Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-8-2026
Abstract
This article examines irregular warfare in modern Japan as a strategic adaptation to late modernization, imperial competition, and total war rather than as a product of enduring cultural tradition. Using institutional and irregular warfare theory, it analyzes how intelligence, covert action, political warfare, and civilian mobilization developed from the Meiji Restoration through 1945. It shows that these methods emerged through organizational experimentation, bureaucratic rivalry, and geopolitical constraint rather than formal doctrine or historical continuity. By treating Japan as a comparative modern case, the article contributes to debates on strategic culture, state adaptation, and the escalation risks associated with deniable warfare.
Recommended Citation
Molle, A. (2026). Irregular warfare and strategic adaptation in modern Japan: institutions, intelligence, and total war. Small Wars & Insurgencies, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2026.2641687
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
Taylor & Francis
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Included in
Asian History Commons, Cultural History Commons, Military and Veterans Studies Commons, Military History Commons, Other History Commons, Other Political Science Commons, Political History Commons, Public History Commons
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript version of an article accepted for publication in Small Wars & Insurgencies in 2026. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.