Nipponese hegemony a tl

Love the idea of a democratic Japan. Takashi Hara was already one of the better leaders in interwar Japan. He was pro-business, pro-Western, favouring peaceful economic expansion rather than military buildup. Nevertheless, he was never really dertermined to introduce man suffrage. In OTL, he even dissolved the lower house when Rikken Kokuminto and Rikken Doshikai demanded man suffrage.

Had he tried, he may have enough votes to pass the general election law in the lower house.You would probably get genro Kinmochi Saionji on his side, as well as the Peers due to a large group of liberal-minded young nobles there. But what about the Privy Council?

In OTL, Takaaki Kato only got the approval from the Privy Council on man suffrage by agreeing to introduce the so-called Peace Preservation Law which increased police power and threatened democracy.

Also, I can't really see the extension of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance without US oppostion. It was really unlikely that Hara could ease US suspicison within such a short period of time. Even if the Washington Naval Conference was butteflied away by the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the US would still have sought to restrain Japanese naval expansion using every possible means.

At the same time, there were just too many extremist groups at the time. Once he made a compromise with the US, extremists would try to get rid of him. He may survive 1 or 2 assinations, but no one could be that lucky every time. Also, once the Great Depression hit, Hara would have been in immediate trouble. The Seiyukai Government would immediately fall.

One interesting point to notice was that, in OTL Ichiro Hatoyama was the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Tanaka during 1927-29, he also served in the Inukai Cabinet as the Education Minister. One of the Acting Presidents of the Seiyukai from 1937-40, he had always been a possible contender for Seiyukai presidency throughout the 1930s. Maybe his era could have come more than 20 years earlier in TTL?
 
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Around this time (1920s) Japan was not an industrial nation, and had great need of foreign-made heavy machine tools to push up industrialization. Tariffs would not help them in this matter.

Okay, due to massive investment Japan gained the capability of self-sufficiency of machinery somehow, whatever technology and industrial sector. But what about raw materials? Again Tariffs doesn't help Japan.

and then there's so called the Post-war recession. In OTL during 1920s Japan suffered a serious deflation problem, unlike your timeline.
 
No mention of the Japanese intervention in Siberia 1918-22. Same outcome as OTL?
Probably ITTL Takashi Hara does not forward the US request for troops to be voted on by the Diet --or the Diet defeats it. OTL the vote was very close.
But what about raw materials? Again Tariffs doesn't help Japan.
I would assume that along with other improvements,Takashi Hara manages to increase Investment in Korean Coal and Iron.
 
Again Tariffs doesn't help Japan.
and then there's so called the Post-war recession. In OTL during 1920s Japan suffered a serious deflation problem, unlike your timeline.


The tariffs are on foreign imports of manufactured goods, now raw materials. Japan in the 1930s boomed under an incredibly protectionist policy, no?
 
Update, hope it is plausable.:D
Nipponese Hegemony chapter II


1927:
Hara realized US-Japanese relations were deteriorating, he tried to fix this. He soon met with President Calvin Coo ledge in a meeting. He urged Coolidge to convince American companies to invest in Japan. He claimed, “ We are two democracies, why not cooperate in Asia, we can both economically benefit and will keep out of each pothers sphere of influence. I guarantee you that Japan has no more plans for invading China, we promise to not take any more land in Asia.” With such words and flattery, Coolidge grew convinced that Japan could be invested in. By July various American companies started to invest in Japan. The Americans won good trade deals and soon the economies of both countries boomed. Thus US-Japanese tensions were eased.
1928-1929: Hara ordered the construction of another 6 battleships and 4 Seaplane carriers. He was able to afford this due to the newfound wealth created by trade with the countries of USA and Britain. He also sent envoy to France to form a deal. The Japanese would promise to not interfere with French affairs in Indochina and Asia, and leave said colonies alone, even promising to help keep “Order and Stability’ Hara policy towards the west was for cooperation. Meanwhile China erupted in chaos. Jus last year a so-called autumn harvest uprising was held in Changsa led by commander in chief Mao Zedong. Although it failed Mao in the Jongang Mountains formed an alliance with Zhu de creating the red army. He was proving a pain to the Kuomintang. Hara saw an opportunity to expand into China. He sent envoys to Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai Shiek. He said he could help China get rid of the communists in return for Jiangsu province he would eradicate the communists and help modernize China. Chiang at first was wary but soon the two agreed. In 1929 the Imperial Japanese Empire declared war on Mao Zedong’s Peoples republic. An army of some 30000 Japanese troops led by Major general Sugiyama. The General Prince Nashimoto Morimasa was given command of the overall army. Soon the Imperial Japanese troops fought in the Jongsang Mountains. Te Kuomintang forces also joined in on the battle. Mao fought desperately but facing threats from both sides the communists suffered heavily. At the fierce battle of Jongsang Mao Zedong and General Zhu 1500000 force as eliminated by the Kuomintang and IJA troops of some 200k total. Mao himself was killed in the fighting. Shortly afterwards Zhu was captured and executed. With Mao’s death the so-called peoples party crumbled. It soon faded as its members deserted. After the triumphant victory Hara’s government spread the news across Japan. Hara was soon considered a hero across the Empire. Hara was no fool; he realized that China would be impossible to take. In order to conquer it, it must be disunited. Later on we find out Hara’s true motives for allying with the so-called Chinese was because he knew eventually the Kuomintang would split into a civil war. Mao was deemed a far too dangerous threat. Also in return for the victory Jiangsu province was ceded to Japan as per the treaty terms.

1930:
Hara ran once again for reelection. He once again won a landslide victory over his opponents.
With the Jiangsu province more taxes ere collected. Hara increased massive trade with the west. Japan seemed to be in a very prosperous position.
 
Anyone interested in me reviving this tl. It is a really good POD. But I am wondering should it be revived or should it stay dead. Thoughts?
 
Alright here is a long overdue update:D
Also to answer some pressing questions a bit late.

In this timeline you'll see what happened to the nationalist groups.
Nipponese Hegemony Chapter III​
Althoguh he won the landslide election victory the seiyukai party given ome of its moe right wing conservative stances, soon lost heavily to the newly formed miseito party lead by Wakatsuki Reijiro which had been formed after the the unification of the honto and Kenseikai which advocated universal male suffrage, labor rights, elimination of wealth disperities and civil liberties for all. Its stance won it wide support among the upper middle class and among the more liberal leaning factions of the Meiji Oligarchy including the powerful mitsubushi zaibatsu.

Hara soon realized that given the reforms he passed Japan was becoming modernized but at the same time the current state of affairs couldnt go on.
The imperial army soon approached him and offered its help but to this Hara famously replied "this is politics and affairs of the government I will not stoop so low and relinquish my pride as to request the military to help me." He even made public this approach to him by the military.

When the public found out that the military was trying to bribe govt officials and was being dishonourable by making underhanded deals with the govt, shook the faith of the people in it. Even the emperor condemned the army officials for what they were doing(in lieu of recent public opinion).The official who had approached hara in the first place was in fact an army colonel Hideki Tojo. Tojo had recently been promoted to colonel and was also a die-hard nationalist who viewed disfavourably the miseito party and with backing from some higher ups in the army approached Hara to make the deal. In order to save their own skins the army officials who had sent tojo to negotiate in the first place, immediately called him a traitor and soon all the blame was placed on him and his associates.Soon the army apologized for the dishounarble act and promised the perpetrators would be taken care of immediately.

Tojo was then dishonourably discharged for trying to bribe the prime minister, dishonour the reputation of the army, and was soon stripped of his rank and jailed on corruption charges.

Riding on this wave of public sentiment hara soon negotiated with the miseito party and soon in 1930 the miseito voted on the anti-secret society act. It was an act that declared all secret societies that were suspected of threatening the govt and those parties known for their members who assassinated politicians or radical views were soon declared illegal.
Hara did this for two reasons, one he wanted the seiyukai party back in power but realized that if seiyukai was able to purge its most radical wings and those societies that threatened him and other party members than they would be able to regain the diet. Another reason was that the communists and socialist organizations would at the same time also be in effect outlawed thus not posing a threat to his party. In effect Hara saw this as a golden opportunity to solidify his control over the seiyukai, discredit the miseito party as being too oppressive, divert the blame of the people on the miseito rather than him given he only signed the bill. Therefore Hara's motives whereby no means just. It was simply a move by him to crush opposition groups and solidify his own powerbase. Another point to make was that Hara dealt secretly with the Miseito behind the seiyukai's back and so none knew it was Hara who was working with the Miseito.

Soon the police issued a nationwide crackdown on all secret societies that were suspected of being considered a threat to national security(strangely those societies that supported Hara and his factions were left untouched) and soon their members were arrested and jailed. This crackdown paralysed the societies who could no longer send assassins to eliminate officials in government because their source of money was cut off and their leaders or at least the leaders of the most well known societies were captured and tried for treason. The Japanese intelligence infiltrated these societies and was thus able to find out who its leaders were and then act upon the information. In fact a very effective intelligence system was set up by Hara and to no surprise it was headed by those that supported hara and at the same time before the crackdown the police was secretly purged of dissidents to the Hara regime and replaced with loyal supporters of Hara.

By 1932 Hara and his power bloc had assured complete dominance over the seiyukai. The Miseito was blamed for the govt crackdowns and soon polls showed that in the next election would suffer defeat at the hands of the seiyukai now free from threats for the most part and purged of its far right factions soon was viewed by the people as the best alternative to the dictatorial miseito. When the miseito head Reijiro Wakatsuki appealed to the populace by saying that Hara was at fault. But Hara soon countered saying the laws were passed by the miseito govt and he had absolutely nothing to do with them and only signed them because he wished to uphold democracy and listen to the will of the people since they elected the miseito to the diet.
Imperial Japanese police went to work burning all documents, videos, and any evidence that proved that Hara had indeed worked with the Miseito.

Hara was now popular and famous across Japan as the "Peoples" minister.

Realizing their term in office was limited the miseito soon passed the laws that they stood for given they still held a majority such as civil liberties act and the proportional taxation act in late 1932. This was because they decided that by passing these laws it would be difficult for the seyukai to repeal them given that though they suffered setback they still enjoyed enough support to at least prevent the repeal of laws. But they were no longer viewed favourably most importantly by members of the Meiji Oligarchy especially businessmen. The people too were divisive in support for the party.

Hara meanwhile signed all the bills since he was the prime minister.

He turned his attention to the Navy once more. He realized that the recent naval build-up seemed threatening to the USA and so he met with roosevelt and signed the Pacific Naval Treaty which promised that the Japanese would limit the number of shipswill be built from this point forward nd the IJN would not interfere in US affairs in the pacific and continue protecting US hegemony over the various islands such as the phillipines. At first the IJN viewed this disfavourably but he soon convinced the admiral that he already knew Japan could realistically not build a fleet comparable to the UK or USA but he negotiated the agreement so that they could have enough ships without bankrupting the nation and at the same time hopefully effectively defend the empire from assaults by the large western powers. Realizing this move was beneficial to the navy the admiral agreed to the decision.

Hara now focused his efforts on the overseas colonies. He realized the military was trying to cause disruption near Manchuria and he realized that the army may not listen to him. He soon sent envoys to Chiang to inform him of the situation. Chiang too replied that his own soldiers in the area may not listen to him. Hara then decided to turn a blind eye to the army and what it was going to do near Manchuria so that when it did act he could use the opportunity to condemn the army and purge it with the support of the people of its most troublesome officials who unsurprisingly were also anti-Hara, the Hara supporters were in effect not be targeted.

The events that would transpire next would profoundly change the face of Imperial Japan. Its effects so profound that they are even felt today.




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Hope it isnt asb. Basically hara it turns out was really just machinating the events to fall into his favour. He himself feared some of the secret socieites that might target his life and so acted first. Therefore mot of what is written here could have been realistically possible. The USA agreement would allow him to build slightly mroe ships than allowed by the previous naval treaties. He could accomplish this given the USA was investing in Japan and he made sure to continue building and developing good relations with the USA over the years.
 
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