potent air arm, equipped with modern locally-built aircraft.

The Imperial Japanese Army saw combat during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War; at the seizing of the German territory at Qingdao during World War I; at the occupation of Manchukuo in 1931; and throughout the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) beginning with the Nanjing Massacre of 1937. From December 1941 the Imperial Japanese Army served as the main instrument in the Japanese Empire's aggressive expansion across East Asia during World War II.

Throughout the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and World War II the Imperial Japanese Army had gained a reputation both for its fanaticism and for its brutality against POWs and civilians alike. After Japan surrendered in the summer of 1945 many of the Imperial Japanese Army's officers were tried and punished for committing numerous War crimes throughout the wars.

See also

• List of Armies of the Japanese Army
• Imperial Japanese Navy

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