Parties, Politics and the Constitution
Rise of Party Government
Steps Taken by Ito
Buttressing Imperial Household
New Peerage System
Bureaucracy
So, Military Bureaucracy and Officer Corps NOT under control of civilian/party cabinets
Idea was to keep Military Decisions on Defense and Strategy above/outside politics
Home Ministry (Naimusho)
The Meiji Constitution
Constitution
1st Elections held 1890--Parties do OK despite GovÅft intimidation
Political Crisis of 1911-12
Saionji Cabinet Falls
Navy Demands funds, refuses to nominate Cabinet Minister
Calls for Taisho Restoration
When diet reconvemes, Katsura questioned about source of rescript
Ozaki KoyoÅfs famous speech in Diet:
Katsura pleads with Saionji who agrees to forward another Imperial Rescript to Seiyukai to withdraw No-confidence motion
Consequences
Why is this Taisho Democracy?
But the Reality is
Strange Creatures
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