AHC: Have the militarists not come into power

With a Pod after 1900 find a way for the militarists to not come to power, this means that Hideki Tojo and his genocidal friends dont sieze power in Japan, thus we see no Japanese involvement and Japanese survival after WWI. How is this possible, what could prevent the maniacs from siezing power in Japan.
 

Typo

Banned
No great depression

Also get the Versailles settlement to not act like Japanese are untermensches.

So avoid the great war basically
 
Also, the Great Kanto earthquake never happens and the Taisho monarchy lasts longer and Japan becomes more democratic.
 
I agree with everything posted so far, but I would like to add land/agricultural reform. While not as important as some other issues, this was a real problem in pre-war Japan. A lot of the support for ultranationalism came from rural youths, many of whom turned to radicalism as a reaction to the extreme poverty of the farming communities, even during the "good times". The small-scale farmers could never compete with the huge estates. Historically, some attempts at land reform were tried, but always failed because of the political power of the wealthy. When the Great Depression came along, rural incomes fell even further, and support for more radicaal solutions to Japan's problems grew.

If some small measures could to taken to convince the rural masses that, at least, their children's lives would be better, you would create another class of people content to support the Taisho Democracy status quo. Without radicalized rural youths swelling the ranks (esp. as low-ranking officers) of the IJA, the military likely remains just one power bloc among many. Japan may still be tempted to expand when/if the other great powers are distracted by war, but it should remain a reasonable, predictable power.
 

Technocrat

Banned
In OTL the militarists were always proven right, until the last mistake they would ever make.

But...if the Japanese lose in the Russo-Japanese war and then pick the wrong side in the Great War equivalent, that could pretty well derail the militarists - in terms of colonels making snap decisions and the army in the field deciding foreign policy - though it would probably intensify nationalism in some aspects.
 
In OTL the militarists were always proven right, until the last mistake they would ever make.

But...if the Japanese lose in the Russo-Japanese war and then pick the wrong side in the Great War equivalent, that could pretty well derail the militarists - in terms of colonels making snap decisions and the army in the field deciding foreign policy - though it would probably intensify nationalism in some aspects.

The weird thing was that Kholkhin Gol happened and was ignored.



My thought is - get the Russian Japanese border disputes to happen a bit earlier - so the Soviets aren't distracted by WWII (say), and have them escalate, so the Japanese CAN'T ignore them. An actual unignorable defeat could help reign in the militarists. It's late, I know.


removing the earthquake is probably one of those 'geological PoDs' that get lumped with ASBs. Removing the Great Depression might require a pre-1900 PoD and would carry so many butterflies that the militarists in Japan are the least of the changes.



Hmmm.... How about - someone in government has a fit of conscience/prescience/??? and when the first assassinations occur, come down like the hammer of God on anyone even remotely responsible. Thus short-cutting the 'foreign policy by junior military officers'. I don't know how likely that is, nor how much of change could reasonably be produced.
 
The weird thing was that Kholkhin Gol happened and was ignored.

My thought is - get the Russian Japanese border disputes to happen a bit earlier - so the Soviets aren't distracted by WWII (say), and have them escalate, so the Japanese CAN'T ignore them. An actual unignorable defeat could help reign in the militarists. It's late, I know.

Agreed although probably too late as you say.


removing the earthquake is probably one of those 'geological PoDs' that get lumped with ASBs. Removing the Great Depression might require a pre-1900 PoD and would carry so many butterflies that the militarists in Japan are the least of the changes.

Agreed about preventing the earthquake being ASB. However the great depression should be avoidable with something as late as a different WWI that doesn't leave the US so overwhelmingly dominant financially.

Hmmm.... How about - someone in government has a fit of conscience/prescience/??? and when the first assassinations occur, come down like the hammer of God on anyone even remotely responsible. Thus short-cutting the 'foreign policy by junior military officers'. I don't know how likely that is, nor how much of change could reasonably be produced.

That would definitely help although not sure how practical it would be.

The other big factor would be Japan not losing so much face after WWI. Difficult to change the rejection of racial equality in the Versailles Treaty. Between the US and the various European empires the powers that be couldn't stomach such an idea. [It's passage would probably also have caused the Japanese problems in Korea and Taiwan as well.;)]. However something butterflying the Washington Treaty and preserving the Anglo-Japanese treaty would have greatly boosted the civilian position in Japan. Also a limited naval race between Japan and America in the 20's would have been likely to cool tempers and undermine the military.

Steve
 
One idea is that Japan send most of their troops that were in China at the time over the Western front. They have a great showing there, as well a large number of the fanatics are killed off in the trenches. That would be a great help to all involved. US does not enter the war or enters so late that they have almost no say in the peace treaty at the end. Britain see Japan as an Allied power that was will to lay down its peoples lives.
 
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