A História Militar Do Japão: O Processo de Desmilitarização e Remilitarização

Abstract

Through Neoclassical Realism, this monography sought to understand Japan's military issues from the Meiji era onwards. Taking into account that after the end of the Second World War, Japan had its territory occupied by American troops and underwent a change of regime, which restructured Japan's politics and economy through a new constitution. During the occupation, Japan had to demilitarize, as it was still considered a threat, so that the United States could operate in the Japanese state without outside interference and so that the Japanese could not try to rebel against the Americans. With the end of the occupation, Japan sought to reinsert itself into the international system through a foreign policy of aid and financial investment, and sought to adopt a pacifist stance and not get involved in conflicts. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Japan sought various measures to remilitarize and ensure its security in the international system. Using qualitative and case study methodology, the paper concludes that the decisions that led to the demilitarization process were made because the Japanese saw it as an opportunity to rebuild the country without having to devote efforts to guaranteeing the security of the archipelago, and the remilitarization process occurred because of the condition in which the system found itself at the end of the 1990s, with the outbreak of crises and conflicts that endangered Japan's security.