Assignment #3: Comparing Extremism in Europe and Asia
The extreme ideas that emerged in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s were very similar to the ones that emerged
Italy and Germany during the same time. In Japan, ultranationalists were against democracy and
the nanded
big business on Japanese life. They praised Japanese virtues of
harmony and duty, idealized the past,
demanded
absolute obedience to the
emperor, and called for the revival of
warrior values. They also argued for
Japanese
imperialist expansion, and
to take on the role of a
world power in Asia.
Your Task: Compare the ideas of Japanese ultranationalists with fascist sources from Italy and Germany in the first
two columns. In the third column, paraphrase the similarities between the two sources. In the fourth
column,
discuss the difficulty you had in
paraphrasing, or make a connection to
something else we've learned in class..
JAPAN
"The Way of the
Subjects" Japan Ministry
of Education, 1941
The Emperor is the sole
source of the Japanese
nation, and national and
private lives issue from
him... The Imperial
virtues² are so great and
boundless³ that all are
joined into one. Here is the
reason for our present
glorious state, in which the
Emperor and his subjects
are harmonized' into one
great unit, with a million
hearts beating as one....
GERMANY
"The Oath to Adolph
Hitler," speech by
Rudolph Hess, 1934
Be ever a servant of the
whole, within the
movement as well, and
never forget that only the
whole movement, not a
part of it, can guarantee
victory and the conquest
of the future.
The way of the subjects is
to be loyal to the Emperor
in disregard of self,
thereby supporting the
Imperial Throne. To serve
the Emperor is its key
point. Our lives will
become sincere and true
only when they are offered
up completely to the
Emperor and Japan.
PARAPHRASE: What are two
similarities about what people in
Germany and Japan were told to think
about their leader and country?
Be ever aware that,
wherever you are, you
owe thanks to the Führer
(leader), for his leadership
enableds every victory.
Wherever you are, be it
high or low, work for him,
and therefore for
Germany. Remember
what Adolf Hitler says: it
makes no difference if one
is a street cleaner or a
professor, as long as he
works for the whole and
does his duty.
The reward for your
labors is the feeling of
having done one's duty for
the movement, for Adolf
Hitler, for Germany.
1. Imperial: referring to an empire or emperor
2. virtues: good qualities
, admirable characteristics
3. boundless: never ending, without limit
4. harmonized: unified, working together
CHALLENGE/
CONNECTION:
5. enabled: made possib