Japan

Imperial Japan, officially known as the Empire of Japan, is a state that is looking rather worse for wear. Ever since its rapid modernisation, inudstrialisation and reformation into modern national-state during the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, Japan sought to assert its sovereignty and avoid falling victim to european imperialism by practicing it themselves; starting with the invasion of Korea in 1895 and the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894-1895, where Japan conquered Taiwan. After this, a fierce rivalry emerged between Japan and Russia as both powers vied for control of Manchuria following the decline of Qing China. This dispute ultimately escalated into war, precipitating the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. Going into the conflict, Japan had high hopes, as succesfully defeating Russia would enable Japan to expel them from Manchuria and seizie control of the region, opening up a pathway to subgjutate China. To further assist with winning the war, Japan sought to distract and destabilise Russia by arming and supplied rebellious elements in the already volatile Grand Duchy of Finland, precipitating a major rebellion in the area.

However, Russia proved to be a much more capable combatant than anticipated, thanks in no small part to Pyotr Stolypin's successful economic reforms. The war became a bloody stalemate that finally ended with a pyrrhic victory for Russia, cementing their hegemony over Manchuria and leaving Japan weakened and humiliated. The war became extremely costly to Japan’s prestige and economy, sparking riots in several major cities and before long, leftist elements begun to take root. This painful and dishonorable setback left the Japanese government wrathful for revenge and, seeking to restore the nation's honor and shore up public support, rather than address the issues directly, the Imperial Military leadership pushed the Emperor to continue the policy of industrialisation and colonial expansion to rival the Russians and ultimately get revenge.

Allying itself with the United Kingdom in 1902, Japan joined the Great War on the side of the Entente, conquering Germany's possessions in the Pacific and China. In 1916, with the French Republic on the brink of collapse after its humiliating defeat in the Great War, Japan "volunteered" to protect french interests in French Indochina, and then promptly seized the colony a year later. These new acquisitions were a boon for Japanese power, with new resources and manpower helping the fledgling Empire to recoup its losses from 1905 and compared to the slaughter and bloodshed in Europe and the flood of revolutions that followed, this made Japan one of the only nations that truly benefitted from the war and emerged from it both stronger and relatively unschathed.

When the Chinese civil war escalated in the mid 1920’s Japan changed its foreign policy, having supported the counter-revolutionary forces (including one Roman von Ungern-Sternberg) in their fight against the Republicans in Russia, Japan did likewise in China, propping up the Beiyang Government against the Northern Expedition. Japan took this opportunity to seize southern Manchuria for itself, setting up the Company-Colony of Mantetsu for resource extraction, where the Zaibatsus run amok and individual investors and Generals command Japanese armies beyond the control of Tokyo.

As Japan’s interest in China grew and it’s relations with the Russian Republicans in Zheltorossiya warmed, the chance to backstab Yan Xishan and the northern warlords became an active goal for some in the Military, such as General Araki Sadao; with relative moderates such as General Tojo being purged in 1932.

Despite its seeming success, the Empire if Japan is in reality looking rather worse for wear. The singular focus on expanding and developing the military-industrial capabilites of the nation has led to severe neglect of the civilian economy. While Imperial Japan has grown powerful and mighty, internally it is both unmodernised and unstable, creating a fragile house of cards of an empire that could collapse the moment something goes wrong. While the military has been enriched, the civilian population is plagued by severe economic inequality and an underfunctioning economy while outside the cities, the empire is an undeveloped rural backwater stricken by poverty, all teeming with growing leftist movements.

As the 1930s dawned, things were beginning to sour at home. The neglect and bungling of the civilian economy during the 1920s meant that leftist movements of various kinds mushroomed all over the country, becoming a serious issue for the Kenpeitai, finally culminating in the sudden assassination of Emperor Hirohito in 1934 by suspected Technocrats. The incident saw Prince Chichibu crowned Emperor Yasuhito and his regime instutited a series of bloody purges directed at all potential conspirators against the throne, with many suspected traitors either executed or exiled to Mantetsu for hard labour. In 1936 Japan has finally launched and invasion of Northern China in the hopes that a swift victory within three months will save their ailing economy from destruction.

The Empire of Japan is an empire on the edge; while it avoided the destruction and devastation of the Great War, that same destruction and devastation may yet catch up to them if things go wrong. Imperial Japan is struggling to hold itself together as the economic neglect of decades past comes to collect and its economy is teetering on the brink of collapse. The intended conquest of Northern China might be able to buy the nation enough breathing room to withstand the looming economic crash and recover from it, but the promised three-month-campaign imposes a tight schedule for success and if that deadline is not met, the consequences could be catastrophic. Time is a luxury here and the clock is ticking, so get to it! TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!