Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
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The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (: 大東亞共榮圈, Shinjitai: 大東亜共栄圏 Dai-tō-a Kyōeiken) was an attempt by Japan to create a self-sufficient "bloc of Asian nations led by the Japanese and free of Western powers". [link]
It is remembered today largely as a front for the Japanese control of Axis-occupied countries during World War II, in which puppet governments manipulated local populations and economies for the benefit of wartime Japan. It was an Imperial Japanese Army concept which originated with General Hachiro Arita, who at the time was minister of foreign affairs and an army ideologist. "Greater East Asia" (大東亜, Dai-tō-a) was a Japanese term (banned during the post-war occupation) referring to East Asia, Southeast Asia and surrounding areas.
The idea of the Co-Prosperity Sphere was announced by Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke on August 1, 1940 in a press interview, but went back many years. Leaders in Japan—then, as now, the richest country in the region—had long been interested in the idea, partly to extend Japanese power and partly to free Asia from being colonies of European countries.
As part of its war drive, Japanese leaders spoke of "Asia for Asians" and the need to liberate Asian countries from imperialist powers. In some cases they were welcomed when they invaded neighboring countries, driving out the British, French, and the American armies. In general, however, the subsequent brutality and the hardship of war led to the Japanese being regarded as no better, and in some cases much worse, than Western colonists. The Co-Prosperity Sphere collapsed with Japan's downfall.
See also
- Hachiro Arita: Army thinker who thought up the Greater East Asian concept
- Nobuhiro Sato: alleged founder of the Greater East Asia concept
- Imperialism in Asia
- Japanese imperialism
- Japanese nationalism
- List of Japanese War Atrocities
- Tanaka Memorial
- Japanese Empire
- Ministry of Greater East Asia (Japan)
- Greater East Asia Conference (November 1943)
- List of East Asian leaders in the Japanese sphere of influence (1931-1945)
- Overseas political parties and movements with Japanese support
- Yen block
- East Asia Summit: unrelated forum in the early 21st century
- Monroe Doctrine: comparable American policy
External links
- [Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere] - academic paper
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