New+Order+in+Japan+Reading+Section+Two+The+Military+in+Politics

> -The leader was Nagata Tetsuzan > Prime Objective: Speed up modernization of military structure and equipment, increase striking power without an increase in troop numbers and prepare for national, economic and political mobilization which modern warfare required > -Generals: Araki Sadao and Mazaki Jianzaburo > -They believed in traditional martial virtues of morale and esprit de corps - group spirit > -Political concern = national unity with the emperor rather than bureaucratic or parliamentary rule > -They believed that Japan must be given a new purity and sense of purpose by another restoration March 1931: Hashimoto Kingoros Sakura-kai and civilians planned political assassinations to bring Ugaki Kazushige to power. Araki Sadao was expected to be the war minister after the existing cabinet fell. There was much disorder in Japanese political life and this was made obvious by trials and sentences: The nature of the crime were large, but sentenes were minimal. These ranged from four years of imprisonment for army cadets to life for Tachibana.
 * The influence of the military in Japanese politics increased to the point of dominance
 * There were two factions within the Japanese military but they all shared one common belief - armed forces had a duty to defend Japan which overided rights to a civilian government, the task should involve political reform and military efficiency and beyond this they were divided
 * Control Faction:
 * Imperial Way Faction:

There was deteriaration of the Imperial Way faction and therfore there was another attempt by the Young Officers to change the course of political history. E.g. 26 Feburary 1936. 1000 men of the first division took over the centre of the capital. Attacks on the PM and finance minister.

The outbreaks of violence between 1932 and 1936 not only let to the victory fo the Control faction within the army but also changed the balance of power in Japanese politics. The reward of electral success, it was assumed, would henceforth be the formation of party cabinets. From then on party leadership weakened by assassinations and threates. It was undeniably a period of national crisis.
 * Saionji Kinmochi was the last survivor of the elder statesmen.
 * He used his connections to ensure that the men who he held close to the throne shared his political sympathies. He tried to preserve both his country's membershop of an Anglo-American international order and the continuation of a constitutional monarchy on the Meiji model.
 * Civilian allies began to openly criticize him in 1935 therefore decided to preserve the imperial institutions which means the emperor must be seperated from political events. He must 'absolutely not...participate in decision making'.