Konpeki no Kantai::Volume1 Chapter2
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Konpeki no Kantai Volume 2 Chapter 2
Chapter Two: December 8th – The Destined Outbreak of War
- 1
On December 1st, Showa 16, the capital was clouded over.
The Japanese delegation reviewed the Hull Note on November 26th, but having decided to commence with the war, on this day, the Imperial Council determined to start the war against the USA, England and the Netherlands.
The Commander of the Combined Fleet, Takano Isoroku, received a directive from the Navy General Staff.
- Imperial Decree Number Nine
- December 1st, Showa 16
- Decree from the Imperial Navy General Staff – Nagano Osami
- Orders to Combined Fleet Commander-in-Chief Takano
- (1) The Empire has decided to commence war against America, England and the Netherlands on December 8th (two or less redacted).
Takano murmured, “So history was going to repeat after all.”
At the same time as this decision, they had their own prearranged plans to leap into action.
Already, in absolute secret amongst themselves, the plans for carrying out the coup-de-etat had been carefully arranged.
The same day, at eleven in the morning, Lt. General Ootaka, leading an Army force of 25,000, descended on the capital in assault vehicles.
The first phase had several objectives. The first was the official residence of the Prime Minister. Soldiers burst in, armed to the teeth, the residence was occupied in the blink of an eye, and Prime Minister Nanjou was detained and placed under house arrest.
The Army General Staff Office in Miyakezaka was raided by battalion sized forces.
The Navy Department General Staff Headquarters was occupied by the Yokosuka Naval Base landing force. The Navy General Staff Office was occupied by the Yokosuka Navy Base landing force.
At once, martial law was imposed on the greater Tokyo area. Infantry and tanks were stationed at critical locations within the city.
As far as government and military leaders were concerned, it was a bolt out of the blue.
Lt. General Ootaka held a press conference late that night from the Department of the Army.
Otaka, his face looking a little nervous, read the statement aloud...
"Your Excellency, may we ask you some questions?"
"Go ahead," replied Ootaka, raising his voice.
"The proclamation was signed by Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet Takano. Is the Navy participating in the uprising too?"
"Of course. If have any doubts, you can get a confirmation directly with His Excellency Takano."
The reporters in the conference room murmured amongst themselves.
"It would appear the reasons for the uprising have nothing to do with the February 26th incident."
"Of course not. We and they are not the same. As for our objectives, by eliminating certain military authorities which have run wild, we can expect to win in the war between Japan and America."
"If so, then we are not going to accept the Hull Note from the Americans?"
"Gentlemen of the Press, the Hull Note was intended as a deception. I wish it be understood that it is the Americans that wish to fight with our country."
The questions poured over him one by one, Ootaka dealing with them skillfully,
"Well then, gentlemen of the Press, I would like to ask for tremendous cooperation from all of you from now on. As for us, we will not hinder your activities in coverage of the news, so that our true intentions can be conveyed to the people of our nation, and not be misunderstood."
"Your Excellency, what will happen with the censorship by the authorities? As we are..." That reporter spoke nervously.
"We intend to be understanding. Our policy will be to handle as many requests as possible from the Press, so that we might keep up."
There was quite a commotion in the conference room.
Ootaka's remarks implied the abolition of the infamous "Public Security Preservation Laws" which limited free speech.
Ootaka raised his voice yet another notch higher.
"We wish to repeat that the purpose of our uprising, in accordance with our proclamation, is to overthrow the military dictatorship of General Nanjou. We would appreciate your cooperation in working through this national crisis, working together so that its meaning may be well understood."
Applause rose from the press corps.
If he could, Ootaka would have liked to talk with the journalists some more. All speech rejoicing in the accomplishments of war would be limited, and the use of political authority to squelch opposing arguments through policy would be strongly opposed.
However, his aide whispered in his ear.
Promising he wanted to have meetings with press like today's often, Ootaka rose from his seat.
When he entered the cabinet minister's room, he found a visiting senior statesman waiting there.
"Everything is going according to plan," Ootaka reported to his comrade.
Afterwards, they talked privately, just the two of them.
- 2
The next day, the official imperial command was received, and the new Cabinet established.
Throughout Japan, naturally, it raised a commotion just as if heaven and earth had been flipped, one over the other. But, the press applauded their uprising as a heroic undertaking.
In this way, the Prime Minister named to lead the new cabinet, Ootaka Yasaburou, made his moves in rapid succession. Everything was done at lightning speed, in accordance with well laid out plans.
In the meantime, because the Army hardliners of Nanjou's group were already far from Japan as the Southern Expeditionary Force, their response was delayed. They did not receive detailed information as to what had happened now in the capital city.
The situation for the hardliners heading north and for the leaders of the Kwantung Army was the same.
First of all, the authority to form a new government was granted by Imperial Decree. To go against it thoughtlessly would be treason. Once it was seen that the new government's position was stable, even the mood of the once hostile army hardliners flowed away like the ebbing tide. In this, of course, could be seen the careful groundwork laid down by Ootaka Saburou…
Well, the Army General Staff Office was a problem. This was now the base for the Army diehards. As for them, backing Chief Nanjou was all an arbitrary exercise in national politics.
Ootaka would not overlook this. He immediately added weight to the hand of reform. For those who got angry, army prison awaited them.
The Army General Staff Office was endowed with the mighty right to speak, and had the fig leaf of the principle of independence of command. But their chief officer, Admiral Sugiyama was only a figurehead with a robot-like existence, and the real power was held by the First Division’s staff for strategy.
The First Division was the department in charge of strategy. The men there used the secrets of the High Command to shield themselves, forming an insular group. Ootaka was extremely angry at this group, which was attempting to guide this later Japan into the very same ruin the prior Japan had suffered.
Before they knew it, those who had received the task of dealing with the earlier Nomonhan Incident returned to the First Division staff. They were, in fact, super elite graduates of the Army Colleges had been hardened by studying in German schools.
Transfer orders from Ootaka banished them without a word of explanation. Taking their place in charge of the First Division were officers trained in British or American transfer schools.
"Reform, especially in the General Staff Headquarters, is the first step in preparations for victory."
Such were the words that Ootaka Yasaburou let slip.
As for him, he was concerned for the senior commissioned officers who had been demoted from military headquarters to study abroad in America and Britain so they would get to know the real conditions in those places.
There was, so to speak, a doctrine of German-worship. Because of that, of the Army General Staff Office section chiefs, the group studying America and Britain were a minority.
But if you don’t know your enemy, how are you going to win the battle? The Army General Staff Office's pro-Germany leanings had the effect of reinforcing their contemptuous attitude toward America and Britain... That was the very cause of their great defeat in battle, Ootaka concluded.
In this way, under the determined new Prime Minister Ootaka, the plan to reform the Army General Staff Office was swiftly put into action.
"Gentlemen, upon your return I expect our General Headquarters will be able to function as it once did." said the new presiding staff officer, Naoguchi Takeshi, by way of encouragement.
General Naoguchi, apart from a certain extreme secretiveness regarding the future, made a policy of open and improved communications within the Army General Staff Office.
<~~29% Completed~~>
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