the redress of grievances through the use of
military force
assassination
violence legitimized by tradition
Meiji
Emperor
Meiji is the first Emperor of modern Japan.
The Emperor is no longer the Shogun's marionette.
Without the Emperor there is no Japan.
Shogun - the de facto ruler of feudal Japan.
The Emperor was a mere figurehead
during Shogun rule.
Tokyo
1930s
a very Western, cosmopolitan city
the Ginza district being both Broadway
and Fifth Avenue ...
romance flooded in neon light
Geishas being whisked about
lanky sinews pulling rickshaws
Tetsuzan Nagata
general
political opponent of General Mazaki
General Nagata - leader of the Tosei-ha / Control faction
Controlling Manchuria is not enough.
Japan must take all of China to forestall Soviet attack.
Views shared by War Ministry officials and officer elite
including Hideki Tojo, Japan's wartime leader.
General Mazaki - proponent of Kodo-ha / Imperial Way
military rival faction
exploits into China beyond Manchuria are folly
Japan's path to greatness lies elsewhere
Saburo Aizawa
Lieutenant Colonel
Assassin
kills General Tetsuzan Nagata
young Army officers rally to Aizawa's cause
public support of Aizawa encourages Army coup d'état
the Aizawa incident increased polarization within military
eventually a firing squad deals with Aizawa
Sadao Araki
general
renowned for being outspoken
flamboyant mustache
prominent in 1932 insurrection
idol of reformists
2 - 26 incident - Army rebels demanded General Araki be
put in command of the Kwantung Army, the military force
keeping Manchuria a possession of Japan.
Hirohito
Emperor
Reign.
Not rule.
"They are trying to pull a silk rope around my neck."
It is customary for the Emperor to remain silent
on most matters.
The murderous uprising by an Army unit
stationed in Tokyo
has outraged Hirohito. The Emperor
demands this rebellion be ended.
Purpose: purge from government and the military leadership
the factional rivals and ideological opponents of a
radical military faction known as Kodo-ha, or the Imperial Way.
Kodo-ha promotes:
totalitarian government
militaristic values
aggressive, expansionist foreign policy
The attempted coup would fail primarily because of divisions
within the military itself and because of the Emperor's anger
directed toward the rebels. Rebels were never able to
secure the Imperial Palace or dispose of the Prime Minister.
Not to mention the Army and Navy distrusting one another.
The Navy's admirals were well aware the Army officers
attempting this government overthrow were also hunting
down retired admirals for assassination.
1935 Emperor asks Okada to replace the scandalized
current Prime Minister. Okada reluctantly
accepts. Retirement is for him preferable to
the ongoing battles he wages with the nation's
militarists.
1936 26 February - the 2 - 26 Incident
An Army coup d'état has targeted Okada and six other political
leaders for assassination. Just the previous evening the
Prime Minister had held a banquet to celebrate his
party's victory at the polls. Now he is wakened by the
sound of gunfire as his four man security detail are killed
in a hail of bullets. Two maids hide Okada in a closet
then cover him in soiled laundry.
Meanwhile his brother-in-law attempts to escape
and get help but he is quickly discovered and executed.
The rebel troops compare their dead captive's face with that
of a photo of Okada and decide they have killed
the Prime Minister, ending their murderous search.
Still it would be another 24 hours before Okada could slip
undetected from his residence.
Minseito - Prime Minister Okada's party
their 1936 election triumph was a fascist setback
29 February, 1936
1,500 rebel troops surrounded near the Imperial Palace
22,000 Army and Navy units are in position to retake area
message to enlisted men
from the Emperor's War Ministry
1. It is still not too late, so return to your units.
2. All those who resist will be shot as rebels.
3. Your fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters are
all weeping because they will become traitors.
Leaders of uprising executed.
19 face firing squad.
40 imprisoned.
Period of government by assassination comes to a close.
The once powerful Army faction Kodo-ha loses influence.
However
The military's influence increases to the point where a vote
of no confidence by military leaders result in dissolution
of current civilian administration. This effectively gives
the military veto power over any government decision.
Rivalry for power was between Army generals and
Navy admirals as to who directed foreign policy -
each having rival priorities because of their stake in matters
determined by on land or by sea.
The Navy's power ends near water's edge. The Army
needs the Navy if it plans on getting to where it
wants to go. It's a marriage of necessity.
Nothing more.
______________________
love
dad
© Tom Taylor
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