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[[Kejserriget Japan]] gik ind i krigen på [[Ententemagterne]]s side. Selvom forsigtige planer blev udarbejdet for at sende en ekspeditionsstyrke på mellem 100.000-500.000 mænd til [[Vestfrontern i 1. verdenskrig|Frankrig]],<ref>Harries & Harries, s. 109.</ref> blev i sidste ende den eneste aktion, som den kejserlige japanske hær var involveret i, et [[Belejringen af Tsingtao|omhyggeligt og velgennemført angreb]] på den [[Tyske Kejserrige|tyske]] koncession [[Qingdao|Tsingtao]] i [[1914]].<ref>Harries & Harries, s. 110–111.</ref>
===Inter-war yearsMellemkrigstiden ===
{{mainhovedartikel|Japan duringi theden Siberiansibiriske Interventionintervention}}
I løbet af 1917-18, fortsatte Japan med at udvide sin indflydelse og privilegier i Kina ved hjælp af [[Nishiharalånene]]. Efter det [[Russiske Kejserrige]]s sammenbrud under [[Oktoberrevolutionen]], planlagde den kejserlige japanske hær oprindeligt, under den [[sibiriske intervention]], at sende mere end 70.000 tropper til at besætte [[Sibirien]] så langt mod vest som [[Bajkalsøen]]. Hærens generalstab kom for at se det tsaristiske sammenbrud som en mulighed for at frigøre Japan fra enhver fremtidig trussel fra Rusland ved at fjerne Sibirien og danne en selvstændig stødpudestat.<ref name="Humphreys, p.25">Humphreys, ''The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920's'', s. 25</ref> Planen blev nedtrappet betydeligt på grund af modstand fra [[USA]].
During 1917–18, Japan continued to extend its influence and privileges in China via the [[Nishihara Loans]].
Following the collapse of the [[Russian Empire]] in the [[October Revolution|Bolshevik Revolution]], during the [[Siberian Intervention]], the Imperial Japanese Army initially planned to send more than 70,000 troops to occupy Siberia as far west as [[Lake Baykal]]. The army general staff came to view the Tsarist collapse as an opportunity to free Japan from any future threat from Russia by detaching Siberia and forming an independent buffer state.<ref name="Humphreys, p.25">Humphreys, ''The Way of the Heavenly Sword: The Japanese Army in the 1920's'', page 25</ref>
The plan was scaled back considerably due to opposition from the United States.
InI Julyjuli 1918, Presidentbad præsident [[Woodrow Wilson|Wilson]] askedden thejapanske Japaneseregering governmentom toat supplylevere 7,.000 troopssoldater assom partdel ofaf anen international coalitionkoalition ofpå 24,.000 troopstropper der var plannedplanlagt totil supportat thestøtte ''[[American Expeditionary Force Siberia]]''.<ref name=Harries123>Harries & Harries, ps. 123.</ref> AfterEfter heateden debateophedet indebat thei [[DietJapans of Japanparlament|''Diet'']], theblev government of [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]]premierminister [[Terauchi Masatake]]s agreedregering toenig sendom at sende 12,.000 troopstropper, butmen under thekommando command ofaf Japan, ratheri stedet for, thansom asen partdel ofaf anen international coalitionkoalition. Japan andog theUSA Unitedsendte Statesstyrker senttil forcesSibirien tofor [[Siberia]]at to bolster the armies of thestyrke [[Whiteden MovementHvide Hær]] leaderunder Admiralledelse af admiral [[Aleksandr KolchakKoltsjak]] againstmod theden [[Bolshevikbolsjevik]]iske [[RedDen Røde Hær|Røde ArmyHær]].
OnceDa theden politicalpolitiske decisionbeslutning hadvar been reachednået, thetog Imperialden Japanesekejserlige Armyjapanske tookhær overfuld full controlkontrol under Chief of Staffstabschef Generalgeneral [[Yui Mitsue]], andog byi Novembernovember 1918, morehavde thanmere end 70,.000<ref name=Harries123/> Japanesejapanske troopstropper hadbesat occupiedalle allhavne portsog andstørre majorbyer townsi indet the Russianrussiske [[PrimorskyPrimorskij Krai|Maritime Provinceskraj]] andog det easternøstlige [[SiberiaSibirien]].
InI Junejuni 1920, Americatrak USA og anddets itsallierede alliedkoalition coalitionpartnere partnerssig withdrewtilbage fromfra [[Vladivostok]] afterefter thetilfangetagelsen captureog andhenrettelsen executionaf ofden WhiteHvide Armyhærs leaderleder, Admiraladmiral Aleksandr KolchakKoltjak byaf theDen RedRøde ArmyHær. However, theMen Japanesejapanerne decidedbesluttede toat stayblive, primarilyprimært dueaf togrund fearsfor offrygt thefor spreadspredning ofaf [[communismkommunisme]]n soså closetæt topå Japan, andog Japanesedet controlledjapansk kontrollerede [[Korea]] andog [[ManchuriaManchuriet]]. TheDen Japanesejapanske armyhær providedgav militarymilitær supportstøtte totil theden Japanesejapansk-backedstøttede [[Provisionalprovisoriske Priamur Governmentregering]] basedbaseret ini Vladivostok againstmod theden [[MoscowMoskva]]-backedstøttede [[Far EasternFjernøstlige RepublicRepublik]].
TheDen continuedfortsatte Japanesejapanske presencetilstedeværelse concernedbekymrede the United StatesUSA, whichsom suspectedmistænkte thatat Japan hadhavde territorialterritoriale designsplaner onfor SiberiaSibirien andog thedet Russianrussiske Far EastFjernøsten. SubjectedEfter toat intensevære diplomaticudsat pressurefor byintens thediplomatisk Unitedpres Statesfra andUSA Greatog BritainStorbritannien, andog facingover increasingfor domesticstigende oppositionindenlandske duemodstand topå thegrund economicaf andde humanøkonomiske cost,og themenneskelige administration ofomkostninger, Primetrak Ministerpremierminister [[Kato Tomosaburo]]s regering withdrewde thejapanske Japanesestyrker forcestilbage ini Octoberoktober 1922.<ref>Harries & Harries, ps. 124.</ref>
[[Image:Prince Kanin Kotohito.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Prince Kanin Kotohito|Prince Kotohito Kan'in]], chief of staff of the Army from 1931 until 1940]] ▼
===Rise of militarism in Shōwa era===
▲[[ ImageFil:Prince Kanin Kotohito.jpg |left|thumb|200px|[[ Prince Kanin Kotohito|Prince KotohitoPrins Kan'in Kotohito]], chiefstabschef offor staffhæren of the Army fromfra [[1931 ]] untiltil [[1940 ]].]]
In the 1920s the Imperial Japanese Army expanded rapidly and by 1937 had a force of 300,000 men. Unlike western countries it enjoyed a great deal of independence from government. Under the provisions of the [[Meiji Constitution]], the [[Ministry of War of Japan|War Minister]] was held accountable only to the Emperor [[Hirohito]] himself, and not to the elected civilian government. In fact, Japanese civilian administrations needed the support of the Army in order to survive. The Army controlled the appointment of the War Minister and in 1936 a law was passed that stipulated that only an active duty general or lieutenant-general could hold the post.<ref>Harries & Harris, p. 193.</ref> As a result, the military spending as a proportion of the national budget rose disproportionately in the 1920s and 1930s, and various factions within the military exerted disproportionate influence on Japanese foreign policy.
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