About

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere A concept used to justify Japan's wars of aggression, claiming that Asian nations should unite under Japanese leadership to oppose Western imperialists. Kwantung Army Originally a military force belonging to the Empire created to protect Japanese citizens in Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War... Its influence grew significantly after instigating the Manchuria Incident in 1931 (a blatant illegal territorial occupation where they suddenly invaded and established the puppet state of Manchukuo, claiming it was what the Manchurians wanted). Military Rivalry In Japan, the conflict between the Army and the Navy is extreme. If the Army proposes an idea, the Navy opposes it; if the Navy proposes an idea, the Army opposes it. Navy Japan possesses an immense naval force, ranked 3rd in the world relative to its size. However, they are still obsessed with the 'Big Gun, Big Ship' doctrine, focusing solely on battleships (while the US and UK are already switching to aircraft carriers). They are masters of oxygen torpedoes (likely superior to the US in torpedoes alone). Because they focus only on armament and armor, they neglect communications and repair ships. Army Everyone knows the Banzai Charge, right? Charging into enemy lines with bayonets while shouting 'Long live His Majesty the Emperor.' Anyway, for the Army, all you need is fighting spirit. Their equipment is prone to malfunction and breakage, and if you use captured gear, you'll be executed for daring to throw away what the Emperor bestowed upon you. Supplies are poorly managed, and their tanks can honestly only block bullets. They are divided into two factions: the Toseiha (Control Faction) and the Kodoha (Imperial Way Faction). Why is it like this? Despite the Meiji Restoration, Japan is a modern state whose industrialization is still in its early stages compared to Europe, with a technology gap of 10 to 20 years. The economy was shattered by the Great Depression, and both the public and the military are shouting for war to 'pay back' their debts. The civilian government can be subordinated to the military at any time. The starting era is 1936.