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Alright folks, this is my first timeline. I do have some experience writing so this won't be my first time writing anything for fun, but I feel it's important to mention I'm a bit of a newbie at Alternate History. Not sure why. But I am a newbie.

Anyway, this TL's POD is the February 26th incident in Japan in which a number of young officers attempted to overthrow the Japanese government and bring about the Showa Restoration.

There are two major changes with this event:

1. The Coup is a success because the 3rd Imperial Guards manage to signal the 3rd Infantry Regiment. I'll explain what that means when I get around to it.

2. ITTL Kita Ikki was directly involved with the coup. In OTL, Ikki Kita was not directly responsible (despite being executed as being complicit to the plot). I did this so that I can have someone to act as Araki's opposite. Araki wasn't too fond of politicians so I figure that adding in Kita Ikki would be a nice way to add some more drama and whatnot. Plus I want Kita Ikki to be something of a main character.
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A Throne of Blood: The Rise and fall of Kita Ikki

Prologue: Kita Terujiro and the Political Factions of Japan

Kita Terujiro, also known as Kita Ikki

The Life of Kita Ikki from 1883 to 1936

Youth and Idealism

Kita Terujiro was born in 1883 on Sado Island, a small island just off the coast of Niigata, Japan. It was traditionally a place where troublesome figures were exiled to, and it had served as a place of exiles since 722. As a boy and a young teen, he was average in many respects. This changed however, when he was 14 he discovered Socialism and his life was altered. At the ripe young age of 17, he started writing and publishing articles in a local newspaper criticizing the Kokutai (lit: National Structure) doctrine. This was something that was banned and as a result he was investigated by the police although the case was eventually dropped. A few years later he took audited lectures at Tokyo's Waseda University and met many figures of Japan's early Socialist movements. He was unimpressed by them and quickly became disillusioned with Socialists and Socialism in general. He believed that one figure should lead the nation and he set his eyes on the one figure in Japan that could not be questioned, the Emperor.

The Revolution in the Middle Kingdom and the creation of Japanese Nationalist Socialism

In 1906, Kita Ikki published his first book, The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism. It criticized the government and the Kokutai ideology once more and advocated for Socialism in Japan. However Kita Ikki's Socialism was wholly divorced from the typical Marxist Socialism. Instead, it was a Nationalistic Socialism that resisted firmly against foreign influences on Japan. Furthermore, he also advocated for State Socialism, Militarism, and Pan-Asianism.

Later on, Kita Ikki felt attracted to the United League founded by Song Jiaoren and Sun Yat-sen and joined as a member. He even went to China and fought against the Qing Monarchy during the Xinhai Revolution of 1911. During his time in China he also acted as an agent for the far-right Amur River Society, sending reports on the revolution in China.

By 1920, Kita Ikki returned home and once again felt disillusioned and dissatisfied. He later made a nationalist literature organization with a fellow writer named Shumei Okawa. In his post Xinhai years, Kita Ikki and his partner quickly became the foremost political philosophers of the Right wing in Japan and as a result held true and serious influence among many Japanese people, both those involved in the military and not. During the post-WW1 era, the military and civilian sectors both had a number of ultra-nationalist organizations. Many of these took influence from both Kita Ikki and Shumei Okawa's writings. And so, it could be said that Kita Ikki successfully synthesized Japanese National Socialism at around the same time Adolf Hitler was developing his own German National Socialism.

Just before the storm

As time went on and Kita Ikki became more and more popular and the ultra-nationalist groups became more and more violent. This led to a situation in the 1930's known as "Government by Assassination." Many politicians or public figures who were deemed to be dangerous to Japanese ultra-nationalist groups were assassinated and there were a number of failed coups. The Cherry Blossom Society themselves had two failed coups in a single year. In 1932 the Navy even attempted a coup, although that attempt failed as well. Most of these attempts were supported by the Imperial Way Faction, a group of radicals led by Sadao Araki and Jinzaburo Masaki.

While all of this was occurring, Kita Ikki was watching and observing. He had long held the position that a coup was needed to set up his dream government. The number of coups both showed how strong the powers of the Conservatives were and also how radical the average Japanese was becoming. Kita Ikki knew that he had to strike, but also that he had to strike hard and fast. If he failed then his ideology would die with him.

In 1933, Kita Ikki set up a meeting with Sadao Araki, head of the radical faction. Araki highly disliked bureaucrats and politicians of all types, however, Kita Ikki's influence had become apparent in even the highest of the Japanese Army and Araki was forced to lend his ear. Araki then agreed to work with Kita Ikki and assist him in constructing a plan for a coup as long as he merged his ideology into a new Kokutai and also to place Araki as head of the government in the aftermath. Kita Ikki agreed to the terms and the two began drafting the first plans for the coup.

While Araki was forced to resign in 1934 due to bad health, his political connections remained and so the coup was planned further. In late 1935 the coup was planned out in its entirety.

The Factions of the Imperial Japanese Military as of 1936

The Japanese military of the Interwar period was plagued by factionalism and clique politics and it heavily effected the politics of Japan. The economic problems that Japan faced in the 1920's, unchecked military and political interaction and the growth of far-right groups made a perfect storm to create this split in the Japanese military. This persisted even up until the end of WW2, with the Army and Navy constantly seeking to outdo one another. During the pre-war period this split was best personified by the two opposing groups of the Army.


Sadao Araki, the main leader of the radical Imperial Way Faction (Kodoha)

The Imperial Way Faction (also known as the Kodoha) represented the radical far-right and ultra-nationalists of Japan's military. The Kodoha were known for their radicalism and their desire to do anything for their cause. Despite their small size compared to the rest of the military, the Kodoha more than make up for the lack of numbers. The Kodoha were also notable in their desire to fight the Soviet Union. Furthermore, Prince Chichibu was a known sympathizer with their cause.

The Control Faction (also known as the Toseiha) was the conservative and moderate men of Japan's military. The leader of the Toseiha was Hideki Tojo after Nagata's assassination by a Kodoha member. The Toseiha have the majority of support in Japanese society as well as with the Emperor himself. The Toseiha were also firm believers in attacking China, rather than attacking the Soviets.


((Comments? Questions? Concerns? Critiques?))
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