The Young Officers

I. The rise of ultranationalism

A. Causes

forced nationalism

education

conscription

media

distrust of democracy

bushido and democracy

scandals in parliament

rise of radicalism

the Meiji constitution

westernization and loss of culture

the 1923 earthquake

mobo and moga

rural-urban split and nostalgia

the depression

B. Reasons for expansion/imperialism

respect in the international arena

self-defense

Pan-Asianism

need for raw materials

need for living space

II. The collapse of Taisho democracy

A. 1924 Peace Preservation Law

B. the Showa emperor [Hirohito]

the Crown Prince

western education

1926, coronation

1928, assassination attempt

C. Government by assassination

1930: P.M. Hamaguchi and the London Naval Conference

1931: attempts on Council members

1932: Ketsumeidan [League of Blood]

1932: P.M. Inukai

sincerity, altruism and lenient sentences

D. End of party government

1928: end of Army-Navy rivalry

1928-1932: coalition governments

1933: parties dissolved

III. Imperialism in the 1930s

A. 1931: the Manchurian Incident, Sept. 18

1928: Chang Tso-lin assassination

the Kwantung Army

Henry Pu Yi and Manchukuo

B. 1933: Jehol and the Great Khans

C. Chiang Kai-shek and the communists

1926-1928: the Northern Expedition

1927: the Shanghai massacre

1927-1934: the Jiangxi Soviet

1934-1935: the long march

1936: the Xian incident

D. The split within the Army

mainstream faction: China

the young officers: USSR

E. The Feb. 26 [1936] Incident

mass assassinations

the emperor's intervention

secret court martial and executions

triumph of the mainstream and Tojo Hideki

F. 1937: the Marco Polo Bridge Incident