text:
State legislature (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the documentary film, see State Legislature (film). For a list of US state legislatures, see List of United States state legislatures.
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of the
United States of America
Federal Government[show]
Constitution of the United States
Law
Taxation
Legislature[show]
United States Congress
House of Representatives
Speaker Paul Ryan (R)
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R)
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D)
Congressional districts
United States Senate
President Mike Pence (R)
President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch (R)
President Pro Tempore Emeritus Patrick Leahy (D)
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D)
Executive[show]
President of the United States
Donald Trump (R)
Vice President of the United States
Mike Pence (R)
Cabinet
Federal agencies
Executive Office
Judiciary[show]
Supreme Court of the United States
Chief Justice John Roberts
Kennedy
Thomas
Ginsburg
Breyer
Alito
Sotomayor
Kagan
Gorsuch
Courts of Appeals
District Courts (list)
Other tribunals
Elections[show]
Presidential elections
Midterm elections
Off-year elections
Political parties[show]
Democratic
Republican
Third parties
Federalism[show]
State Government
Governors
Legislatures (List)
State courts
Local government
Other countries
Atlas
v
t
e
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 25 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature the Legislative Assembly.
Contents
[hide]
1 Composition
1.1 Nebraska
2 Duties and influence
2.1 Lawmaking process
2.1.1 Beginnings
2.1.2 Committees
2.1.2.1 General information
2.1.3 Post-committee
2.1.3.1 Reports of Committee
2.1.3.2 Third reading
2.1.3.3 Transmission to second house
2.1.3.4 Conference committees
2.1.3.5 Presentation to the governor
2.1.4 Constitutional amendments
3 Aspects of the career of the state legislator
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Composition[edit]
Every state except Nebraska has a bicameral legislature, meaning that the legislature consists of two separate legislative chambers or houses. In each case the smaller chamber is called the Senate and is usually referred to as the upper house. This chamber typically, but not always, has the exclusive power to confirm appointments made by the governor and to try articles of impeachment. (In a few states, a separate Executive Council, composed of members elected from large districts, performs the confirmation function.) Members of the smaller chamber represent more citizens and usually serve for longer terms than members of the larger chamber, generally four years. In 41 states, the larger chamber is called the House of Representatives. Five states designate the larger chamber the Assembly and three states call it the House of Delegates. Members of the larger chamber usually serve for terms of two years. The larger chamber customarily has the exclusive power to initiate taxing legislation and articles of impeachment.
Prior to United States Supreme Court decisions Reynolds v. Sims and Baker v. Carr in the 1960s, the basis of representation in most state legislatures was modeled on that of the U.S. Congress: the state senators represented geographical units while members of the larger chamber represented population. In 1964, the United States Supreme Court announced the one man, one vote standard and invalidated state legislative representation based on geography. (The ruling does not affect the U.S. Senate because that chamber's makeup is prescribed by the U.S. Constitution.)
Nebraska[edit]
Main article: Nebraska Legislature
Nebraska originally had a bicameral legislature like the other states, but the lower house was abolished following a referendum, effective with the 1936 elections. The remaining unicameral (one-chamber) legislature is called the Nebraska Legislature, but its members continue to be called senators.
Duties and influence[edit]
The Iowa State Capitol building, where the Iowa General Assembly convenes
As a legislative branch of government, a legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level. Generally, the same system of checks and balances that exists at the Federal level also exists between the state legislature, the state executive officer (governor) and the state judiciary, though the degree to which this is so varies from one state to the next.
During a legislative session, the legislature considers matters introduced by its members or submitted by the governor. Businesses and other special interest organizations often lobby the legislature to obtain beneficial legislation, defeat unfavorably perceived measures, or influence other legislative action. A legislature also approves the state's operating and capital budgets, which may begin as a legislative proposal or a submission by the governor.
Under the terms of Article V of the U.S. Constitution, state lawmakers retain the power to ratify Constitutional amendments which have been proposed by the Congress and they also retain the ability to call for a national convention to directly pass amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Under Article II, state legislatures choose the manner of appointing the state's presidential electors. Formerly, state legislatures appointed the U.S. Senators from their respective states until the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913 required the direct election of Senators by the state's voters.
Lawmaking process[edit]
Generally, the legislative bodies and their committees use either Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure or an amended form thereof.[1] During official meetings, a professional parliamentarian is available to ensure that legislation and accompanying discussion proceed as orderly as possible without bias.
Beginnings[edit]
The lawmaking process begins with the introduction of a bill in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Bills may be introduced in either house, sometimes with the exception of bills increasing or decreasing revenue, which must originate in the House of Representatives. The order of business in each house provides a proper time for the introduction of bills.
Bills are usually assigned consecutive numbers, given in the order of their introduction, to facilitate identification. Usually a bill cannot become enacted until it has been read on a certain number of days in each house. Upon introduction, a bill is usually read by its title only, constituting the first reading of the bill. Because a bill is usually read by title only, it is important that the title give the members notice of the subject matter contained in the bill.
Committees[edit]
General information[edit]
As with other legislative bodies throughout the world, U. S. state legislatures operate mainly through committees when considering proposed bills. Thus, committee action is probably the most important phase of the legislative process. Most bills cannot be enacted into law until it has been referred to, acted upon by, and returned from, a standing committee in each house. Reference to committee usually follows the first reading of the bill.
Each committee is set up to consider bills relating to a particular subject.
Standing committees are charged with the important responsibility of examining bills and recommending action to the Senate or House. Often on days when a legislature is not in session, the committees of each house meet and consider the bills that have been referred to them to decide if the assigned bills should be reported for further action.
For most bills, the recommendations of the committee are followed, although either house is free to accept or reject the action of the committee. Bills reported favorably by a committee may be placed on a regular calendar (the agenda of the deliberative body).
Most of the work of the legislature is done by committees. The legislature as a whole relies on its committees to report out only those bills deserving the consideration of the entire house.
Through standing committees, each bill is addressed by a group of members who have special knowledge of its subject. Some members of the legislature have expert knowledge of particular subjects of legislation, and these members are usually placed on committees to take full advantage of this specialized knowledge. For this reason, the legislature often accepts the final recommendations of its standing committees. As has been noted, however, the legislature does not completely abdicate its responsibility for the consideration of pending bills. If the need arises, the members of either house can force a committee to take action on a bill, or they can ignore the committee's recommendations.[citation needed]
Post-committee[edit]
Reports of Committee[edit]
After a committee has completed work on a bill, it reports the bill to the appropriate house during the "reports of committees" in the daily order of business. Reported bills are immediately given a second reading. The houses do not vote on a bill at the time it is reported; however, reported bills are placed on the calendar for the next legislative day. This second reading is made by title only.
The regular calendar is a list of bills that have been favorably reported from committee and are ready for consideration by the membership of the entire house.
Third reading[edit]
Regardless of how a bill is placed on the calendar, once the bill is considered and adopted, this is called the third reading. It is at this third reading of the bill that the entire legislature gives consideration to its passage. At this time, the bill may be studied in detail, debated, amended, and read at length before final passage.
If the majority vote in favor of the bill, it is recorded as passed.
Transmission to second house[edit]
A bill that is passed in one house is transmitted, along with a formal message, to the other house. If the bill is not reported from committee or is not considered by the full house, the bill is defeated.
The house of origin, upon return of its amended bill, may take any one of several courses of action. It may concur in the amendment by the adoption of a motion to that effect; then the bill, having been passed by both houses in identical form, is ready for enrollment. Another possibility is that the house of origin may adopt a motion to non-concur in the amendment, at which point the bill dies. Finally, the house of origin may refuse to accept the amendment but request that a conference committee be appointed. The other house usually agrees to the request, and the presiding officer of each house appoints members to the conference committee.
Conference committees[edit]
A conference committee is often empaneled to discuss the points of difference between the two houses' versions of the same bill, and tries to reach an agreement between them so that the identical bill can be passed by both houses. If an agreement is reached and if both houses adopt the conference committee's report, the bill is passed. If either house refuses to adopt the report of the conference committee, a motion may be made for further conference. If a conference committee is unable to reach an agreement, it may be discharged, and a new conference committee may be appointed. Some highly controversial bills may be referred to several different conference committees. If an agreement is never reached in conference prior to the end of the legislative session, the bill is lost.
When a bill has passed both houses in identical form, it is then ready for transmittal to the Governor.
Presentation to the governor[edit]
Once a bill reaches the governor, he or she may sign it, which completes its enactment into law. From this point, the bill becomes an act, and remains the law of the state unless repealed by legislative action, or overturned by a court decision. If the governor does not approve of the bill, he or she may veto it. In the event of a veto, the governor returns the bill to the house in which it originated, with a message explaining his or her objections and suggesting any amendments (if applicable) which might remove those objections. The bill is then reconsidered, and if a simple majority of the members of both houses agrees to the proposed executive amendments, it is returned to the Governor, as he or she revised it, for his or her signature.
On the other hand, a simple majority of the members of each house can choose to approve a vetoed bill precisely as the Legislature originally passed it, in which case it becomes a law over the governor's veto. This is in contrast to the practice in most states and the federal government, which require a two-thirds majority in both houses to override a governor's veto.
If the Governor fails to return a bill to the legislative house in which it originated within a specified number of days after it was presented to him or her, it becomes a law without their signature.
The bills that reach the Governor less than a specified number of days before the end of the session may be approved by him or her within ten days after adjournment. The bills not approved within that time do not become law. This is known as a "pocket veto". This is the most conclusive form of veto, for the Legislature (having adjourned) has no chance to reconsider the vetoed measure.
Constitutional amendments[edit]
Sometimes what the legislature wishes to accomplish cannot be done simply by the passage of a bill, but rather requires amending the state constitution. Each state has specified steps intended to make it difficult to alter the constitution without the sufficient support of either the legislature, or the people, or both.
Aspects of the career of the state legislator[edit]
In most states, a new state legislature convenes in January of the odd-numbered year after the election of members to the larger chamber. The period during which the legislature remains in session varies. In states where the legislature is considered part-time, a session may last several months; where the legislature is considered full-time, the session may last all year, with periodic breaks for district work.
Currently, there are 7,383 state legislators in the United States. They are usually assisted by staff aides to help prepare and analyze legislation, to review and amend submitted budgets, and to help solve constituents' grievances with the state government.
Many state legislators meet every year at the National Conference of The Council of State Governments (CSG), headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, with offices in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta and Sacramento, and at the annual meetings of CSG's regions, The Southern Legislative Conference, The Midwestern Legislative Conference, the Eastern Regional Conference and CSG West, and at the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures, which is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and has a lobbying office in Washington, D.C. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization funded by the private sector focusing on state legislatures, also has an annual meeting attracting many legislators.
See also[edit]
List of United States state legislatures
List of current U.S. state legislators
Comparison of U.S. state governments
United States state legislatures' partisan trend
Legislative Assemblies of Canada's provinces and territories
Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
American Legislative Exchange Council members
References[edit]
Jump up ^ National Conference of State Legislatures
External links[edit]
National Conference of State Legislatures
Women in State Legislatures
[show]
v
t
e
Legislatures of the United States
United States Congress
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
State legislatures
Alabama (H, S)
Alaska (H, S)
Arizona (H, S)
Arkansas (H, S)
California (A, S)
Colorado (H, S)
Connecticut (H, S)
Delaware (H, S)
Florida (H, S)
Georgia (H, S)
Hawaii (H, S)
Idaho (H, S)
Illinois (H, S)
Indiana (H, S)
Iowa (H, S)
Kansas (H, S)
Kentucky (H, S)
Louisiana (H, S)
Maine (H, S)
Maryland (H, S)
Massachusetts (H, S)
Michigan (H, S)
Minnesota (H, S)
Mississippi (H, S)
Missouri (H, S)
Montana (H, S)
Nebraska
Nevada (A, S)
New Hampshire (H, S)
New Jersey (GA, S)
New Mexico (H, S)
New York (A, S)
North Carolina (H, S)
North Dakota (H, S)
Ohio (H, S)
Oklahoma (H, S)
Oregon (H, S)
Pennsylvania (H, S)
Rhode Island (H, S)
South Carolina (H, S)
South Dakota (H, S)
Tennessee (H, S)
Texas (H, S)
Utah (H, S)
Vermont (H, S)
Virginia (H, S)
Washington (H, S)
West Virginia (H, S)
Wisconsin (A, S)
Wyoming (H, S)
Other legislatures
District of Columbia
American Samoa (H, S)
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands (H, S)
Puerto Rico (H, S)
U.S. Virgin Islands
List of current U.S. state legislators
[show]
v
t
e
United States Census
Regions
Division
State
Federal District
Insular area
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
United States Virgin Islands
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
Native areas
Alaska Native corporation
Indian reservation
list
Hawaiian home land
Off-reservation trust land
Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area
Metropolitan
Primary statistical area
list
Combined statistical area
Core-based statistical area
list
Metropolitan statistical area
list
Micropolitan statistical area
list
New England city and town area
Urban area
list
State-level
Congressional district
County
list
Alaska census area
Independent city
Municipio
Place
Census-designated
Public use microdata area
School district
lists
State legislative district
Urban growth area
County-level
Census county division
Minor civil division
Traffic analysis zone
Voting district
Local
Block
Block group
Tract
Census Bureau
Office of Management and Budget
[show]
v
t
e
United States articles
History
By event
Timeline of U.S. history
Pre-Columbian era
Colonial era
Thirteen Colonies
military history
Continental Congress
American Revolution
War
American frontier
Confederation Period
Drafting and ratification of Constitution
Federalist Era
War of 1812
Territorial acquisitions
Territorial evolution
Mexican–American War
Civil War
Reconstruction Era
Indian Wars
Gilded Age
Progressive Era
African-American civil rights movement 1865–1896 / 1896–1954 / 1954–1968
Spanish–American War
Imperialism
World War I
Roaring Twenties
Great Depression
World War II
home front
Nazism in the United States
American Century
Cold War
Korean War
Space Race
Feminist Movement
Vietnam War
Post-Cold War (1991–2008)
War on Terror
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Recent events (2008–present)
By topic
Outline of U.S. history
Demographic
Discoveries
Economic
debt ceiling
Inventions
before 1890
1890–1945
1946–91
after 1991
Military
Postal
Technological and industrial
Geography
Territory
counties
federal district
federal enclaves
Indian reservations
insular zones
minor outlying islands
populated places
states
Earthquakes
Extreme points
Islands
Mountains
peaks
ranges
Appalachian
Rocky
National Park Service
National Parks
Regions
East Coast
West Coast
Great Plains
Gulf
Mid-Atlantic
Midwestern
New England
Pacific
Central
Eastern
Northern
Northeastern
Northwestern
Southern
Southeastern
Southwestern
Western
Rivers
Colorado
Columbia
Mississippi
Missouri
Ohio
Rio Grande
Yukon
Time
Water supply and sanitation
Politics
Federal
Executive
Cabinet
Civil service
Executive departments
Executive Office
Independent agencies
Law enforcement
President of the United States
Public policy
Legislative
House of Representatives
current members
Speaker
Senate
current members
President pro tempore
Vice President
Judicial
Courts of appeals
District courts
Supreme Court
Law
Bill of Rights
civil liberties
Code of Federal Regulations
Constitution
federalism
preemption
separation of powers
Federal Reporter
United States Code
United States Reports
Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
National Security Agency
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Uniformed
Armed Forces
Army
Marine Corps
Navy
Air Force
Coast Guard
National Guard
NOAA Corps
Public Health Service Corps
51st state
political status of Puerto Rico
District of Columbia statehood movement
Elections
Electoral College
Foreign relations
Foreign policy
Hawaiian sovereignty movement
Ideologies
anti-Americanism
exceptionalism
nationalism
Local government
Parties
Democratic
Republican
Third parties
Red states and blue states
Purple America
Scandals
State government
governor
state legislature
state court
Uncle Sam
Economy
By sector
Agriculture
Banking
Communications
Energy
Insurance
Manufacturing
Mining
Tourism
Trade
Transportation
Companies
by state
Currency
Exports
Federal budget
Federal Reserve System
Financial position
Labor unions
Public debt
Social welfare programs
Taxation
Unemployment
Wall Street
Society
Culture
Americana
Architecture
Cinema
Cuisine
Dance
Demography
Education
Family structure
Fashion
Flag
Folklore
Languages
American English
Indigenous languages
ASL
Black American Sign Language
HSL
Plains Sign Talk
Arabic
Chinese
French
German
Italian
Russian
Spanish
Literature
Media
Journalism
Internet
Newspapers
Radio
Television
Music
Names
People
Philosophy
Public holidays
Religion
Sexuality
Sports
Theater
Visual art
Social class
Affluence
American Dream
Educational attainment
Homelessness
Home-ownership
Household income
Income inequality
Middle class
Personal income
Poverty
Professional and working class conflict
Standard of living
Wealth
Issues
Ages of consent
Capital punishment
Crime
incarceration
Criticism of government
Discrimination
affirmative action
antisemitism
intersex rights
islamophobia
LGBT rights
racism
same-sex marriage
Drug policy
Energy policy
Environmental movement
Gun politics
Health care
abortion
health insurance
hunger
obesity
smoking
Human rights
Immigration
illegal
International rankings
National security
Mass surveillance
Terrorism
Separation of church and state
Outline
Index
Book
Category
Portal
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=State_legislature_(United_States)&oldid=832809870"
Categories:
State legislatures of the United States
State government in the United States
Hidden categories:
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Deutsch
فارسی
Français
Bahasa Indonesia
עברית
Norsk
Русский
Edit links
This page was last edited on 28 March 2018, at 03:26.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

tag: div

attr: id class

value: mw-page-base noprint

key: html

type: local

value: mw-head-base noprint

tag: a

attr: id class lang

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attr: href title

value: List of United States state legislatures

attr: role class

value:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

tag: tr

tag: br

tag: th

tag: img

attr: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value: Greater coat of arms of the United States.svg

attr: href class

attr: class id href

value: NavToggle NavToggle1 #

value: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

value: United States House of Representatives 194-1-240.svg

value: Seal of the United States House of Representatives.svg

value: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

value: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives

value: List of United States congressional districts

value: President pro tempore of the United States Senate

value: Party leaders of the United States Senate

value: Seal of the President of the United States.svg

value: Seal of the Vice President of the United States.svg

value: List of federal agencies in the United States

value:
/wiki/Executive_Office_of_the_President
mw-redirect
Executive Office of the President

value: Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg

value: List of United States district and territorial courts

value: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;

value: Template talk:Politics of the United States

value: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

value:
/wiki/United_States_Supreme_Court
mw-redirect
United States Supreme Court

value:
/wiki/Congress_of_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Congress of the United States

value:
/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Constitution of the United States

attr: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value:
/wiki/Legislative_branch
mw-redirect
Legislative branch

value:
/wiki/Checks_and_balances
mw-redirect
Checks and balances

value: Article Five of the United States Constitution

value: Convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution

value: Article Two of the United States Constitution

value:
/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College
mw-redirect
United States Electoral College

value: 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution

value: National Association of Parliamentarians

value: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2012)

value:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

value: Edit section: Transmission to second house

value: Edit section: Presentation to the governor

value: Edit section: Aspects of the career of the state legislator

value: National Conference of State Legislatures

value: United States state legislatures' partisan trend

value: List of members of the American Legislative Exchange Council

value:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

value:
nofollow
http://www.ncsl.org/
external text

value: Template talk:United States legislatures

value: Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

value: Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives

value: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

value: List of Indian reservations in the United States

value: List of primary statistical areas of the United States

value: List of United States counties and county equivalents

value: List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska

value: Lists of school districts in the United States

value: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

value: Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution

value: Territorial evolution of the United States

value:
/wiki/Reconstruction_Era
mw-redirect
Reconstruction Era

value: African-American civil rights movement (1865–1896)

value: African-American civil rights movement (1896–1954)

value: History of the United States (1865–1918)

value: Military history of the United States during World War II

value: United States home front during World War II

value: History of the United States (1991–2008)

value: History of the United States (2008–present)

value: Demographic history of the United States

value: Timeline of United States inventions (before 1890)

value: Timeline of United States inventions (1890–1945)

value: Timeline of United States inventions (1946–91)

value: Timeline of United States inventions (after 1991)

value: Postage stamps and postal history of the United States

value: Technological and industrial history of the United States

value: Lists of populated places in the United States

value: List of earthquakes in the United States

value: List of extreme points of the United States

value: List of mountain peaks of the United States

value: List of areas in the United States National Park System

value:
/wiki/Pacific_States
mw-redirect
Pacific States

value: Drinking water supply and sanitation in the United States

value: United States federal executive departments

value: Executive Office of the President of the United States

value: Independent agencies of the United States government

value: Federal law enforcement in the United States

value: Current members of the United States House of Representatives

value: Current members of the United States Senate

value: Separation of powers under the United States Constitution

value: United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

value: Political ideologies in the United States

value: List of federal political scandals in the United States

value: List of companies of the United States by state

value: Chinese language and varieties in the United States

value: Educational attainment in the United States

value: Professional and working class conflict in the United States

value: Criticism of the United States government

value: Federal drug policy of the United States

value: Environmental movement in the United States

value: Illegal immigration to the United States

value: International rankings of the United States

value: Separation of church and state in the United States

value:
/wiki/Book:United_States
mw-redirect
Book:United States

value: nowraplinks hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

value: Category:State legislatures of the United States

value: Category:State government in the United States

value: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

value: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/State_legislature_(United_States)
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

value: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

value:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

value: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

value: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

value:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

value:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

value:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

value: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

value: Find background information on current events

value:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

value: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

value: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

value: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

value: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

value: قوه مقننه ایالتی (ایالات متحده آمریکا) – Persian

value: Législature d'État des États-Unis – French

value: Legislatur negara bagian (Amerika Serikat) – Indonesian

value: בית מחוקקים (מדינות ארצות הברית) – Hebrew

value: Законодательное собрание штата (США) – Russian

value: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

value: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

value:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-State_legislature_United_States rootpage-State_legislature_United_States skin-vector action-view


text:
POST card
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
BIOS POST card for ISA bus. Two seven-segment displays show the POST-code. Four LEDs display presence of +/-5 V and +/-12 V.
BIOS POST card for PCI bus
In computing, a POST card is a plug-in interface card that displays progress and error codes generated during power-on self-test (POST) of a computer. It is used to troubleshoot computers that do not start up.
Contents
[hide]
1 Working principle
2 Operation
3 Usage scenarios
4 See also
5 References
Working principle[edit]
At a minimum, if the CPU, BIOS, and the I/O interface upon which the POST card relies are all working, a POST card can be used to monitor the system's Power-On Self Test (POST), or to diagnose problems with it. The system sends two-hexadecimal-digit codes to a specified I/O port (usually 80 hex) during startup, some indicating a stage in the startup procedure, others identifying errors. The description for each code must be looked up in a table for the particular BIOS. For example, for the 1984 IBM PC/AT code 1D is issued when about to Determine Memory Size Above 1024K, and code 2D in the event of 8042 Keyboard Controller Failure, 105 System Error. If startup does not complete successfully, either an error code, or the code of the last operation, is available.
POST cards provide information even when a standard display is not available, either because connecting a monitor is impractical, or because the failure occurs before the video subsystem is operational.
Operation[edit]
POST cards are inserted into an expansion slot, and are available in ISA (also supporting EISA), PCI, parallel port, and other variants (Mini PCIe, for laptop computers, is supported by some cards, but with restrictions). A typical card for desktop computers has both an ISA interface on one edge, and PCI on another; a card for laptop computers has both a miniPCI and a parallel port connector (plus USB to supply power).
Information on the meaning of POST codes for different BIOSes is needed to interpret the codes. This is supplied with cards, but becomes dated as later BIOSes are issued; up-to-date information is available on manufacturers' and independent websites.
In addition to displaying numeric codes, many cards monitor power supply voltages, clock and oscillator signals, reset signal, and other parameters.[1]
Usage scenarios[edit]
Two POST seven-segment displays integrated on a computer motherboard
POST cards for PCs, while originally high-priced, cost from just a few US dollars upwards in the 21st century.
Some motherboards have a built-in display to diagnose hardware problems. Most also report POST errors with audible beeps, if a PC speaker is attached. Such motherboards make POST cards less necessary.
When these diagnostic cards were first introduced motherboards were expensive and well worth troubleshooting and repairing. By the late twentieth century large scale integration, mass production made motherboards inexpensive components. Motherboards were rarely repaired, but replaced; the main purpose of a POST card is to determine that parts mounted on the motherboard itself, rather than plugged-in video cards, RAM, etc. are at fault.
See also[edit]
Power-on self-test
References[edit]
Jump up ^ An example of a POST diagnostic card which tests several parameters in addition to the hex codes
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=POST_card&oldid=830366783"
Categories:
Computer peripherals
Hidden categories:
Articles needing additional references from July 2009
All articles needing additional references
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
العربية
Čeština
Esperanto
Français
Русский
Українська
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 14 March 2018, at 11:33.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

value: mw-page-base noprint

value: mw-head-base noprint

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

tag: td

tag: b

attr: class href

value: Help:Introduction to referencing with Wiki Markup/1

tag: span

tag: i

tag: small

tag: tbody

value: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove

value:
/wiki/Peripheral_Component_Interconnect
mw-redirect
Peripheral Component Interconnect

value:
/wiki/Large_scale_integration
mw-redirect
Large scale integration

value:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

value: Category:Articles needing additional references from July 2009

value: Category:All articles needing additional references

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/POST_card
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

value: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

value:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

value: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

value: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

value:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

value:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

value:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

value: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

value: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

value: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

value: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

value:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

value: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

value: Permanent link to this revision of the page

value: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

value: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

value: بطاقة اختبار التشغيل الذاتي – Arabic

value:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/POST_Card
POST Card – Russian
ru
ru
interlanguage-link-target

value: 開機自我檢測卡 – Chinese

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-POST_card rootpage-POST_card skin-vector action-view


text:
Japanese militarism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (March 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
See also: Statism in Shōwa Japan
Japanese officers reading the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors
History of Japan
Periods[show]
Paleolithic before 14,000 BC
Jōmon 14,000 – 300 BC
Yayoi 300 BC – 300 AD
Kofun 300–538
Asuka 538–710
Nara 710–794
Heian 794–1185
Kamakura 1185–1333
Kenmu Restoration 1333–1336
Muromachi (Ashikaga)
Nanboku-chō
Sengoku
1336–1573
Azuchi–Momoyama
Nanban trade
1573–1603
Edo (Tokugawa)
Sakoku
Convention of Kanagawa
Bakumatsu
1603–1868
Meiji
Boshin War
Restoration
First Sino-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
1868–1912
Taishō
World War I
1912–1926
Shōwa
Financial crisis
Militarism
World War II
Occupation
Economic miracle
Post-occupation
Bubble Economy
1926–1989
Heisei
Lost Decade
1989–present
Topics[show]
Currency
Earthquakes
Economy
Education
Empire
Historiography
Military
Naval
Post-war
Glossary
Timeline
v
t
e
Japanese militarism (日本軍國主義 or 日本軍国主義, Nihon gunkoku shugi) refers to the ideology in the Empire of Japan that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
1.1 Rise of militarism
1.2 Economic factors
1.3 Independence of the military
1.4 Growth of ultranationalism
1.5 Growth of military adventurism
1.6 Opposition to militarism
1.7 Japan attacking Pearl Harbor
1.8 Post-war
2 Timeline
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
History[edit]
Rise of militarism[edit]
The military had a strong influence on Japanese society from the Meiji Restoration. Almost all leaders in Japanese society during the Meiji period (whether in the military, politics or business) were ex-samurai or descendants of samurai, and shared a set of values and outlooks. The early Meiji government viewed Japan as threatened by western imperialism, and one of the prime motivations for the Fukoku Kyohei policy was to strengthen Japan's economic and industrial foundations, so that a strong military could be built to defend Japan against outside powers.
Domestic issues within early Meiji Japan also called for a strong military. The early Meiji government was threatened by internal revolts, such as the Saga Rebellion and Satsuma Rebellion, and numerous rural peasant uprisings.
The rise of universal military conscription, introduced by Yamagata Aritomo in 1873, along with the proclamation of the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors in 1882 enabled the military to indoctrinate thousands of men from various social backgrounds with military-patriotic values and the concept of unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor as the basis of the Japanese state (kokutai). Yamagata like many Japanese was strongly influenced by the recent striking success of Prussia in transforming itself from an agricultural state to a leading modern industrial and military power. He accepted Prussian political ideas, which favored military expansion abroad and authoritarian government at home. The Prussian model also devalued the notion of civilian control over the independent military, which meant that in Japan, as in Germany, the military could develop into a state within a state, thus exercising greater influence on politics in general.[1]
Following the German victory in the Franco-Prussian War, the Army Staff College and the Japanese General Staff paid close attention to Major Jakob Meckel's views on the superiority of the German military model over the French system as the reason for German victory. In response to a Japanese request, Prussian Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke sent Meckel to Japan to become an O-yatoi gaikokujin.[2] In Japan, Meckel worked closely with future Prime Ministers General Katsura Tarō and General Yamagata Aritomo, and with army strategist General Kawakami Soroku. Meckel made numerous recommendations which were implemented, including reorganization of the command structure of the army into divisions and regiments, thus increasing mobility, strengthening the army logistics and transportation structure with the major army bases connected by railways, establishing artillery and engineering regiments as independent commands, and revising the universal conscription system to abolish virtually all exceptions. A bust of Meckel was sited in front of the Japanese Army Staff College from 1909 through 1945.[3]
Although his period in Japan (1885–1888) was relatively short, Meckel had a tremendous impact on the development of the Japanese military. He is credited with having introduced Clausewitz's military theories[4] and the Prussian concept of war games (kriegspiel) in a process of refining tactics.[5] By training some sixty of the highest-ranking Japanese officers of the time in tactics, strategy and organization, he was able to replace the previous influences of the French advisors with his own philosophies. Meckel especially reinforced Hermann Roesler's ideal of subservience to the Emperor by teaching his pupils that Prussian military success was a consequence of the officer class's unswerving loyalty to their sovereign Emperor, as expressly codified in Articles XI-XIII of the Meiji Constitution.[6]
The rise of political parties in the late Meiji period was coupled with the rise of secret and semi-secret patriotic societies, such as the Genyōsha (1881) and Kokuryukai (1901), which coupled political activities with paramilitary activities and military intelligence, and supported expansionism overseas as a solution to Japan's domestic issues.
Japan felt looked down on by Western countries during the late 19th century. The phrase fukoku kyōhei (rich nation, strong army) was created during this time and shows how Japanese officials saw imperialism as the way to gain respect and power. [7] With a more aggressive foreign policy, and victory over China in the First Sino-Japanese War and over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan joined the imperialist powers. The need for a strong military to secure Japan's new overseas empire was strengthened by a sense that only through a strong military would Japan earn the respect of western nations, and thus revision of the unequal treaties.
Economic factors[edit]
During the 19th century, Great Power status was considered dependent on resource-rich colonial empires, both as a source of raw materials for military and industrial production, and international prestige.
Due to the lack of resources in Japanese home islands, raw materials such as iron, oil, and coal largely had to be imported. The success of Japan in securing Taiwan (1895) and Korea (1910) had brought Japan primarily agricultural colonies. In terms of resources, the Japanese military looked towards Manchuria's iron and coal, Indochina's rubber, and China's vast resources. However, the army was at variance with the zaibatsu financial and industrial corporations on how to manage economic expansion, a conflict also affecting domestic politics.[8]
Independence of the military[edit]
Also forming part of the basis for the growth of militarism was the freedom from civilian control enjoyed by the Japanese armed forces. In 1878, the Imperial Japanese Army established the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff office, modeled after the Prussian General Staff. This office was independent of, and equal (and later superior) to the Ministry of War of Japan in terms of authority. The Imperial Japanese Navy soon followed with the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff. These General Staff offices were responsible for the planning and execution of military operations, and reported directly to the emperor. As the Chiefs of the General Staff were not cabinet ministers, they did not report to the Prime Minister of Japan, and were thus completely independent of any civilian oversight or control.
The Army and the Navy also had decisive say on the formation (and survival) of any civilian government. Since the law required that the posts of Army Minister and Navy Minister be filled by active duty officers nominated by their respective services, and since the law also required that a prime minister resign if he could not fill all of his cabinet posts, both the Army and the Navy had final say on the formation of a cabinet, and could bring down the cabinet at any time by withdrawing their minister and refusing to nominate a successor. In reality, while this tactic was used only one time (ironically to prevent a General, Kazushige Ugaki, from becoming Prime Minister in 1937), the threat always loomed high when the military made any demands on the civilian leadership.
Growth of ultranationalism[edit]
During the Taishō period, Japan saw a short period of democratic rule (the so-called "Taisho democracy"), and several diplomatic attempts were made to encourage peace, such as the Washington Naval Treaty and participation in the League of Nations. However, with the beginning of the Shōwa era, the apparent collapse of the world economic order with the Great Depression starting in 1929, coupled with the imposition of trade barriers by western nations and an increasing radicalism in Japanese politics including issues of domestic terrorist violence (including an assassination attempt on the emperor in 1932 and a number of attempted coups d'état by ultra-nationalist secret societies) led to a resurgence of so-called "jingoistic" patriotism, a weakening of democratic forces and a belief that the military could solve all threats both domestic and foreign. Patriotic education also strengthened the sense of a hakko ichiu, or a divine mission to unify Asia under Japanese rule.
Those who continued to resist the "military solution" including nationalists with unquestionable patriotism, such as generals Jotaro Watanabe and Tetsuzan Nagata and ex-Foreign Minister Kijūrō Shidehara were driven from office or an active role in the government.
A turning point came with the ratification of the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi and his Minseito party agreed to a treaty which would severely limit Japanese naval power. This treaty was strongly opposed by the military, who claimed that it would endanger national defense, and was portrayed by the opposition Rikken Seiyukai party as having been forced upon Japan by a hostile United States, which further inflamed growing anti-foreign sentiment.
The Japanese system of party government finally met its demise with the May 15 Incident in 1932, when a group of junior naval officers and army cadets assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi. Although the assassins were put on trial and sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment, they were seen popularly as having acted out of patriotism and the atmosphere was set where the military was able to act with little restraint.
Growth of military adventurism[edit]
Japan had been involved in the Asian continent continuously from the First Sino-Japanese War, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, World War I and the Siberian Intervention. During the term of Prime Minister Tanaka Giichi from 1927 to 1929, Japan sent troops three times to China to obstruct Chiang Kai-shek's unification campaign. In June 1928, adventurist officers of the Kwantung Army embarked on unauthorized initiatives to protect Japanese interests in Manchuria, including the assassination of a former ally, warlord Zhang Zuolin, in hopes of sparking a general conflict.
The Manchurian Incident of September 1931 did not fail, and it set the stage for the Japanese military takeover of all of Manchuria. Kwantung Army conspirators blew up a few meters of South Manchurian Railway Company track near Mukden, blamed it on Chinese saboteurs, and used the event as an excuse to invade and seize the vast territory.
In Tokyo one month later, in the Imperial Colors Incident, military figures failed in an attempt to establish a military dictatorship, but again the news was suppressed and the military perpetrators were not punished.
In January 1932, Japanese forces attacked Shanghai in the First Shanghai Incident, waging a three-month undeclared war there before a truce was reached. The civilian government in Tokyo was powerless to prevent these military adventures, and instead of being condemned, the Kwangtung Army's actions enjoyed considerable popular support.
Inukai's successors, military men chosen by Saionji Kinmochi, the last surviving genrō, recognized Manchukuo and generally approved the army's actions in securing Manchuria as an industrial base, an area for Japanese emigration, and a potential staging ground for war with the Soviet Union. Various army factions contended for power amid increasing suppression of dissent and more assassinations. In the February 26 Incident of 1936, the Army's elite First Infantry Division staged an attempted coup d'état in yet another effort to overthrow civilian rule. The revolt was put down by other military units, and its leaders were executed after secret trials. Despite public dismay over these events and the discredit they brought to numerous military figures, Japan's civilian leadership capitulated to the army's demands in the hope of ending domestic violence. Increases were seen in defense budgets, naval construction (Japan announced it would no longer accede to disarmament treaties), and patriotic indoctrination as Japan moved toward a wartime footing.[3]
In November 1936, the Anti-Comintern Pact, an agreement to exchange information and collaborate in preventing communist activities, was signed by Japan and Germany (Italy joined a year later). War was launched against China with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937 in which a clash near Beijing between Chinese and Japanese troops quickly escalated into the full-scale warfare of the Second Sino-Japanese War, followed by the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars and the Pacific War.
Despite the military's long tradition of independence from civilian control, its efforts at staging a coup d'état to overthrow the civilian government, and its forcing Japan into war through insubordination and military adventurism, the military was ultimately unable to force a military dictatorship on Japan.
Under Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro, the Japanese government was streamlined to meet war-time conditions and under the National Mobilization Law was given absolute power over the nation's assets. In 1940, all political parties were ordered to dissolve into the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, forming a one-party state based on totalitarian values. Even so, there was much entrenched opposition from the government bureaucrats, and in the 1942 general election for the Japanese Diet, the military was still unable to do away with the last vestiges of party politics. This was partly due to the fact that the military itself was not a monolithic structure, but was rent internally with its own political factions. Even Japan's wartime Prime Minister, Hideki Tōjō, had difficulty controlling portions of his own military.
Japan's overseas possessions, greatly extended as a result of early successes in the Pacific War were organized into a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which was to have integrated Asia politically and economically—under Japanese leadership—against Western domination.
Opposition to militarism[edit]
Despite the apparently monolithic national consensus on the official aggressive policies pursued by the Imperial government in the first part of the Shōwa era, some substantial opposition did exist. This was one of various forms of Japanese dissidence during the Shōwa period.
The most organized open opposition to militarism was from the Japanese Communist Party. In the early 1930s Communist activists attempted to influence army conscripts, but the party was suppressed during the mid-1930s within Japan.
Personal opposition included individuals from the fields of party politics, business and culture. Some notable examples include:
Hara Takashi, a commoner and liberal thinker of the Rikken Seiyūkai, had become prime minister in 1918 with the rallying cry of "Militarism is dead." Three years later, however, Hara was assassinated.
Kijūrō Shidehara followed a non-interventionist policy toward China, attempting to stabilize its relations with Great Britain and the United States. The term "Shidehara diplomacy" came to describe Japan's liberal foreign policy during the 1920s, and was assailed by military interests who believed it was weakening the country.
Baron Takuma Dan, director of Mitsui Bank, was an important opponent of Japan overseas interventions and was known for his pro-American views. He was murdered on March 5, 1932 in the League of Blood Incident.
Minobe Tatsukichi, a respected professor at Tokyo Imperial University declared the emperor to be a part of the constitutional structure of Japan rather than a sacred power beyond the state itself in 1935. His constitutional interpretation was overwhelmingly accepted by bureaucrats until the 1930s. In the increasingly militant 1930s, these ideas led to attacks against Minobe in the House of Peers and his resignation from that body.
Saitō Takao, a graduate of Yale University was a member of the Rikken Minseito party. On February 2, 1940, he made a speech in the Diet in which he sharply questioned the prosecution and justification of Japan's "holy war" in China. He was expelled from the Diet on March 7, 1940 and his speech also led to the creation of the League of Diet Members Believing the Objectives of the Holy War by Fumimaro Konoe.
Admiral Sōkichi Takagi, an opponent of Japan's decision to declare war on the United States, was asked by Navy Minister Shigetarō Shimada to compile a report analyzing Japanese defeats during the Pacific campaign of 1942. His analysis convinced Takagi of Japan's inevitable defeat. Believing that the only solution for Japan was the elimination of the Tojo-led government and a truce with the United States, Takagi began planning for the assassination of Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō before his removal from office in July 1944.
Kanō Jigorō, creator of Judo and founder of the modern Japanese educational system, member of Japan's Olympic Committee, and de facto foreign minister for Japan was a staunch opponent of militarism. Concerned that his Judo school, the Kodokan, would be used as a military training center, he obtained a promise from the Emperor that it would not be. Alternate sources list different causes of death, and some consider his passing to be suspicious.
Japan attacking Pearl Harbor[edit]
The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7, 1941. The reasons behind this attack has been motivated as a result of anger that has been fueled by the Japanese people against the United States and their past rocky relationship. Japan had plans to take over other Asian countries, which resulted in the US to strip any war materials and resources to be sold to the Japanese and froze all assets and bank accounts in the US. The US fleet moved from being stationed in California to be moved in Pearl Harbor to somewhat control Japan's aggression and imposed on an embargo of essential materials, because Japan was trying to take over and control more territories. [1]
Post-war[edit]
Despite efforts to totally militarize Japanese society during the war, including such measures as the National Service Draft Ordinance and the National Spiritual Mobilization Movement, Japanese militarism was discredited by the failure of Japan's military in World War II and by the American occupation. After the surrender of Japan, many of its former military leaders were tried for war crimes before the Tokyo tribunal, its government, educational system revised and had pacifism written into the post-war Constitution of Japan as one of its key tenets.
While many[who?] believe that nationalism is on the rise, due to the country's economic downfall and increased push to revise article nine to assist in international peacekeeping operations, many[who?] also believe that it has very little to do with militarism in general. Others[who?] are concerned that the public showings of respect to war criminals enshrined along with the war dead by the political leaders is a worrisome new development bringing a new dynamic to the region.[2]
Timeline[edit]
1931: Hamaguchi dies and Wakatsuki Reijirō becomes prime minister (April 14). Inukai Tsuyoshi becomes prime minister (December 13) and increases funding for the military in China. Mukden Incident occurs.
1932: After an attack on Japanese monks in Shanghai (January 18), Japanese forces shell the city (January 29). Manchukuo is established with Henry Pu Yi as emperor (February 29). Inukai is assassinated during a coup attempt and Saitō Makoto becomes prime minister (May 15). Japan is censured by the League of Nations (December 7).
1933: Japan leaves the League of Nations (March 27).
1934: Keisuke Okada becomes prime minister (July 8). Japan withdraws from the Washington Naval Treaty (December 29).
1936: Coup attempt, the February 26 Incident, crushed by Hirohito. Kōki Hirota becomes prime minister (March 9). Japan signs its first pact with Germany (November 25) and occupies Tsingtao (December 3). Mengchiang established in Inner Mongolia.
1937: Senjūrō Hayashi becomes prime minister (February 2). Prince Konoe Fumimaro becomes prime minister (June 4). The Sino-Japanese War starts with the Battle of Lugou Bridge (July 7). Japan captures Peking (July 31). Japanese troops occupy Nanking (December 13), beginning the Nanking massacre.
1938: Battle of Taierzhuang (March 24). Canton falls to Japanese forces (October 21).
1939: Hiranuma Kiichirō becomes prime minister (January 5). Japanese forces suffers a military defeat at Battles of Khalkhin Gol against Soviet forces (September 15). Abe Nobuyuki becomes prime minister (August 30).
1940: Mitsumasa Yonai becomes prime minister (January 16). Konoe becomes prime minister for a second term (July 22). Hundred Regiments Offensive (August–September). Japan occupies French Indochina in the wake of the fall of Paris to the Germans, and signs the Tripartite Pact (September 27).
1941: Japan and Soviet Union signs a non aggression pact (April 13). General Hideki Tōjō becomes prime minister (October 18). Japanese naval forces attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (December 7) (see Attack on Pearl Harbor), prompting the United States to declare war on Japan (December 8). Japan conquers Hong Kong (December 25).
1942: Singapore surrenders to Japan (February 15). Japan bombs Australia (February 19). Indian Ocean raid (March 31-April 10). Doolittle Raid on Tokyo (April 18). Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4 – 8). Sanko sakusen implemented in North China. American forces in the Philippines surrender (May 8). Japan defeated at the Battle of Midway (June 6).
1943: U.S. victory in Battle of Guadalcanal (February 9). Japan defeated at Battle of Tarawa (November 23).
1944: Tojo resigns and Kuniaki Koiso becomes prime minister (July 22).
1945: U.S. bombers begin firebombing of major Japanese cities. Japan defeated at Battle of Iwo Jima (March 26). Admiral Kantarō Suzuki becomes prime minister (April 7). Manila massacre. Japan defeated at Battle of Okinawa (June 21). U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6), and on Nagasaki in the same day that USSR entered in the War against Japan (August 9). Japan surrenders (September 2): Allied occupation begins.
See also[edit]
Statism in Shōwa Japan
List of Japanese political and military incidents
List of Japanese political figures in early Shōwa period
List of Japanese nationalist movements and parties
Japanese nationalism
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Imperialism in Asia
Japanese resistance to the Empire of Japan in World War II for Japanese opponents to Japanese militarism.
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ Martin, Bernd. Japan and Germany in the Modern World, p. 31.
Jump up ^ Nishitani, Yuko et al. (2008). Japanese and European Private International Law in Comparative Perspective, p. 29 n6.
^ Jump up to: a b Welch, Claude Emerson. (1976). Civilian Control of the Military: Theory and Cases from Developing Countries, p. 161.
Jump up ^ Bassford, Christopher. (1994). Clausewitz in English: The Reception of Clausewitz in Britain and America, 1815–1945, p. 74.
Jump up ^ Schramm, Helmar. (2005). Collection, Laboratory, Theater, p. 429.
Jump up ^ Welch, p. 162.
Jump up ^ Hopper, Helen (2005). Fukuzawa yukichi: from samurai to capitalist. New York, New York: Pearson Education, Inc. p. 110. ISBN 0-321-07802-0. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Hillis, Lory Japan's Military Masters: The Army in Japanese people not live with farm on hilltop when fish swim in moist creek with bottletop bill. Life Washington 1943 pp127-130
References[edit]
Bassford, Christopher. (1994). Clausewitz in English: The Reception of Clausewitz in Britain and America, 1815–1945. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508383-5
Beasley, William G. (1991). Japanese Imperialism 1894–1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-822168-1.
Hopper, Helen (2005). Fukuzawa yukichi: from samurai to capitalist. New York, New York: Pearson Education, Inc. p. 110. ISBN 0-321-07802-0. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Dower, John W. (1999). Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-32027-5
Dower, John W. (1995). Japan in War & Peace. New York: The New Press. ISBN 978-1-56584-279-3
Gow, Ian (2004). Military Intervention in Pre-War Japanese Politics: Admiral Kato Kanji and the Washington System'. RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-7007-1315-8.
Hook, Glenn D (2007). Militarization and Demilitarization in Contemporary Japan. Taylor & Francis. ASIN B000OI0VTI.
Gordon, Andrew (2003). A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511061-7.
Maki, John M (2007). Japanese Militarism, Past and Present. Thomspon Press. ISBN 1-4067-2272-3.
Martin, Bernd. (1995). Japan and Germany in the modern world. Providence/Oxford: Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-84545-047-2
Schramm, Helmar, Ludger Schwarte and Jan Lazardzig. (2005). Collection, Laboratory, Theater: Scenes of Knowledge in the 17th Century. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-017736-7
Sims, Richard (2001). Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868–2000. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-23915-7.
Sunoo, Harold Hwakon (1975). Japanese Militarism, Past and Present. Burnham Inc Pub. ISBN 0-88229-217-X.
Welch, Claude Emerson. (1976). Civilian Control of the Military: Theory and Cases from Developing Countries. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-87395-348-1
[show]
v
t
e
Empire of Japan
Overview
Agriculture
Censorship
Demographics
Economy
Economic history
Education
Eugenics
Foreign commerce and shipping
Industrial production
Militarism
Nationalism
Statism
Internal politics
State Shinto
Kazoku
Emperors
Meiji (Mutsuhito)
Taishō (Yoshihito)
Shōwa (Hirohito)
Symbols
Flag of Japan
Rising Sun Flag
Imperial Seal of Japan
Government Seal of Japan
State Seal of Japan
Privy Seal of Japan
Kimigayo
Policies
Constitution
Charter Oath
Foreign relations
Imperial Rescript on Education
Kokutai
National Spiritual Mobilization Movement
Peace Preservation Law
Political parties
Supreme Court of Judicature
Taisei Yokusankai
Tokkō
Tonarigumi
Greater East Asia Conference
Government
Administration (Ministries)
Imperial Household
Home Ministry
War
Army
Navy
Treasury
Foreign Affairs
Agriculture and Commerce
Commerce and Industry
Munitions
Colonial Affairs
Greater East Asia
East Asia Development Board (Kōain)
Legislative & Deliberative Bodies
Daijō-kan
Privy Council
Gozen Kaigi
Imperial Diet
Peers
Representatives
Military
Armed Forces
Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors
Senjinkun military code
Nuclear weapons program
Kamikaze
War crimes
Supreme War Council
Imperial Japanese Army
General Staff
Air Service
Railways and Shipping
Imperial Guard
Imperial Way Faction (Kōdōha)
Japanese holdout
Tōseiha
Imperial Japanese Navy
General Staff
Air Service
Land Forces
Fleet Faction
Treaty Faction
History
Meiji period
Meiji Restoration
Boshin War
Satsuma Rebellion
First Sino-Japanese War
Triple Intervention
Boxer Rebellion
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Russo-Japanese War
Taishō period
World War I
Siberian Intervention
General Election Law
Washington Naval Treaty
Shōwa period
Shōwa financial crisis
Pacification of Manchukuo
Anti-Comintern Pact
Second Sino-Japanese War
Soviet–Japanese border conflicts
Tripartite Pact
Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact
Pacific War
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Soviet–Japanese War
Surrender (Potsdam Declaration, Gyokuon-hōsō)
Occupation
Territories
Greater East Asia
Co-Prosperity Sphere
Karafuto
Korea
Kwantung
Manchukuo
South Pacific
Taiwan
Occupied territories
Borneo
Burma
Hong Kong
Dutch East Indies
Malaya
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Other topics
Sonnō jōi
Fukoku kyōhei
Hakkō ichiu
Internment camps
German pre–World War II industrial co-operation
Racial Equality Proposal
Shinmin no Michi
Shōwa Modan
Socialist thought
Yasukuni Shrine
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
Japanese dissidence during the Shōwa period
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_militarism&oldid=838396098"
Categories:
History of Japan
Empire of Japan
Japanese militarism
Militarism
New Imperialism
Hidden categories:
Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL
Articles lacking in-text citations from March 2011
All articles lacking in-text citations
Use mdy dates from May 2011
Articles containing Japanese-language text
All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases
Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2014
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Català
Español
فارسی
Français
हिन्दी
Português
Türkçe
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 26 April 2018, at 18:48.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

value: mw-page-base noprint

value: mw-head-base noprint

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: Wikipedia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check

value: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-style ambox-More_footnotes

value:
/wiki/Before_Christ
mw-redirect
Before Christ

value: font-size: 105%; padding: 0.2em 0px 0.4em; text-align: center; display: none;

value:
/wiki/Post-war_Japan
mw-redirect
Post-war Japan

value: padding:0.3em 0.4em 0.3em;font-weight:bold;border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa;padding-top:0.2em;

value: float:right;clear:right;width:22.0em;margin:0 0 1.0em 1.0em;background:#f9f9f9;border:1px solid #aaa;padding:0.2em;border-spacing:0.4em 0;text-align:center;line-height:1.4em;font-size:88%

value:
/wiki/Fukoku_Kyohei
mw-redirect
Fukoku Kyohei

value:
/wiki/Military_conscription
mw-redirect
Military conscription

value: Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors

value:
/wiki/General_Staff
mw-redirect
General Staff

value:
/wiki/O-yatoi_gaikokujin
mw-redirect
O-yatoi gaikokujin

value:
/wiki/Imperial_Russia
mw-redirect
Imperial Russia

value:
/wiki/Unequal_treaties
mw-redirect
Unequal treaties

value:
/wiki/Great_Power
mw-redirect
Great Power

value:
/wiki/Japanese_home_islands
mw-redirect
Japanese home islands

value: Edit section: Independence of the military

value:
/wiki/Ministry_of_War_of_Japan
mw-redirect
Ministry of War of Japan

value: Edit section: Growth of ultranationalism

value:
/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dwa_era
mw-redirect
Shōwa era

value:
/wiki/Trade_barriers
mw-redirect
Trade barriers

value:
/wiki/Hakko_ichiu
mw-redirect
Hakko ichiu

value:
/wiki/Jotaro_Watanabe
mw-redirect
Jotaro Watanabe

value:
/wiki/Rikken_Minseito
mw-redirect
Rikken Minseito

value:
/wiki/Rikken_Seiyukai
mw-redirect
Rikken Seiyukai

value:
/wiki/Xenophobia_in_Showa_Japan
mw-redirect
Xenophobia in Showa Japan

value: Edit section: Growth of military adventurism

value:
/wiki/Manchurian_Incident
mw-redirect
Manchurian Incident

value:
/wiki/South_Manchurian_Railway
mw-redirect
South Manchurian Railway

value:
/wiki/Imperial_Colors_Incident
mw-redirect
Imperial Colors Incident

value:
/wiki/First_Shanghai_Incident
mw-redirect
First Shanghai Incident

value:
/wiki/IJA_1st_Division
mw-redirect
IJA 1st Division

value:
/wiki/Soviet-Japanese_Border_Wars
mw-redirect
Soviet-Japanese Border Wars

value:
/wiki/Konoe_Fumimaro
mw-redirect
Konoe Fumimaro

value:
/wiki/Political_parties
mw-redirect
Political parties

value:
/wiki/Diet_of_Japan
mw-redirect
Diet of Japan

value: Imperial Japanese Army politics and background

value:
/wiki/Hideki_T%C5%8Dj%C5%8D
mw-redirect
Hideki Tōjō

value: Japanese dissidence during the Shōwa period

value:
/wiki/Minobe_Tatsukichi
mw-redirect
Minobe Tatsukichi

value:
/wiki/Tokyo_Imperial_University
mw-redirect
Tokyo Imperial University

value:
/wiki/Japanese_House_of_Peers
mw-redirect
Japanese House of Peers

value: Edit section: Japan attacking Pearl Harbor

value: National Service Draft Ordinance (page does not exist)

value: National Spiritual Mobilization Movement

value:
/wiki/Tokyo_tribunal
mw-redirect
Tokyo tribunal

value: The material near this tag possibly uses too-vague attribution or weasel words. (July 2014)

value: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch

value:
/wiki/Henry_Pu_Yi
mw-redirect
Henry Pu Yi

value:
/wiki/Sino-Japanese_War_(1937-1945)
mw-redirect
Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)

value:
/wiki/Battle_of_Lugou_Bridge
mw-redirect
Battle of Lugou Bridge

value:
/wiki/Nanking_massacre
mw-redirect
Nanking massacre

value:
/wiki/Sanko_sakusen
mw-redirect
Sanko sakusen

value:
/wiki/Battle_of_Guadalcanal
mw-redirect
Battle of Guadalcanal

value:
/wiki/Atomic_bomb
mw-redirect
Atomic bomb

value:
/wiki/Nagasaki,_Nagasaki
mw-redirect
Nagasaki, Nagasaki

value: List of Japanese political and military incidents

value: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

value:
nofollow
external text
//www.amazon.com/dp/B000OI0VTI

attr: alt src title width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value:
/wiki/Demographics_of_Imperial_Japan
mw-redirect
Demographics of Imperial Japan

value: Foreign commerce and shipping of Empire of Japan

value: Empire of Japan (internal politics 1914–1944)

attr: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value:
navbox-image
9
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

value: Political parties of the Empire of Japan

value:
/wiki/Taisei_Yokusankai
mw-redirect
Taisei Yokusankai

value: Administrative structure of the Imperial Japanese Government

value:
/wiki/Home_Ministry_(Japan)
mw-redirect
Home Ministry (Japan)

value: Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Japan)

value:
/wiki/Privy_Council_(Japan)
mw-redirect
Privy Council (Japan)

value: Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office

value: Imperial Japanese Army Railways and Shipping Section

value: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

value: List of territories occupied by Imperial Japan

value: Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies

value:
/wiki/Vietnam_in_World_War_II
mw-redirect
Vietnam in World War II

value: List of Japanese-run internment camps during World War II

value: Germany–Japan industrial co-operation before World War II

value: International Military Tribunal for the Far East

value: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

value: Category:Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL

value: Category:Articles lacking in-text citations from March 2011

value: Category:All articles lacking in-text citations

value: Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text

value: Category:All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases

value: Category:Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2014

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/Japanese_militarism
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

value: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

value:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

value: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

value: Find background information on current events

value:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

value: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

value: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

value: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

value: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

value: نظامی‌گری ژاپن – Persian

value: जापानी सैन्यवाद – Hindi

value: Chủ nghĩa quân phiệt Nhật Bản – Vietnamese

value: 日本軍國主義 – Chinese

value: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

value: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

value:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Japanese_militarism rootpage-Japanese_militarism skin-vector action-view


text:
Shooting an Elephant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Shooting an Elephant"
Cover of first anthology publication
Author
George Orwell
Country
United Kingdom
Genre(s)
Unknown whether fiction or non-fiction[1]
Published in
New Writing
Publication date
1936
"Shooting an Elephant" is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in late 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on 12 October 1948.
The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant's slow and painful death. The story is regarded as a metaphor for British imperialism, and for Orwell's view that "when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys."[2]
Orwell spent some of his life in Burma in a position akin to that of the narrator, but the degree to which his account is autobiographical is disputed, with no conclusive evidence to prove it to be fact or fiction.[3] After Orwell's death in 1950, the essay was republished several times, including in Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays (1950), Inside the Whale and Other Essays (1957), and Selected Writings (1958).
Contents
[hide]
1 Context
2 Events
3 Themes
3.1 Imperialism
3.2 Conqueror and conquered
3.3 Conscience
4 Film adaptation
5 Fact or fiction
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
Context[edit]
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1823–1886), during which three Anglo-Burmese wars took place, and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. It was administered as a province of India until 1937, when it became a separate, self-governing colony, attaining its independence on January 4, 1948. With a strong interest in the lives of the working class, Orwell—born in India to a middle-class family, but brought up in Britain—held the post of assistant superintendent in the British Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927.
"Moulmein used to be full of elephants..." [employed to] haul logs in the timber firms. "Ordinary tamed elephants have been part of Burmese life for centuries,...the rare and revered white elephant, is believed in Buddhist legend to be a symbol of purity and power."[4] By the time Orwell moved to Moulmein, in 1926, "...he was most probably ambivalent about the colonial state of which he was a part. The Kipling-inspired romance of the Raj had been worn thin by the daily realities of his job in which,...he witnessed 'the dirty work of Empire at close quarters'."[4]:223 Orwell writes how he was trapped between his own resentment towards the Empire and the Burmese people's resentment towards him. As a member of the ruling power, he is cornered into doing what the "natives" expect of him: "He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it." "[4]:224
Events[edit]
A passport photo of Orwell, taken during his time in the Burmese police force.
In Moulmein, the narrator—Orwell, writing in the first person—is a police officer during a period of intense anti-European sentiment. Although his intellectual sympathies lie with the Burmese, his official role makes him a symbol of the oppressive imperial power. As such, he is subjected to constant baiting and jeering by the local people.[2]
After receiving a call regarding a normally tame elephant's rampage, the narrator, armed with a .44 caliber Winchester rifle and riding on a pony, goes to the town where the elephant has been seen. Entering one of the poorest quarters, he receives conflicting reports and contemplates leaving, thinking the incident is a hoax. The narrator then sees a village woman chasing away children who are looking at the corpse of an Indian whom the elephant has trampled and killed. He sends an order to bring an elephant rifle and, followed by a group of roughly a few thousand people, heads toward the paddy field where the elephant has rested in its tracks.
Although he does not want to kill the elephant now that it seems peaceful, the narrator feels pressured by the demand of the crowd for the act to be carried out. After inquiring as to the elephant's behavior and delaying for some time, he shoots the elephant several times, wounding it but unable to kill it. The narrator then leaves the beast, unable to be in its presence as it continues to suffer. He later learns that it was stripped, nearly to the bone, within hours. His elderly colleagues agree that killing the elephant was the best thing to do, but the younger ones believe that it was worth more than the Indian it killed. The narrator then wonders if they will ever understand that he did it "solely to avoid looking a fool."[2]
Themes[edit]
Imperialism[edit]
An anti-imperialist writer, Orwell promotes the idea that, through imperialism, both conqueror and conquered are destroyed.[5] Orwell clearly states his displeasure with colonial Britain: "I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing... I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British."[2] The narrator perceives that the conqueror is not in control, but it is rather the will of the people that governs his actions. As ruler, he notes that it is his duty to appear resolute, with his word being final.
I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys. He becomes a sort of hollow, posing dummy, the conventionalized figure of a sahib. For it is the condition of his rule that he shall spend his life in trying to impress the "natives," and so in every crisis he has got to do what the "natives" expect of him. He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it. I had got to shoot the elephant. I had committed myself to doing it when I sent for the rifle. A sahib has got to act like a sahib; he has got to appear resolute, to know his own mind and do definite things. To come all that way, rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away, having done nothing — no, that was impossible. The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man's life in the East, was one long struggle not to be laughed at.[2]
Although it is not the narrator's wish to shoot the elephant, and even though he holds a weapon far beyond the technological capabilities of the natives, his will is not his own and, due to their expectation, he realises that he must shoot the elephant; "I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind." Reflectively, the narrator realises that being forced to impose strict laws and to shoot the elephant—he states his feelings against the act, but submits after comprehending he "had got to shoot the elephant"—illustrates an inherent problem of hegemony: "when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys."[2][6] By enforcing the strict British rule, he is forfeiting his freedom while concurrently oppressing the Burmese.[1]
Conqueror and conquered[edit]
The narrator's situation throughout the essay is one of little prospect or prominence. He comments on how, even though he is of the ruling class, he finds himself either largely ignored by the Burmese people or hated. He remarks in the first sentence, "I was hated by large numbers of people—the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me." Only with the expectation of a killing do the locals find him "momentarily worth watching." He describes how, as a police officer, he was often a target for mockery from the locals, as was any European who provided an easy target.
In contrast to his description of the natives as "little beasts", the narrator labels the elephant as a "great beast", suggesting he holds it in higher esteem than the locals. This is somewhat paradoxical, however, as the narrator's own job is demeaning and forces him to see "the dirty work of the Empire at close quarters". The narrator singles out "Buddhist priests"—persons synonymous with peace and goodwill—to be "the worst of all" and comments on how he would gladly "drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest's guts".
Having killed the elephant, the narrator considers how he was glad it killed the "coolie" as that gave him full legal backing. The essay finishes with him wondering if they will even understand his motive for having killed the elephant as he merely wished to salvage his pride.[7]
Conscience[edit]
The narrator's conscience plagues him greatly as he finds himself trapped between the "hatred of the empire [he] served" and his "rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make [his] job impossible."[7] He claims that he is "all for the Burmese and all against the British" and goes on to say that "feelings like these are the normal by-products of imperialism; ask any Anglo-Indian official, if you can catch him off duty." This creates a sense of empathy from the imperialists for the natives, but as they treat their conquerors badly, they start to feel less guilty and so treat them badly once more.[8]
Film adaptation[edit]
In 2015, "Shooting an Elephant" was adapted into a short film by director Juan Pablo Rothie and Academy Award nominated writer Alec Sokolow. The film was shot entirely on location in Nepal starring Barry Sloane as Eric Blair.[9]
Fact or fiction[edit]
The degree to which the story is fiction has been disputed. In his biography of Orwell, George Orwell: A Life, Bernard Crick cast doubt on the idea that Orwell himself actually shot an elephant. No independent account of Orwell's actions has been found and there was no official record of the incident, which was unusual considering the destruction of valuable property.
Peter Davison, the editor of Orwell's Complete Works, includes an interview with George Stuart, a contemporary of Orwell in Burma, who said that Orwell was transferred to Kathar as punishment for shooting an elephant. "An elephant was considered a valuable asset to any timber firm...and Orwell would have been severely reprimanded for such unnecessary slaughter. It was not long after the incident that he was transferred from Moulmein to a quiet post in Upper Burma called Katha."[4]:224–225 Davison also includes in the complete works a news item from the Rangoon Gazette, March 22, 1926 which describes a Major E. C. Kenny shooting an elephant in similar circumstances. When one biographer questioned Orwell's wife, Sonia Brownell, she replied, "Of course he shot a fucking a [sic] elephant. He said he did. Why do you always doubt his word!"[4]:225
See also[edit]
Burmese Days
Chunee
George Orwell bibliography
Musth
Such, Such Were the Joys
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Runciman, David. Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, from Hobbes to Orwell and Beyond. Princeton University Press, 2010, pp. 182–183.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Orwell, George. "Shooting an Elephant", The Literature Network, accessed April 17, 2011.
Jump up ^ George Orwell: A Life
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Larkin, Emma (2005). Finding George Orwell in Burma (First American ed.). New York: The Penguin Press. ISBN 1-59420-052-1.
Jump up ^ "Elements of Fiction and Total Effect in Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell (2004)". Retrieved 2011-10-08.
Jump up ^ "Orwell still matters: Shooting an Elephant". rogalinski.com.pl – Journalist blog. July 22, 2011. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
^ Jump up to: a b "Staloysius: Shooting an Elephant analysis". Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
Jump up ^ "Oppapers: Shooting an Elephant analysis". Retrieved 2011-10-10.
Jump up ^ "Shooting an Elephant". IMDb. September 9, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
Further reading[edit]
Shooting an Elephant
"Audio Version of Shooting an Elephant" Audio version of "Shooting an Elephant" read by Patrick E. McLean
Orwell, George (1968) [1958]. Selected Writings. Heinemann Educational Books. ISBN 0-435-13675-5.
Orwell, George (1969) [1957]. Inside the Whale and other essays. ISBN 0-14-001185-4.
[hide]
v
t
e
George Orwell
Bibliography
Novels
Burmese Days (1934)
A Clergyman's Daughter (1935)
Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936)
Coming Up for Air (1939)
Animal Farm (1945)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
Nonfiction
Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)
The Road to Wigan Pier (1937)
Homage to Catalonia (1938)
Essays
"A Hanging" (1931)
"The Spike" (1931)
"Bookshop Memories" (1936)
"Shooting an Elephant" (1936)
"Spilling the Spanish Beans" (1937)
"Boys' Weeklies" (1940)
"Inside the Whale" (1940)
"My Country Right or Left" (1940)
"England Your England" (1941)
"The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius" (1941)
"The Art of Donald McGill" (1940)
"Poetry and the Microphone" (1943)
"Raffles and Miss Blandish" (1944)
"Good Bad Books" (1945)
"Notes on Nationalism" (1945)
"Books v. Cigarettes" (1946)
"Confessions of a Book Reviewer" (1946)
"Decline of the English Murder" (1946)
"A Good Word for the Vicar of Bray" (1946)
"How the Poor Die" (1946)
"The Moon Under Water" (1946)
"A Nice Cup of Tea" (1946)
"Pleasure Spots" (1946)
"Politics and the English Language" (1946)
"The Politics of Starvation" (1946)
"Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver's Travels" (1946)
"The Prevention of Literature" (1946)
"Riding Down from Bangor" (1946)
"Second Thoughts on James Burnham" (1946)
"Some Thoughts on the Common Toad" (1946)
"Why I Write" (1946)
"Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool" (1947)
"The English People" (1947)
"Such, Such Were the Joys" (1952)
Collections
"As I Please" (1943–1947)
"London Letters" (1941–1946)
Betrayal of the Left (1941)
Inside the Whale and Other Essays (1940)
Critical Essays (1946)
Related
Searchlight Books
Secker and Warburg
Victor Gollancz Ltd
Eileen O'Shaughnessy
Sonia Orwell
Orwell's list (1949)
Eric & Us
Why Orwell Matters
Orwell Award
Orwell Prize
Orwellian
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shooting_an_Elephant&oldid=825385267"
Categories:
Essays by George Orwell
1936 essays
Works originally published in British magazines
Works originally published in literary magazines
Hidden categories:
Pages using deprecated image syntax
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
Esperanto
עברית
Svenska
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 13 February 2018, at 02:41.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

value: mw-page-base noprint

value: mw-head-base noprint

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attr: colspan style

attr: scope style

value:
row
white-space: nowrap

value:
/wiki/Anglo-Burmese_wars
mw-redirect
Anglo-Burmese wars

value:
/wiki/White_elephant_(pachyderm)
mw-redirect
White elephant (pachyderm)

value:
/wiki/Elephant_rifle
mw-redirect
Elephant rifle

value:
/wiki/Sonia_Brownell
mw-redirect
Sonia Brownell

value:
nofollow
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4026326/
external text

value:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

value:
/wiki/Secker_and_Warburg
mw-redirect
Secker and Warburg

value:
/wiki/Eileen_O%27Shaughnessy
mw-redirect
Eileen O'Shaughnessy

value: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

value: Category:Works originally published in British magazines

value: Category:Works originally published in literary magazines

value: Category:Pages using deprecated image syntax

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/Shooting_an_Elephant
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

value: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

value:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

value:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

value:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

value: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

value: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

value: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

value: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

value:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

value: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

value: Permanent link to this revision of the page

value: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

value: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

value: הריגת פיל – Hebrew

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Shooting_an_Elephant rootpage-Shooting_an_Elephant skin-vector action-view