Incidents, Events, and Aborted Coups
1928­1937


1928 Assassination of Chang Tso-lin, warlord of Manchuria, by officers of the Japanese Kwantung Army; his successor was his son, Chang Hsueh-liang, "the Young Marshal," who immediately hoisted the Nationalist flag over Manchuria. Later staged the Sian Incident in 1936, kidnapping Chiang Kai-shek.
1931 March "The March Incident"‹ Abandoned plot
Sept. "Manchurian (Mukden) Incident"‹Developed by staff officers in Japan's Kwantung Army, the 10,000-man garrison force, under the cover of defending against "further" Chinese attack on the South Manchurian Railway. Aims to seize the entire northeastern region of China from warlord Chang Hsueh-liang and Nationalist China creating vast resource area for Japanese "autarky". Manchuria fully occupied and Kwantung Army numbers more than 65,000 by 1.32. "Manchukuo" organized 3.18.32 as Japanese puppet state under Pu Yi, deposed Manchu emperor of China, recognized by Japan 9.15. Pu Yi crowned Kang-te, Emperor of Manchukuo 3.1.34
Oct. "Blood Pledge Corps Incident"‹aborted civilian assassination plot
1932 Jan. Assassination attempt on Emperor Hirohito by Korean nationalist 1.9 leads to indiscreet comments in Chinese press and demands for apologies spark "First Shanghai Incident"‹Armed clash provoked by Imperial Navy with Chinese forces outside International Settlement of Shanghai leads by 1.29 to large-scale fighting as Army bails out naval landing forces (marines) and Navy uses heavy guns. Seen as Navy expansion of Manchurian Incident to Central China.
May 15 "May Incident" (5.15)‹Assassination of Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi by Navy-inspired extremists. Public trials air ultra nationalist views.
1933 Feb.-Mar Japan withdraws from League of Nations 2.23 and Occupation of Jehol province and Inner Mongolia by Army begins 3.4
July "Heaven Sent Soldiers' Unit Incident‹plot uncovered
1934 Nov. "Military Academy Incident"‹assassination and coup plot by cadets discovered
Dec. 29 Japan declares Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 no longer acceptable
1935 August General Nagata Tetsuzan cut down by a young army officer
1936 Feb. "February 26th Incident" (2.26)‹led by junior field grade officers in capital area with strong civilian inspiration seize area around Imperial Palace and downtown Tokyo. PM Okada escaped, Grand Chamberlain Suzuki wounded, Lord Privy Seal and former-PM Saitô and Finance Min. Takahashi killed. Collapses after the Emperor demands they be labeled rebels and loyal army units and the navy's big guns are arrayed against them. Most rebels executed without public trial.
Nov. 25 Japan and Germany sign Anti-Comintern Pact to oppose USSR.
1937 July 7 "Marco Polo Bridge Incident" and beginning of the "China Incident," an undeclared war between Japan and China Peking falls by 7.31
Aug. "Second Shanghai Incident" 8.13 leads to strong Chinese Nationalist counterattacks by Chiang's best troops and a General War in China and blockade of China declared by IJN 8.25.
Nov. 11 Chinese before Shanghai finally beaten after amphibious envelopment.
Dec. 12 At 12:12 in this 12th year of ShO(o,‹)wa, Japanese enter Chinese capital of Nanking. Instead of a Chinese capitulation, the Chinese government withdraws, ultimately to Chungking, while Japanese troops perpetrate the infamous "Rape of Nanking"

JAPANESE CABINETS, 1927-1945

GOVERNMENT TERM	PRIME MINISTER	FATE OF CABINET
1927.4.20-1929.7.2	General Tanaka Giichi	In office for assassination of Chang Tso Lin in Manchuria
1929.7.2­1931.4.14	Hamaguchi Osachi	Hamguchi shot 14 Nov 1930, (acting PM Shidehara Kijurô, FM) over disputes on London Naval Treaty
1931.4.14­1931.12.13	Wakatsuki Reijirô	Fell due to Manchurian Incident 1931.9
1931.12.13­1932.5.26	Inukai Tsuyoshi	Inukai Assassinated in May 15 Incident led by IJN extremists
1932.5.26­1934.7.8	Viscount Admiral Saitô Makoto	Inauguration of era of military leadership in governments
1934.7.8­1936.3.9	Admiral Okada Keisuke	PM Okada escaped assassination in Young Officer's Rebellion 1936.2.26
1936.3.9­1937.2.2	Hirota Kôki
1937.2.2­1937.6.4	Lt.-General Hayashi Senjûrô	Soon collapsed
1937.6.4­1939.1.5	Prince Konoe Fumimaro (1)	Launched China War after Marco Polo Bridge Incident 7.7.37
1939.1.5­1939.8.30	Baron General Hiranuma Kiichirô
1939.8.30­1940.1.16	General Abe Nobuyuki
1940.1.16­1940.7.22	Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa	Yonai steers moderate course
1940.7.22­1940.7.16	Prince Konoe Fumimaro (2)	Collapsed
1940.7.16­1941.10.18	Prince Konoe Fumimaro (3)	Third Konoe cabinet formed
1941.10.18­1944.7.18	Lt.General (Gen.) Tôjô Hideki	Tôjô Hideki holds porfolios of Home and Army Minister, later adds Minister of Production. He was, coincidentally, Chief of Army General Staff
1944.7.22­1945.4.7	General Koiso Kuniaki	A "joint government"‹Koiso as PM, Adm.Yonai as NavM‹in the wake of Saipan
1945.4.7­1945.8.17	Baron Admiral Suzuki Kantarô	Had "good luck" to be in office in August 1945, Accepted Potsdam Declaration
1945.8.17­1945.10.9	Field Marshal Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko	Interim Government, signed Surrender on the Missouri
1945.10.9­1946.5.22	Baron Shidehara Kijûrô	Has the honor of being transitional government under General-of-the- Armies Douglas MacArthur, SCAP, virtual Shôgun of Japan

JAPANESE IMPERIAL ARMY MILITARY DEPLOYMENT AREAS, 1936-1941

	Homeland	Manchuria/ Korea	China	Southern Area	TOTAL STRENGTH
1936	80,000	160,000			240,000
1937	180,000	100,000			290,000
1937.7			150,000		700,000
1938	230,000	210,000	500,000		950,000
1939	210,000	230,000	680,000		1,130,000
1940	240,000	290,000	700,000		1,240,000
1941	320,000	350,000	680,000		1,350,000
1941.11	370,000	800,000	680,000	20,000	1,850,000
1941.12	530,000	740,000	680,000	150,000	2,100,000

AMERICAN NAVAL STRENGTH, DECEMBER 1941

	Asiatic Fleet	Pacific	Atlantic	TOTAL
Battleships	0	9	8	17
Aircraft Carriers	0	3	4	7
Heavy Cruisers	1	12	5	18
Light Cruisers	2	9	8	19
Destroyers	13	54	147	214
Submarines	29	25	60	114
TOTAL SHIPS	45	112	232	389

TONNAGE

763,600

662,400

1,426,000

JAPANESE NAVAL STRENGTH, DECEMBER 1941

	Combined Fleet	Others	TOTAL
Battleships	10	0	10
Aircraft Carriers	9	0	9
Heavy Cruisers	18	0	18
Light Cruisers	18	2	20
Destroyers	93	19	112
Submarines	57	7	64
TOTAL SHIPS	205	28	233
TONNAGE	925,109	51,079	976,188

RELATIVE ECONOMIC STRENGTHS, JAPAN­US 1940

NATIONAL 1940	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan
Area (km2)	382,545	7,839,081	5%	20:1
Population	71,998,000	131,669,000	55%	2:1
Males, 20-39	10,604,000	22,423,000	47%	2:1
PRODUCTION 1941	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan
Oil/Petroleum ('000 tons)	275	189,596	0.15%	689:1
Coal Production ('000 tons)	56,472	463,910	12%	8:1
Aluminum ('000 tons)	50	280	18%	6:1
Electricity (M of Kw/h)	37,660	208,306	18%	6:1
Aircraft	6,200	26,300	24%	4:1
Automobiles	1,100	3,780,000	0.03%	3436:1
TRANSPORTATION 1941	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan
Trucks in Use ('000s)	52	29,624	0.18%	570:1
Merchant Ships	1,962	27,075	7%	14:1
Merchant Marine. ('000 tons)	6,094	110,477	6%	18:1

RELATIVE ECONOMIC STRENGTHS, JAPAN­US 1994

NATIONAL 1991	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan
Area (square miles)	145,874	3,540,315	4%	24:1
Population (millions)	124.5	255.2	49%	2:1
Average Life Expectancy, 1991	79	76	103%	0.96:1
Gross National Product (millions)	$3,337,191	$5,686,038	59%	1.7:1
GNP per Capita	$26,920	$22,560	119%	0.8:1
Energy Consumption, equivalents million metric tons coal	491.3	2,504.0	20%	5:1
Energy Consumption per Capita, kg.	3,995	10,124	39%	2.5:1
PRODUCTION 1992	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan
Oil/Petroleum (barrels/day)	10,600	7,170,969	0.15%	677:1
Coal Production ('000 tons), 1989	10,200	810,000	1.2%	79:1
Crude Steel ('000 metric tons)	9,137	7,287	125%	0.8:1
Electricity (Millions Kw/h), 1989	798,800	2,985,200	27%	3.7:1
Motor Vehicles (millions)	12,499	9,702	129%	0.8:1
Passenger Cars ('000s/ month), 1991	813.0	450.6	180%	0.6:1
TRANSPORTATION 1993	JAPAN	USA	Japan as Share of US	Ratio, US/Japan:1
Merchant Marine (ships)	913	603	151%	0.7
Merchant Marine (gross tons)	21,109	15,406	137%	0.7