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The was a moderate leftist political party in early Showa period Empire of Japan. The ''Shakai Taishūtō'' was founded by Abe Isoo in July 1932, as a merger of the ''Shakai Minshūtō'' (Socialist Mass Party) with the ''Zenkoku Rōnō Taishūtō'' (National Labour-Farmer Mass Party).〔Scalapino. Democracy and the Party in Prewar Japan. page 374〕 In a period of increasing extremism in politics, the new party attempted to maintain a middle-of-the road approach, which inevitably resulted in a confused policy. On one hand, the ''Shakai Taishūtō'' supported agrarian reform and pushed for improvement in the lot of the farmers by cutting the military budget; on the other hand, it cultivated ties with the ''Tōseiha'' political faction within the Imperial Japanese Army, and supported Japanese aggression in Manchuria. The ''Shakai Taishūtō'' advocated increased international cooperation and opposed Japan's withdraw from the League of Nations, but at the same time supported the invasion of China in 1937. It was the only leftist party allowed to function in the 1930s, it emerged as the third largest party in the Lower House of the Diet of Japan, with 36 seats after the 1937 General Election. The party received support from a wide cross-section of the electorate, including middle class shop owners resentful of the ''zaibatsu,'' salaried-workers, and some minor bureaucrats.〔Large. Organized Workers and Socialist Politics in Interwar Japan. Page 200〕 However, the basic split within the ''Shakai Taishūtō'' internally between supporters of social democracy versus national socialism came to a head after the vote to expel Saitō Takao from the Diet arose after he sharply criticized the conduct of the Imperial Japanese Army and its actions on the Asian mainland. Members of the party who had abstained from the motion to purge Saitō were expelled for “unpatriotic sentiments”, causing chairman Abe Isoo to resign as well.〔Large. Organized Workers and Socialist Politics in Interwar Japan. Page 220〕 The remainder of the party grew increasing nationalistic and militaristic, and was absorbed into the Imperial Rule Assistance Association in 1940.〔Sims. ''Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation. Page 216〕 ==References== * * * 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Shakai Taishūtō」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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