5' The Meiji Constitution

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5. The Meiji Constitution

• The Constitutional Movement
• The Constitution
• Emperor and Political Ideology

2
The Constitution Movement

• Two kinds of oppositions out of the Korean crisis
  (1873)
• Itagaki and popular rights movement continuity
  to pre-Restoration movement
• Governments initiative Senate (1875) and local
  assemblies (1878)
• Differences among leaders Ito, Yamagata, Okuma.
• Promise of a constitution and emergence of
  Parties (1881)
• Governments control measures and popular protest

3
The Meiji Constitution

• Ito and Iwakuras draft outlines (1881)
• Itos study trip to Europe (1882)
• The document (1889) on Prussia model
• Role and power of the emperor, Diet, cabinet
• Itos approach to the theory of constitution

4
Emperor and Political Ideology

• Mystical Belief about Imperia line
• Rise of Shinto through government patronage and
  propaganda
• Rescript to soldiers and Education Rescript
  (1890)
• Imperial Nationalismunquestioning loyalty and
  sacrifice the emperor

5
Meiji Constitutio
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Study Questions

• What were the origin and development of the
  constitutional movement? Who were the leaders and
  constituencies of the movement? What did they
  want to achieve?
• What were the Meiji leaders ideas and actions in
  making the constitution? How were the power and
  authorities distributed in the constitution?
• What was the role of the emperor in the
  constitution and in Meiji politics in general?
  How did the government try to shore up the
  emperor authorities?