Purge of the military

The issue of the purge of the army after the February 26 Incident. The February 26 Incident of 1936 (Showa 11) sent shock waves through the imperial court, political and financial circles, and an anti-military mood spread among the people. In response, the army leadership, led by Army Minister Terauchi Hisaichi, repeatedly declared the purge of the army, took severe punishment for rebel officers, transferred seven generals, including Masaki Jinzaburo, Araki Sadao, and Kawashima Yoshiyuki, to the reserves, and implemented large-scale personnel transfers in an effort to calm the situation. However, in reality, this only meant strengthening control over the new leadership by wiping out the Imperial Way faction and suppressing direct action, and rejuvenating the personnel structure. Rather, the army came to further strengthen its intervention in politics, stating that the purge of the army and political reform were inseparable.

[Yoshida Yutaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

二・二六事件後の陸軍粛正問題。1936年（昭和11）の二・二六事件は宮中や政界、財界に大きな衝撃を与え、国民の間にも反軍的空気が広がった。これに対し寺内寿一(てらうちひさいち)陸相を中心とする陸軍首脳部は再三にわたって粛軍を言明、反乱軍将校の厳罰、真崎甚三郎(まざきじんざぶろう)、荒木貞夫(あらきさだお)、川島義之(かわしまよしゆき)ら7大将の予備役編入、大規模な人事異動などの措置をとり、その鎮静化に努めた。しかし、その実際に意味するところは、皇道派の一掃と直接行動の禁圧とによる新首脳部の統制強化、人事構成の若返りにほかならず、むしろ陸軍は粛軍と政治の改革とは不可分の関係にあるとしたうえで、政治への介入を一段と強化してゆくこととなった。

［吉田　裕］

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