Showa Japan: 1926-1945

Upon the death of the Taisho Emperor, this man became the new emperor, being known in Japan as the Showa Emperor after his death

This economic crisis occurred due to a combination of the Great Kanto Earthquake and heavy investing by companies post World War One

Meanwhile, in China, this event carried out by Chiang Kai-shek was happening, which would eventually lead to the nominal reunification of China under the Kuomintang

On May 3rd, 1928, clashes between Kuomintang soldiers and Japanese soldiers occurred in this Chinese city because Japan sent soldiers to protect Japanese interests in Shandong province

This Manchurian based warlord who was backed by the Japanese, began to lose power because of the above.

This Colonel in the Kwantung Army believed that by assassinating the above, Japan would be able to seize Manchuria due to the resulting instability

Therefore, acting independently of civilian government and the army general staff, he planned to assassinate the warlord at this place

On June 4th, 1928, the Colonel's plan was successful. After finding out about the event, this prime minister of Japan and former army minister wanted to punish the Colonel, however because of lack of support from the army and the emperor, he ended up resigning

In 1930, this treaty was signed, which limited naval ship building in Japan along with other World Powers. This was widely unpopular in Japan

Within the army, radical elements believed in this idea, which gave the emperor more power so that a few people could lead the country rather than the political parties which dominated in the Taisho era

As a result, this ultranationalist secret society was formed preaching the above

Name one of the ringleaders of this organization

They then conspired to overthrow the government, culminating in this abortive coup attempt in 1931

The coup attempted to make this army minister the new prime minister although he refused to cooperate with the conspirators and was largely unpopular in the army

That organization then planned for another coup, culminating again in another abortive coup attempt

Unlike the above organization, this faction within the army had the support of some higher ranking officers while still preaching the same ultranationalist, militaristic rhetoric

This man was the considered to be the main leader of this faction, with his ideas being very popular with lower ranking officers

To combat the influence of the above in the army, this faction was formed

The leader of the above faction who was assassinated by a radical officer in 1935

On September 18th, 1931, this incident occurred in Manchuria in which a Japanese staged bomb lightly damaged a railway controlled by the country. This was then used as a pretext to conquer Manchuria

Name one of the two main conspirators of the above. One of the them would be executed after World War II whereas the other one escaped being suspected of war crimes

In 1932, after completing the conquest of Manchuria, this puppet government was formed

In order to make the above see more legitimate to the world, the Japanese convinced this man to become the nominal head of state

Japan then withdrew from this world organization because of the condemnation received as a result of their conquest

Later in 1932, extremists carried out multiple assassination attempts on wealthy businessmen and liberal politicians as they viewed them as corrupting Japanese society

Because of his opposition to the military's increasing presence in politics, this prime minister was assassinated by navy officers on May 15th, 1932

In 1933, this ceasefire was signed between China and Japan due to the conflict in Manchuria, which then lead to the establishment of a demilitarized zone between China and Manchukuo

Japan signed this agreement with China in 1935, which effectively gave Japan control of Hebei province in Northern China

Disobedience in the army culminated in this event in 1936, when a group of junior officers launched a coup attempt with the main goals of purging factionalism in the army and launching another Meiji Restoration in Japan

However, due to lack of support from the emperor, the coup lost most of its legitimacy and failed. The current prime minister, Okada Keisuke then resigned, being replaced by this man

The new prime minister then brought back this controversial policy which limited the selection of the army and navy ministers to these types of people. This would then be used to topple civilian cabinets in the future

The army then forced the prime minister to resign in 1937, replacing him with general Hayashi Senjuro. Hayashi later resigned in the same year, being replaced by this man

The last Genro or elder statesmen in Japan who was influential in deciding future prime ministers until his death in 1940

Shortly into the premiership of the new prime minister, this incident occurred in China in which soldiers of the Kwantung army clashed with Chinese soldiers over a supposed missing Japanese soldier

This event was then used as a pretext to start this conflict

The Japanese army boasted it could control China in about three months, however it took them that time alone to capture this major coastal city in China

The army then moved to Chinese capital, capturing it in December. Japanese forces then perpetrated this brutal massacre

This Japanese general was in charge of the forces that participated in the above, he was executed in 1948

This Japanese general was also complicit in the above and managed to escape prosecution. He eventually died in 1981 at the age of 93

After the Chinese Communist's Hundred Regiments Offensive, the army implemented this policy, which resulted in the deaths of more Chinese citizens

In 1938, the prime minister passed this law with the help of the military. The law put Japan in a state of emergency and effectively put the country under military control

Vague political concept used by the army in order to justify its hold on civilian affairs. It defined among other things the role of the emperor as well as the nation

Meaning to unify the eight corners of the world under Japanese control, this concept was used to justify Japan's imperial ambitions

In early 1939, the prime minister then resigned, being replaced by this man

During his term, he sent negotiators to work with this top Kuomintang official. This eventually culminated in his defection and with him being placed as the head of a Japanese puppet government from 1940 to 1944

Skirmishes between the armies of the Soviet Union and Japan along the Mongolian border resulted in a massive Japanese defeat at this place in 1939

The prime minister then resigned because of the above and the signing of this agreement between the Soviet Union and Germany

After the short premiership of Abe Nobuyuki, this navy admiral was appointed Prime Minister

He opposed this alliance with Germany and Italy as he wanted to align Japan with the United States and the United Kingdom

This army minister then resigned as the army supported this alliance, toppling the entire cabinet. This man would survive the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and would later be convicted of war crimes, dying in 1962

Konoe Fumimaro was then appointed as the next prime minister. Doing away with political parties, he formed this organization in October 1940 which was the sole ruling party of Japan for the remainder of the war

The country celebrated the ____ year anniversary of the ascension of the mythical Emperor Jinmu as the first emperor of Japan in 660 B.C in order to raise civilian moral in Japan due to the quagmire in China

In July 1941, the United States placed an embargo of this good on Japan in protest of war in China

After failed negotiations with the United States, Konoe resigned, being replaced by this man, who was his army minister

The new prime minister then used this American document as an excuse to go to war with the United States as he believed that Japan could win if it defeated the United States quickly in the Pacific

This American naval base was then bombed by the Japanese Navy on December 7th, 1941

The Japanese army also invaded Southeast Asia, capturing most of it by the beginning of 1942. The fall of this British city on February 15th greatly humiliated the United Kingdom

Dubbed the "Tiger of Malaya," this Japanese general was instrumental in the Japanese's swift conquest of British Malaysia

This American led air raid on Tokyo occurred on April 18th 1942. It was then greatly exaggerated in media although it did little damage to the city and led to the deaths of thousands of Chinese citizens because of efforts by the Japanese to find the remaining pilots

Despite initial Japanese victories in the Pacific, the war against America began to turn against Japan after this battle

In 1943 this top Japanese admiral was killed by American forces in Operation Vengeance

The Prime minister held this conference in Tokyo, with its participants being Japan and all of its puppet states or allies in the Pacific

This offensive was launched by Japan in order to connect Northern China to French Indochina and to destroy Chinese air bases

In addition, this failed offensive was launched in order to seize British India

Due to mounting pressure from the peace faction within the government and the increasing Japanese defeats in the pacific, the prime minister resigned in 1944, being replaced by this general

The allied powers called for Japan to surrender in this statement. Because of Japan's refusal, the atomic bombs were then used by the United States

After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this city was bombed next

Combined with the atomic bombings and the Soviet invasion of Northeastern China, the emperor broadcast a surrender message to the nation. However before this happened, a faction in the army attempted to destroy this broadcast in this coup attempt

Name of the trials held in Japan that convicted many people of war crimes

In charge of biological unit 731, this man escaped prosecution of war crimes by handing over information to the United States

This man also escaped prosecution as the United States thought he would be a useful ally in postwar Japan. He would later become prime minister from 1957-1960. He was responsible for managing the economy of Manchukuo, which instituted slave labor and other poor working conditions.

Another war crime committed by the Japanese army in which thousands of women from primarily China and Korea were forcibly recruited as slaves for the army's soldiers

After the war, this American general was appointed to oversee the construction of a postwar Japanese government