The bourgeoisie of Japan

The contradiction of the above two ways of developing Japanese capitalism after undermining the feudal system was the economic basis of the well-known movement for freedom and people's rights, which entered a vivid page in the history of the liberation movement of the Japanese people. Its initiator was the liberal intelligentsia of samurai origin, who was in opposition to the ruling oligarchy. Its representatives demanded the creation of a representative system and constitution guaranteeing bourgeois rights and freedoms, the abolition of unequal treaties that impede the economic development of the country, the stabilization of the people's life through the reduction of land tax, and so on.

After the suppression of the samurai mutiny in 1877, the leadership of the movement passes into the hands of the unprivileged bourgeoisie and landowners, who are dissatisfied with the government's protectionist policy and are seeking the freedom to develop commodity production. However, the bourgeois-landowning opposition, satisfied with some concessions from the ruling elite, withdrew from the movement as soon as the bourgeois-democratic, predominantly peasant trend began to "loom". At the end of XIX century. The left wing of the Liberal Party (established in 1881), representing the revolutionary-democratic trend, comes to the leadership of the movement. Under her leadership in 1882, a broad agrarian movement unfolded.

The government severely repressed the peasant uprisings, predetermining the final defeat of the movement for freedom and people's rights, which lasted more than ten years. Frightened of his overgrowth into a genuinely revolutionary struggle, Itagaki disbanded the Liberal Party by concluding a compromise with the absolutist ruling elite.

The main reasons for the defeat of the movement for freedom and people's rights are the social heterogeneity of its participants, the lack of unity among its leadership on the issues of the ultimate goal and methods of struggle. In fact, they were utopians, their lofty public views were still largely idealistic. The bourgeoisie of Japan ...

As a result of the defeat of the movement for freedom and people's rights in Japan, the socio-economic system was established, the result of which was the strengthening of absolutist imperial power, militarism and chauvinism.

At the same time, this movement left a deep imprint on the minds of the advanced sections of society, paved the way for a new stage in the workers' liberation struggle.

Under the onslaught of the movement for freedom and people's rights, the ruling oligarchy was forced to make a number of partial concessions. In 1881, an imperial decree was issued on the establishment of the parliament and the introduction of the constitutional system in ten years. In this regard, both the ruling circles and the progressive public began to prepare for a new political system, to create political parties.

The bourgeoisie of Japan