WI the 15 May, 1932 Naval Coup in Japan succeeded?

Not much different. They would have to ally with the Army and public support signaled democracy was dead. Their power would roughly remain the same as OTL (they overruled the Army attempting to go north in 1941 for the Southern Strategy). Maybe the faces and names change, but it is still the same Empire.
 

raharris1973

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Any earlier moves vis-a-vis the southern strategy (Hainan island, other islands off the China coast, Thailand)? Comparatively greater naval spending that peaks earlier, with a lower level of technology? An earlier US naval buildup in reaction?
 

raharris1973

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Obviously the Naval extremists would have to make alliances with political extremists, Army factions and Imperial court factions to stay in power, and it's not like they are going to starve the Army of funding entirely, or dictate a withdrawal from Manchuria, or even restrain all Army expansionist ambitions on the continent.

It seems to me that a Navally-led junta though would up the budget for the navy, end participation in the 1934 naval talks before it begins, and so on.

It remains to be seen whether that would be enough for the Navalists, or if their growing power/self-confidence creates peer pressure for them to demonstrate their power by restarting the Shanghai incident, seizing Hainan, or taking other action along the China coast or against the DEI.
 
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