Japanese administration in the South Pacific Mandate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since March 2007. (help, talk) |
Contents |
[edit] Background
In the late 19th century, the Western powers (including United States) and Japan competed each other to strengthen their domination over occupied concessions in China. In 1902, Japan and Britain tied closer relationship through a Anglo-Japanese treaty. The alliance was important for the British Empire to protect its commercial interests. For the Japan, it was valuable to be recognized as a world power at the time.
When the World War I began in Europe, Japan declared war onto Germany on August 23, 1914 and together with Britain involved in the Battle of Tsingtao to defeat Germany. Japan seized the opportunity of Germany's distraction in Europe and seized the German possessions in the Marianas, Carolines, and Marshall Islands at the outset of World War I in 1914.
The Japanese Navy Expeditionary Squadron occupied Saipan without resistance; other islands of German Micronesia were also occupied during October 1914. Japan promulgated ordinances for the South Seas Naval Temporary Defense Corps.
[edit] Post World War I
A class C mandate from League of Nations in 1920 confirmed Japan in control of Northern Mariana Islands, Caroline, Marshall Islands and Palau group, except the Guam and Wake Island, which were controlled by U.S. and the Gilberts, Nauru, and Ocean Island, governed by British.
As Class C Mandate suggested, Japan sought to incorporate the islands into its empire and Tokyo developed the Marshall Islands and the rest of its mandate in Micronesia as though it exercised full sovereignty. Japan mounted an aggressive economic development program and promoted immigration.Japanese, Okinawan and Korean immigrants eventually came to outnumber islanders by as much as two to one.
Afterwards, the Japanese government transferred the military rule of South Pacific Mandate from the Navy Expeditionary Squadron to the Provisional Naval Garrison; Saipan was made one of six administrative districts reporting to headquarters in Truk. Later government was established as a Civil Administration Department under the Naval Garrison commander in each of the six administrative districts in the archipelago.
Later the Japanese government transferred headquarters of the Civil Administration Department in the South Pacific Mandate from Truk to Koror, Palau. The governor of the South Pacific Mandate reported directly to Japan's prime minister. Later it establisheed the Ministry of Colonial Affairs, to which governor of the South Pacific Mandate now reported.
Until the late 1930s the South Pacific Mandate islands primarily served the Japanese civilian economy. By 1936 a thriving fishing and pearl industry had developed as well as a sugar industry, but toward the end of the decade the emphasis shifted and a military build up commenced. Airfields, harbors, ammunition depots, gun emplacements, barracks, and fuel storage facilities were constructed.
[edit] Pre World War II
By 1937, the Japanese Navy began construction of various airfields, fortifications, ports, and other military projects in the islands over this area. The Japanese Navy armed forces, was based on Saipan and Rota (island) in the Northern Mariana Islands. By December 1941, the Japanese Navy had completed their preparations for offensive air and naval operations. The South Pacific Mandate was to be a major staging area:
- Kwajalein filled that role in the attacks on Hawaii and Wake Island (on the "day of infamy")
- Palau was to provide support for the campaign in the Philippines
- From Saipan, air and naval forces were launched against Guam
- Truk became the base for amphibious landings on Tarawa and Makin in the Gilberts
- Majuro, in the Marshalls, was used in air strikes against Howland Island
- From Jaluit Atoll the Japanese Navy seized Nauru and Ocean Island.
The Japanese government transfers administration of South Pacific Mandate from the Ministry of Colonial Affairs to the Ministry of Greater East Asian Affairs and reorganizes the primacy of Japanese Navy in the South Seas Government, reducing the six administrative districts to three:
- Marianas
- Truk
- Palau
Since 1943, Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya, the former Commander in Chief of the China fleet and participant in Alaskan diversionary operation (during the Battle of Midway), was appointed Governor-General till the end of Pacific War.
