A considerable amount of writing has been published on Japan at war in WWII. Scholars have been revisiting the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5. This volume examines Japan’s twentieth-century approach to war and militarism in a wider perspective, bringing hitherto unexamined new themes and subject-matter under scrutiny up to the present day.

This book is a thoughtful examination of the political and social consequences of war, with a focus on the ways in which militarism can become ingrained in a society and perpetuated over time. Rutherford offers insights into the ways in which military organizations and ideologies can shape political decision-making and public discourse, and explores strategies for promoting peace and reducing the risk of future conflicts. This book will be of interest to students of political science, international relations, and military history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book, first published in 1994, analyses the changing world order at the end of the Cold War. As the East-West military axis was replaced by North-South economic polarization and global insecurity, it became clear that future wars were likely to stem from resource and environmental conflict and from the effects of mass movements of displaced people. Using case studies from around the world, the authors diagnose the problems caused by increasing militarism, and analyse the links between conflict, poverty, development and the environment.

With the collapse of the Cold War following the Eastern European revolutions and the ongoing democratization of the Soviet republics, optimism about peace has transformed the international political climate. Incidents such as the Gulf War, however, have tempered this optimism and cast doubts on the prospects for demilitarization. In this book, Martin Shaw examines some of the developments that lie behind the recent momentous changes and argues that, despite the Gulf War and other regional wars, militarism is in decisive retreat. Writing from a broadly sociological perspective, Shaw examines the roles of war and military institutions in human society and the ways in which preoccupation with war has affected domestic, regional, and international politics in the twentieth century. In doing so, he asks: When does the post-war era end? How have nuclear weapons altered the perception of war by society? What is the relationship between industrialism and militarism? The author contends that, despite the militarism of some Third World countries, societies in the advanced industrial world (especially in Europe) have been undergoing a profound demilitarization. These societies have become politically insulated from war preparation, have recognized the effect of social movements on inter-state relations, and are experiencing a "revolution of rising expectations." Offering evidence of "post-military citizenship," Shaw describes the increasing resistance to military conscription throughout the Western world, the replacement of blind obedience with demands for accountability in Eastern bloc countries, and the simultaneous rise of nationalism and communitarianism among Common Market members. And, in light of the collapse of Stalinist militarism in Europe and the USSR, Shaw suggests some of the changes that face Soviet society.