Conscription

A law that imposed military service obligations on citizens. Shortly after its establishment, the Meiji government had to face anti-government actions such as peasant uprisings without having a military force directly under the central government. For this reason, it became urgent to develop a military force directly under the central government, which would serve as the physical foundation of a centralized state. In February 1871 (Meiji 4), the Goshinpei was organized, and in August of the same year, the Shichindai was established by convening soldiers from the former feudal domains. However, since the basis of these military forces was the former domain soldiers who were part of the feudal class order, there was a demand to introduce a conscription system based on the idea of ​​universal military service, following the example of the Western powers. In 1872, an imperial edict conscripting the entire nation was issued, and the conscription order was promulgated the following year. This conscription law contained a wide range of exemption clauses that exempted civil servants, students at public schools, heads of households, and those who paid proxy fees from military service. However, as preparations for foreign wars were put on the agenda with the development of the domestic ruling system, and the need to secure a large number of soldiers arose, these exemption clauses were gradually restricted through repeated amendments, and in 1889 the conscription law was fundamentally revised. In other words, this amendment abolished the previous conscription deferral system, thoroughly implemented the principle of universal conscription, and established penalties for those who evaded conscription (heavy imprisonment of one month to one year, and a fine of three to 30 yen), thus establishing the basic framework of the conscription system that followed. Furthermore, the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, which was promulgated in February of the same year, stipulated that military service was the duty of "Japanese subjects." The conscription law continued to exist after subsequent amendments until the promulgation of the Military Service Law in the major amendment of 1927 (Showa 2). Immediately after the conscription law was enacted, ordinary people rose up in anti-conscription uprisings known as "Blood Tax Rebellions" in various places, and thereafter, there was a continuous stream of people fleeing and evading conscription in various forms. However, as enforcement became stronger and militarist ideology became more widespread throughout society, the room for resistance gradually narrowed.

[Yoshida Yutaka]

"Conscription by Shinoo Oe (Iwanami Shinsho)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

国民に兵役義務を課した法律。成立後まもない明治政府は、中央直属の軍事力をほとんど有しないままに、農民一揆(いっき)などの反政府行動に直面しなければならなかった。このため、中央集権国家の物理的基礎となるべき中央政府直属の軍事力の整備が急務となり、1871年（明治4）2月には御親兵が編成され、さらに同年8月には、旧藩の藩兵を召集して四鎮台が設置された。しかし、これらの軍事力の基礎となっていたのは封建的な身分秩序の内にある旧藩兵であったため、欧米列強の例に倣い国民皆兵の理念に基づく徴兵制の導入が要請され、1872年に全国徴兵の詔(みことのり)が発せられて、翌73年には徴兵令が布告された。この徴兵令には、官吏、官立学校生徒、戸主、代人料納入者などの兵役を免除する広範な免役条項が存在していたが、国内の支配体制の整備に伴って対外戦争の準備が日程に上り、大量の兵員を確保する必要が生まれてくると、これらの免役条項は、再三の改正によってしだいに制限され、1889年には徴兵令の抜本的改正が行われる。すなわち、この改正では、従来の徴集猶予制が廃止され、国民皆兵の原則の徹底が図られるとともに、徴兵忌避者に対する罰則（1か月以上1年以下の重禁錮、3円以上30円以下の罰金）が設けられ、その後の徴兵制の基本的骨格が確定された。さらに、同年2月に公布された大日本帝国憲法では、兵役が「日本臣民」の義務であると定められた。徴兵令は、その後、副次的な改正を経て、1927年（昭和2）の大改正によって兵役法が公布されるまで続く。民衆は、徴兵令の制定と同時に、各地で血税一揆とよばれる徴兵令反対一揆に立ち上がり、その後も、逃亡やさまざまな形での徴兵忌避が後を絶たなかったが、取締りの強化や軍国主義思想の社会への浸透により抵抗の余地はしだいに狭められていった。

［吉田　裕］

『大江志乃夫著『徴兵制』（岩波新書）』

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