I need a topic for a history paper...

[neko kenshi]

Hey, I'm going to be doing an IB extended essay over the next year or so, and one of the areas I was considering doing it in would be something related to the feudal history of Japan (The most promising alternative at this point is arguing for the implementation of inertial confinement fusion as an energy source). Do you have any suggestions? It would need to be relatively specific of an area, and highly debatable with alot of documentation on the matter (both primary and secondary sources would be preferable). The best I can come up with thus far is how the feudal history of Japan contributed to their strategies/performance in WWII, but I don't know as that's all that great. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Sam

[Ignatz]

Here is a topic I suggested to one of our students for an international law class but I don't think she gets it.

Currently there is a big todo in Japan about Abe and visiting the war shrine. The Japanese have always taken the head in the sand approach to these issues (or as I prefer, the willful suspension of disbelief). The fact is that most of those listed there were put on the roles so their family could get a pension but I digress.

The issue is about the War Crimes Tribunal after WWII. Many Japanese will make tortured arguments about why many should not have been classified as war criminals but they miss a very good argument. We all know that the Nuremburg Courts dismissed the "I was just following orders" defense. What is not widely known is that there is an exception.
The particular Nuremburg Principle (IV) states:
Principle IV

The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.

There is an exception that I believe applied to many Japanese. For 2000 years the Emperor was considered to be a God.

The industrialists that started the war knew different, in fact you would want to argue that they counted on the belief of the people that the Emperor was divine. Because the rank and file Japanese was still under the reasonable belief that all orders came from God, they did not have a moral choice to disobey the command of God. Thus they had a defense.

In order to develop this you would have to do an in depth study of the divinity of the Japanese Emperor and, having established that, turn it into a defense to the charges of War Crimes.

Just a thought.

[Paikea]

"Keep the right flank strong" - lots of potential in that one statement.

[neko kenshi]

"Keep the right flank strong" - lots of potential in that one statement.

Wasn't that said by schlieffen (sp?) just before his death in reference it the schlieffen plan? Or am I totally wrong about that?

[Paikea]

Wasn't that said by schlieffen (sp?) just before his death in reference it the schlieffen plan? Or am I totally wrong about that?Yep.

Q: How does the Von Schlieffen plan affect the European political landscape 102 years later?

[neko kenshi]

That is a good discussion point. My only concern is that since what I'm doing is a European curriculum, we cover that a lot in class, and there will probably already be thousands of papers covering that. That's the danger of choosing to do it on history in general, is that it is such a popular subject that it's really hard to pass in due to the amount of competition. That's why I was hoping for something a bit more obscure. I would do science, but my school doesn't seem to be very strong in that regard (as far as how we tend to structure those things). Ideally, I would tweak a historical subject a bit to make it qualify as anthropology or sociology or maybe even archeology. I'm not too sure how though...haha. What I wish I could do would be to write a paper arguing some complicated physics question, like string theory or m theory, or hall of mirrors theory, or even better would be the free will theorem, but I'm afraid that given that my paper will be sent to an expert in the field, my lack of education in theoretical physics and higher level calculus would become apparent rather quickly. Hence my idea of arguing for inertial confinement fusion, becuase it's more of a practical and simple thing, but still is in the area of physics. I'd also be interested in investigating what went on in various socialist countries during the cold war, and investigating whether their policies are beneficial or not. Hmm, I seem to have gone off on a rather long tangent, sorry.

[neko kenshi]

Forgot to say: Thanks, Ignatz. I'll look into that one.

[babayaga]

There is an exception that I believe applied to many Japanese. For 2000 years the Emperor was considered to be a God.

This is not quite true. The Meiji through early Showa party line is that the Mikado has been considered a god ever since the Yamato conquered the barbarians of Kanto, but this is part of the fabrications of state Shinto, and not what was actually in practice during, say, the Heian through Edo periods.

If you read The Pillow Book and Murasaki's diary you'll find the Mikado was given respect appropriate to his rank, but he was hardly venerated as a god as say Hachiman or Amaterasu-omikami. Would an Emperor-God be subject to house arrest, rebellion and duplicitous back-stabbing? Would a six year old Emperor-God be chased halfway down the coast of Japan, and allowed to sink in his grandmother's arms to the bottom of the bay at Dannoura?

For most of his history the Mikado has been considered chief priest for the most important god in the Japanese pantheon, but he's been considered only something slightly more than human rather than full-fledged god himself. Or herself, as there were a few women who ruled.

However, the point that the soldiers in WWII considered him to be a god is a valid one, because from the mid-1800's on the state position was the Mikado was divine, and this idea had throughly taken root in the culture.

For further research on this topic I'd suggest looking at titles on State Shinto.

Another interesting topic might be how American actions in Nagasaki Bay in the mid-1800's set up the situation that led to WWII.

[Ignatz]

Well there is the history part outlined for you.

[Gessho]

Another interesting topic might be how American actions in Nagasaki Bay in the mid-1800's set up the situation that led to WWII.

That sounds interesting. What did the Americans do in the mid-1800's that led to WWII?

[Paikea]

That sounds interesting. What did the Americans do in the mid-1800's that led to WWII?We showed up with superior firepower, an ultimatum and a trade agreement. Same thing we always do...

[Ignatz]

Then they sent Tom Cruise to teach them about scientology or some other shit.

[KhawMengLee]

You could try somethin along the lines of;

The effects of firearms on Japanese feudal warfare and its role in the development of Budo.

You can write about how matchlock/flintlock firearms changed Japanese warfare and rendered obsolete many traditional weapons and tactics of the Samurai. An example was the lightning fast cavalry and spearmen of Takeda Shingen(actually it was his son who inherited his forces when Shingen died) who were cut to ribbons by Nobunaga using a line of riflemen stationed behind a stockade.

I'm not to sure whether the applied the tactic known as 'rolling thunder' which was made famous by the British force. Rolling Thunder was the battle formation whereby the unit would be assembled into two or three ranks. The front rank would fire, then drop to their knees and reload. The next rank behind would then advance to become the front rank. fire and then drop to their knees and reload. The precious rank then, who by then has finished reloading would advance and repeat the same order.

This tactics could be applied in an advance upon the enemy, or in a retreat or in a defensive position.

Of course, with modern firearms you have the dilemma that certain traditions, such as Samurai suddenly were faced with the prospect of being killed by lowly Ashigaru rather than a one to one battle with a 'worthy' opponent.(ie. the habit of Samurai riding up to another one on the battlefield and challenging him to single combat).

Then you could talk about the ban on firearms during peacetime or how it(guns) by unifying Japan impacted budo. How with peace, the martial arts no longer were valid and how it impacted budo. Such as how the merchant class(thought to be pretty low in the feudal order) suddenly became affluent and the samurai obsolete.

or

Samurai for example, would fight differently now because of the lack of armour opponents would wear. Did cutting areas increased now that the head and torso were more exposed?

or

Did budo loose it's touch with its combative roots by replacing the harsh environment outside with the controlled one in the dojo?


Millions of topics you can write up on.

[Kenzan]

You can write about how matchlock/flintlock firearms changed Japanese warfare and rendered obsolete many traditional weapons and tactics of the Samurai. An example was the lightning fast cavalry and spearmen of Takeda Shingen(actually it was his son who inherited his forces when Shingen died) who were cut to ribbons by Nobunaga using a line of riflemen stationed behind a stockade.


I agree, excellent topic with limitless areas to expound.
However, I'm not certain from memory, but weren't they using Arquebuses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arquebus)during Nobunaga's time?