Breezing over a lot of history, what we wound up with in the late 30s was a
Japan that had a very modern military force, albeit somewhat small, with some
very archaic ideas.

The odd thing about the bestiality of the Japanese armed forces in
their "Fifteen Year War" (it actually lasted a month short of 14
years) is that the same military, in the Russo-Japanese War, behaved
in exemplary fashion toward prisoners. So you can't blame it on the
samurai. Something really twisted happened to the Japanese army and
navy between 1905 and 1931.

all the best -- Dan Ford
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