Military Academy Incident
Encyclopedia
The , also known as the was an attempted coup d'état
that took place in Japan
in November 1934. It was one of a sequence of similar conspiracies for a 'Shōwa Restoration
' led by radical elements with the Imperial Japanese Army
.
and the Imperial Colors Incident
) by the Sakurakai , a secret society within the junior ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army officer corps promoting a vision of a militaristic totalitarian, state socialist system as an alternative to the current corrupt party politics dominated democratic government, inspired similar plans by other groups within the military.
In 1934, a group of five Imperial Japanese Army Academy cadets led by two army officers belonging to the radical militarist Imperial Way Faction at the academy, troubled by the perceived loss of influence of their faction over the military following the dismissal of Army Minister
Sadao Araki
in January 1934, formulated their own plan for overthrowing the government. However, in early November 1934, Sato, one of the cadets, informed the government authorities about the plan and its Imperial Way Faction involvement.
Forewarned, Captain Tsuji Masanobu
, company commander at the Army Academy, arranged the arrest of the principals by the Kempeitai
on 20 November 1934, ending the possible coup d'état before it could even get started. For lack of evidence, the accused could not be convicted; but the five cadets were expelled from the Academy in March 1935, and the two officers, Muranaka and Isobe were suspended for six months from duty in April 1935.
When the suspended officers Muranaka and Isobe later distributed pamphlets entitled "Remonstrance for the Restoration of Military Discipline" (otherwise known as "Views on the Housecleaning of the Army"), they were dismissed from the service outright in August 1935.
faction to discredit General Jinzaburo Mazaki
, the Inspector-General of Military Education
, as the incident led to General Mazaki’s dismissal.
In retaliation, in what came to be known as the , an Imperial Way Faction officer, Lieutenant Colonel Saburo Aizawa
, assassinated Mazaki’s successor, Toseiha faction Major General
Tetsuzan Nagata
on 12 August 1935, cutting him down with his sword
in his office. Nagata was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general
, and Aizawa was shot by firing squad after a court martial held by the IJA 1st Division based in Tokyo. Army Minister Senjuro Hayashi
was also forced to resign over the affair.
.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
that took place in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in November 1934. It was one of a sequence of similar conspiracies for a 'Shōwa Restoration
Showa Restoration
The Shōwa Restoration was promoted by Japanese author Kita Ikki, with the goal of restoring power to the newly enthroned Japanese Emperor Hirohito and abolishing the liberal Taishō democracy. The aims of the "Showa Restoration" were similar to the Meiji Restoration as the groups who envisioned it...
' led by radical elements with the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
Background and History
The failed coup attempts in 1931 (the March IncidentMarch Incident
The ' was an abortive coup d'état attempt in Japan, in March 1931, launched by the radical Sakurakai secret society within the Imperial Japanese Army, aided by civilian ultranationalist groups.-Background and History:...
and the Imperial Colors Incident
Imperial Colors Incident
The , also known as the , was an abortive coup d'état attempt in Japan, on 21 October 1931, launched by the Sakurakai secret society within the Imperial Japanese Army, aided by civilian ultranationalist groups.-Background and History:...
) by the Sakurakai , a secret society within the junior ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army officer corps promoting a vision of a militaristic totalitarian, state socialist system as an alternative to the current corrupt party politics dominated democratic government, inspired similar plans by other groups within the military.
In 1934, a group of five Imperial Japanese Army Academy cadets led by two army officers belonging to the radical militarist Imperial Way Faction at the academy, troubled by the perceived loss of influence of their faction over the military following the dismissal of Army Minister
Ministry of War of Japan
The , more popularly known as the Ministry of War of Japan, was cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army...
Sadao Araki
Sadao Araki
Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army before World War II. A charismatic leader and one of the principal nationalist right-wing political theorists in the late Japanese Empire, he was regarded as the leader of the radical faction within the politicized Japanese Army and served as...
in January 1934, formulated their own plan for overthrowing the government. However, in early November 1934, Sato, one of the cadets, informed the government authorities about the plan and its Imperial Way Faction involvement.
Forewarned, Captain Tsuji Masanobu
Tsuji Masanobu
was a tactician of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War and later a politician. While he was never indicted for war crimes after World War II, subsequent investigations have revealed that he was involved in war crimes throughout the Pacific war including the massacre of Chinese...
, company commander at the Army Academy, arranged the arrest of the principals by the Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...
on 20 November 1934, ending the possible coup d'état before it could even get started. For lack of evidence, the accused could not be convicted; but the five cadets were expelled from the Academy in March 1935, and the two officers, Muranaka and Isobe were suspended for six months from duty in April 1935.
When the suspended officers Muranaka and Isobe later distributed pamphlets entitled "Remonstrance for the Restoration of Military Discipline" (otherwise known as "Views on the Housecleaning of the Army"), they were dismissed from the service outright in August 1935.
The Aizawa Incident
The Imperial Way Faction believed that Sato had been acting as a spy for Captain Tsuji all along, and that the whole affair was a trap laid by their rivals, the ToseihaToseiha
' was a political faction in the Imperial Japanese Army, active in the 1920s and 1930s.Led by General Kazushige Ugaki, along with Hajime Sugiyama, Koiso Kuniaki, Yoshijirō Umezu, Tetsuzan Nagata and Hideki Tōjō, the Tōseiha was a grouping of officers united primarily by their opposition to the...
faction to discredit General Jinzaburo Mazaki
Jinzaburo Mazaki
- Notes :...
, the Inspector-General of Military Education
Inspectorate General of Military Training
The was responsible for all non-military aviation training of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was headed by an Inspector general who was responsible for overseeing technical and tactical training, and who reported directly to the Emperor of Japan via the Imperial General Headquarters rather than to...
, as the incident led to General Mazaki’s dismissal.
In retaliation, in what came to be known as the , an Imperial Way Faction officer, Lieutenant Colonel Saburo Aizawa
Saburo Aizawa
Saburo Aizawa was a Japanese soldier born in Iwate Prefecture.He reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He assassinated Tetsuzan Nagata with his sword on August 12, 1935, because he was reputedly putting the Army "in the paws of high finance"...
, assassinated Mazaki’s successor, Toseiha faction Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Tetsuzan Nagata
Tetsuzan Nagata
-External links:...
on 12 August 1935, cutting him down with his sword
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
in his office. Nagata was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, and Aizawa was shot by firing squad after a court martial held by the IJA 1st Division based in Tokyo. Army Minister Senjuro Hayashi
Senjuro Hayashi
was an Imperial Japanese Army commander of the Chosen Army of Japan in Korea during the Mukden Incident and the invasion of Manchuria, and a Japanese politician and the 33rd Prime Minister of Japan from February 2, 1937 to June 4, 1937.-Biography:...
was also forced to resign over the affair.
Consequences
The Military Academy Incident and the Aizawa Incident were indicative of the increasing politicization and political polarization of the Japanese military, and an increasing tendency to resolve political differences through force. The lack of action within the military leadership to suppress these tendencies, and the powerlessness of the civilian elected government over the military were contributing factors that led to the subsequent February 26 IncidentFebruary 26 Incident
The was an attempted coup d'état in Japan, from February 26 to 29, 1936 carried out by 1,483 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army. Several leading politicians were killed and the center of Tokyo was briefly occupied by the rebelling troops...
.
See also
- March IncidentMarch IncidentThe ' was an abortive coup d'état attempt in Japan, in March 1931, launched by the radical Sakurakai secret society within the Imperial Japanese Army, aided by civilian ultranationalist groups.-Background and History:...
- Imperial Colors IncidentImperial Colors IncidentThe , also known as the , was an abortive coup d'état attempt in Japan, on 21 October 1931, launched by the Sakurakai secret society within the Imperial Japanese Army, aided by civilian ultranationalist groups.-Background and History:...
- Imperial Way FactionImperial Way FactionThe was a political faction in the Imperial Japanese Army, active in the 1920s and 1930s and largely supported by junior officers aiming to establish a military government, that promoted totalitarian, militarist, and expansionist ideals...
- ToseihaToseiha' was a political faction in the Imperial Japanese Army, active in the 1920s and 1930s.Led by General Kazushige Ugaki, along with Hajime Sugiyama, Koiso Kuniaki, Yoshijirō Umezu, Tetsuzan Nagata and Hideki Tōjō, the Tōseiha was a grouping of officers united primarily by their opposition to the...