Yokusan Sonendan

TheYokusan Sonendan(Đại Nhật Bản cánh tán tráng niên đoàn,Imperial Rule Assistance Young Men's Corps)was an eliteparamilitaryyouth branch of theImperial Rule Assistance Associationpolitical partyof wartimeEmpire of Japanestablished in January 1942, and based on the model of theGermanSturmabteilung(stormtroopers; SA).^[1]

Members received a deeppolitical indoctrinationand basicmilitary training.Their responsibilities included forming part of thehome guardto assist in matters ofcivil defenseunder the direction of official local authorities. They were issued mostly obsolete weapons provided to the organization under orders from their Director-GeneralKingoro Hashimoto,^[1]and were expected to assist local firefighting efforts followingair raids,distribute emergency supplies and render basicfirst aid.The most advanced pupils were earmarked for eventual enrollment in theImperial Japanese Army Academy,or for a future role as elected local politicians within theTaisei Yokusankaiorganization.^[2]

In addition to its civil defence and paramilitary role, the Yokusan Sonendan was also tasked with assisting localtonarigumineighborhood civil defense organizations and theKenpeitaimilitary police by watching for signs of subversives in their area and reporting any anti-war or anti-government activities.

In the last stages ofWorld War II,members received additional military training in the use ofanti-tankweapons and lightmachine guns,for transfer intoreserve combat unitsto support Japan's remaining troops against theexpected Allied invasionof theJapanese home islands.The group suffered heavy combat casualties during theBattle of Okinawa.The Yokusan Sonendan was disbanded on 30 May 1945^[1]and its membership merged into theVolunteer Fighting Corps.^[3]

References

Notes

^^a ^b ^cShillony, Ben-Ami (1981).Politics and Culture in Wartime Japan.Oxford University Press. pp. 23–33, 71–75.ISBN 0-19-820260-1.
^Payne, Stanley G. (1996).A History of Fascism, 1914-1945.Routledge. p. 335.ISBN 1-85728-595-6.
^Frank,Downfall, the End of the Japanese Empire

Bibliography

Drea, Edward J. (1998). "Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan".In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army.University of Nebraska Press.ISBN 0-8032-1708-0.
Frank, Richard B (1999).Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire.New York: Random House.ISBN 0-679-41424-X.
Skates, John Ray (1994).The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall.New York: University of South Carolina Press.ISBN 0-87249-972-3.

[Shillony-1] Shillony, Ben-Ami (1981).Politics and Culture in Wartime Japan.Oxford University Press. pp. 23–33, 71–75.ISBN 0-19-820260-1.

[2] Payne, Stanley G. (1996).A History of Fascism, 1914-1945.Routledge. p. 335.ISBN 1-85728-595-6.

[3] Frank,Downfall, the End of the Japanese Empire

[1]

[2]

[3]