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Hirohito comes into power
On December 25 1926 The Showa period of japan had begun. This was the day that Emperor Hirohito became the emperor of Japan and had the longest reign of Japan at 63 years. These years were 1926 to 1989
Image from http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/hirohito -
Election in the Showa Period
Under Emperor Hirohito This year had the first Japanese general election after universal male suffrage began in Japan. The candidates were Tanaka Giichi and Hamaguchi Osachi. -
Beginnings of Political dissent
On November 14th 1930 Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi was suffered the first of many assassination attempts by one of many Ultranationalist groups that were on the rise in japan at the time. This was because these groups were becoming dissatisfied by the political leaders of Japan.
Photo from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hamaguchi-Osachi -
Assasinations Had begun in Earnest
Hamaguchi Osachi was assassinated by the Akikou-Sha due to several “failed” deals such as the London Naval Treaty in 1930. This growing dissent in the country was something that was becoming much more dangerous than people at the time thought. Political figures and those who sided with them were common targets by these Ultranationalist groups. -
War's Manufactured
Japan’s military independent of any other powers but itself had invaded Manchuria. This was after the Mukden incident in which Japan attempted to frame China for a failed bombing of a important railroad allowing them to invade.
Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_Incident -
League of Blood
Political Threats culminated in march of 1932 where an incident known as the League of blood took place. This incident was when another Ultra nationalist group targeted 22 different wealth and influential people though they only managed to assassinate 2 of them Junnosuke Inoue a former finance manager and head of Rikken Minselto political party and Dan Takuma. -
More Political Assasination
This incident what when the impearialist navy, cadets from the army and the remaining league of blood members attempted a coup d’etat in Japan due to displeasure of the political offices being believed to be corrupt, they assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi. Even though they were caught popular support led to light sentences for those tried and found guilty.
Photo from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Inukai_Tsuyoshi_Prime_Minister.jpg -
Leaving League of Nations
Japan had officially withdrawn from the league of nations after the league of nations blamed them for what happened in Manchuria since they did not believe what happened at the Mukden incident. The Assembly generally agreed that it was a set up by Japan so they could seem in the right to invade Manchuria.
Photo from http://www.efootage.com/video-clip-images/B-2457/89265/Japan_Leaves_The_League_Of_Nations_1933.jpg -
Ceasefire but not for long
Tanggu Truce was a ceasefire between the Republic of China and Japan over the Manchuria conflict that had started two years prior. -
Political scandal Teijin Stocks
The Teijin incident a political scandal that involved many investors investing in a company that immediately after skyrocketed in stocks. This led to extremist ultranationalist groups to call into question the validity of these investments and that the market was manipulated. The blamed then Prime minister Saito and his cabinet for this market manipulation. When faced with corruption charges he dissolved the government administration and ran. -
Death Across the political landscape
Major political incident occurred relatively frequently however on this one there where over 1500 army troops marched into central Tokyo and began to kill high ranking politicians because of the belief that many upper government officials were corrupt. This incident could have been much bloodier if Emperor Hirohito had not stepped in himself to tell the army it needed to stop.
Photo from goo.gl/HCFiF -
Beginnings of war
The Kwantung army at Marco Polo invaded china while it was politically divided and sluggish to react. This was the beginning of the second Sino-Japanese war. For Japan this would also be the start of a war that would bleed into WWII. -
Taking the Capital
A mere 5 months after the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War Japan was able to take Shanghai their capital. This would pave the way for Japan to continue taking over much of the country leading them directly to Nanking after taking Shanghai.
Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shanghai#/media/File:Shanghai1937KMT_machine_gun_nest.jpg -
Nanking's Destruction
Between December of 1937 and January of 1938 the city of Nanking was sieged and slowly destroyed. This was a major event of the war and had some of the worst war crimes committed in recent history. Rape mass murder looting and several other crimes were committed throughout this period.
Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nanking#/media/File:Zhongshan_Gate.png -
Taking out the Lines
Between September 22nd-26th Japan pressed on in its war and goes to begin invading French Indochina which is current day Vietnam Laos and Cambodia to prevent china from retrieving materials from the allies. -
Formation of Axis powers
The tripartite pact was signed cementing them as allies of Germany and Italy placing them against the allies in WWII in which the would be called the Axis powers.
Photo from https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/commando2/images/f/f7/AxisPower-flag.png/revision/latest?cb=20170603214840 -
Pearl Harbor
1941 What I consider the end of the Prewar Showa period is the Attack on pearl harbor on December 7th 1941. This was when Japan officially entered WWII which would be the one of the most important events in Japanese history as the outcome of the war changed the landscape of Japan.
Photo from https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/81/71381-004-534732C4.jpg
