Reexamination of Diplomats' Career Paths and Factions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pre-War Japan

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K21123
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Politics; International relations
• Research Institution: Meijo University
• Principal Investigator: YAJIMA AKIRA 名城大学, 法学部, 准教授 (30738571)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 日本政治外交史 / 戦前 / 外務省 / 連盟外交 / 連盟派 / キャリアパス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to identify the relation between policy conflicts and faction conflicts within the Foreign Ministry of pre-war Japan through examination of career paths of diplomats. In so doing, the present study analyzes the personnel affairs in the Ministry, focusing on the confrontation between the head office and the Imperial Japanese Office at the seat of the League of Nations, over the diplomacy with the League. The findings indicate that the diplomats working at the Imperial Japanese Office had a specific career pattern, and that this particular pattern disagreed with the career patterns followed by their associates who advanced to executive posts at the head office. Accordingly, the analysis suggests that the differences in career paths gave rise to different policy orientations and, subsequently, factions, and that there used to be a policy-oriented group which should be categorized as the “pro-League of Nations faction” in the pre-war Foreign Ministry.

Free Research Field

政治学