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Old 2010-12-19, 20:53   Link #1633
ZephyrLeanne
On a sabbatical
 
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChainLegacy View Post
It's an interesting theme of Japanese history. First the Bakufu turned the Emperor into a puppet. And then the daimyo warlords turned even the shogun into a puppet. Your theory that the strict hierarchy of Japan makes this an easier mode of operation than simply usurping power out in the open seems plausible.
But the weirder thing is that between World War I and Word War II, the military moved in to buttress support behind the emperor himself - and started invading China.

That was also when the emperor ceased being a figurehead, until 9 Aug '45, when the Emperor was made powerless again by the US.
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