Amid growing discord between politicians and the military, Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated in the May 15 Incident of 1932, an attempted coup. Saionji set up a temporary cabinet of bureaucrats, while calling for a future return to party politics. But with the February 26 Incident of 1936, another failed but destabilizing coup attempt, all hope for a return to the “normal course of constitutional government” was lost. Having ended its internal movement toward democracy after World War I, it was natural for Japan to continue to reject the international order of the time.
An important turning point
Japan’s democracy after World War II was based on a reconstruction of its interwar democracy, a return to the combination of popular rule at home and a foreign policy based on international cooperation. It was a revived and strengthened version of post-World War I Taishō democracy. In that sense, World War I was a major turning point in Japanese politics, acting to draw back the turkey email list curtain on the modern era in Japan in much the same way it did in the West. As we look back on this centenary year, we are reminded once again of the clear fact that Japanese history is not a separate internal affair, but a part of world history. Similarly, today’s popular efforts to achieve a more peaceful world are inextricably linked to those of the post-World War I era.
Major Events of the Party Cabinet Era
June 11, 1924– 1st Katō Takaaki Cabinet (parties: Kenseikai, Seiyūkai, Kakushin Kurabu)
Tenant Dispute Mediation Act, Soviet–Japanese Basic Convention, House of Representatives Election Law revised to allow universal suffrage for men over 25, Peace Preservation Act, army strength reduced by four divisions by Minister Ugaki Kazushige, House of Representatives Cabinet reform Peer resigns due to disagreement among coalition members.
August 2, 1925– 2nd Wardrobe Katō Takaaki (Kenseikai)
Katō leads the Kenseikai cabinet following the collapse of the coalition.
The cabinet resigns due to Katō's death from pneumonia.
January 30, 1926– 1st Cabinet Wakatsuki Reijirō (Kenseikai)