• February Coup of 1936: A coup attempt by young military officers to eliminate perceived obstacles to a closer union between the emperor and his people. It highlighted the division within the military.
• Two Military Factions: There were two major factions within the Japanese military:
• Imperial Way Faction (Kōdōha): Advocated for a revolution to remove zaibatsu, overthrow capitalism, help the poor countryside, and establish a military dictatorship loyal to the emperor.
• Control Faction (Tōseiha): Prepared for a future war against the West. It emphasized cooperation with bureaucracy and zaibatsu to build armaments and make Japan a powerful military force.
• Tensions and Events: In 1935, an incident occurred where an officer responsible for demoting some Imperial Way officers was attacked and killed by a young officer with a samurai sword. This highlighted tensions and the popularity of the Imperial Way Faction.
• Attempted Takeover of Tokyo: On 26 February 1936, over a thousand Imperial Way supporters attempted to seize central Tokyo. They assassinated three senior government ministers. The prime minister survived due to a mistaken identity incident where his brother-in-law was killed. Emperor Hirohito condemned the coup, and unrest continued until 29 February, when the navy restored order and the rebels surrendered.
• Rise of Control Faction: The Control Faction now had full control over the army and demanded that the army and navy ministers could approve all civilian appointments to the cabinet. Prime Minister Kōki Hirota increased the military budget for rearmament and signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany, which Italy joined in 1937.

Imagine that the military officers in Japan during 1936 were like two different sports teams within a school, with each team having its own ideas on how to win the championship.

• The Imperial Way Faction (Kōdōha) was like the rugby team. They wanted to play tough, get rid of big businesses, and build a team that only listened to the principal (Emperor). They wanted to focus on helping the poorer students and creating a more equal school.
• The Control Faction (Tōseiha) was like the chess team. They wanted to play smart, team up with teachers and sponsors (bureaucracy and zaibatsu), and prepare for a big competition against rival schools (West). They knew they needed support to build a strong team and have a good strategy.

The tension between these two teams became more evident when a rugby player (Imperial Way officer) got angry and attacked a chess player (military officer). This caused some chaos, and the rugby team tried to take over the school, which didn't work. The principal (Emperor Hirohito) stepped in, and the chess team (Control Faction) eventually became the dominant team and got to make decisions about school activities. The school started preparing for the big competition by getting better equipment and even partnering with other schools (Germany and Italy) for a tournament.