Was the Code of Bushido just a "modern day" invention based on a romantizised impression of the Samurai and other odds and ends? It might have been real enough for the Japanes soldier of WWII, but was it as ancient as we sometimes are led to believe?
No, Bushido had been a part of Japanese culture for quite some time. I would accept that it was modified to suit the psychological needs of the time, but it wasn't new.
I agree, Bushido as a code go's back many centuries and was probably finalised around the 17th and 18th centries when Japanese Samuari culture peaked. However it was manipulated by the IJA commanders as it should not have applied to the majority of theirr soldiers who were technically commoners FNG Changed to put a not in, Bushido is a noble code
jappers did plenty of bushido type banzai attacks at port aurthur in 1905 so certainly it predates ww2.
Were they banzai charges or just massed infantry assaults of the kind everybody used until WW1 showed the folly of doing so?
Indeed they did, but it is interesting that during this war neutral European observers were impressed with the conduct of the Japanese forces in relation to their treatment of POW's, which by all accounts was excellent. It appears that during the period from 1905 to the mid 30's the Japanese military authorities had corrupted the bushido code to further their racist war against China.
To back up what the others have written, everything I have read says that WWII Imperial Japan, especially the Army, corrupted the Bushido Code to further racist notions of Japan being a "superior" nation. Apparently true Bushido required ethical treatment of prisoners.
thats because originally Bushido was a noble code much akin to chivlery. They wanted to treat other nobles with care as they were worth money and that is how they wanted to be treated should they have been captured. Such etiquette would not apply to the peasant soliders or foreigners. FNG
Since Russo-Japanese war Japan vent into significant expansion of its military. Especcialy army which used to be a small force was expanded. Navy on the other hand was a completly new arm of the military and was trained and eqiped by British and as such also heavily influenced by them even in ww2. They simply had no experiance with traning of huge numbers of men. Traditionaly japanese military was small highly profesional and dedicated force. They suddenly found themselves with huge numbers of men to be trained. They resorted to sheer brutality ( anyone who read Saburo Sakai-s book knows that) and brainwashing ( present in any basic training even today). In the matter of brainwashing they had excellent tool, a bushido code. At the beggining bushido was not perverted and was used as whole. Japanese treatment of German POW's in ww1 attestst to that. I belive whole thing started in Japanese expansion in China after the ww1 and counterrevolutionary activities of Japanese expeditionary forces in SSSR, China and Mongolia which was very brutal on all sides. After significant weakening of Chinese state they started to expand into China ( their footholds were achived in Boxer rebellion, Russo-Japanes war and conterrevolutionary activities after ww1). Their ultimate goal in China became expansion, conquest of raw materials and settlement of Japanese in the area at the expense of local Chinese population which had to be removed one way or another. At that time another idea starts to pervert the military code, the idea of divinity. As japanese are ruled by emperor-God they cannot do anything wrong if they do it in his name and are as such "holy wariors" in the name of their God i.e. the Emperor. Any resemblance with other religious fanatics is more than coincidental. End result was that Bushido code was completly perverted and used in context of their superiority/devinity complex. Another point in the matter is that military simply became to strong and uncontrollable ( especialy Kwantung Army) and started to dictate the national policy and its own internal policies. all who opposed that were murdered in wave of murders and assasinations in 1920's and 30's.
in pre perry japan i dont belive there was any code about treatment of prisoners because there werent any . there was only one punishment in japan . wether for petty crimes or pows ,heads flying off shoulders...
