Imperial Japan

This is an alternate World of Darkness history take on Japan and is part of Timeline X. The Point of Divergence (PoD) lies sometime prior to 1613 CE. Some of the following developments require only the willing suspension of disbelief.

The Black Sun Rebellion
In 1812 CE, disgruntled samurai rose up in rebellion against the ''bakufu. ''These samurai were led by Mazoku no Emon, a ronin whose background is hidden in myths going as far back as the turn of the 17th century. The rebellious samurai were supported by a well trained and equipped peasant army.

This rebel army marched under the Black Sun flag, and the events that followed has been described as one of the most polite revolution in history. The Shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, personally led his army to Ise province, where Mazoku's forces had declared themselves in revolt. The traditional army of the emperor set out from from Kyoto, absorbing the forces of provincial nobles on the march.

By the time the Shogun reached Ise province, on July 2, 1812 CE, his army outnumbered the Black Sun army by as much as two-to-one. The first encounter between the two armies was a prolonged battle between mounted riflemen from the Black Sun and poorly trained samurai under the Shogun's banner. This battle lasted until the evening and is still studied at military colleges as an example of a perfect fighting withdrawal. As darkness fell, the exhausted soldiers of the Shogun's army were forced to set up camp in a forested area. That night, ninjas loyal to Mazoku burned their provisions.

The following day, the Black Sun army had formed battle lines on a hill north of the forest. The rebel forces were armed with British muskets and were drawn up in tight battalions, with modern artillery dominating the battlefield. Before the fighting began, the Mazoku invited the Shogun to inspect the Black Sun lines. After this, the two men retreated into the Shogun's tent. It is unclear exactly what happened next, but at sunset, the Black Sun forces surrendered and were granted amnesty by the Shogun. Mazoku no Emon is believed to have committed seppuku for the offence of mustering an army against the Emperor's lawful rule.

Industrial Revolution
Following the Black Sun Rebellion, the Shogunate changed course almost over night. The sakoku policy (closed country) was abandoned in favour of Kaihō-sei (openness). A number of embassies were sent to major European powers and the Keio School for Western Studies was founded in Edo. By 1842, Japan had become the third largest exporter of cotton yarn in the world. In 1889, the first subway line outside of Europe was opened in Tokyo.

Japanese Colonialism
The island nation of Japan is dependent on importing much of its raw materials. As the industrialization efforts came under way, it became clear that Japan needed to increase its access to markets. In the 1840's, naval efforts in the Pacific led to Tahiti seeking Japanese aid in their war with France. In 1847, the Treaty of Jarnac saw the formation of Porineshia, an Imperial protectorate encompassing some 118 islands.

In 1854, a weakened China led to unrest in Korea. Pressure from the samurai caste caused Japan to back a Korean coup d'etat and install a loyal puppet regime.

The Meiji Revolution
By the 1860's, the Shogunate was controlled by the Kuro Bakufu, a clique of violently corrupt daimiyo. In 1868, a revolution led by young army officers overthrew the Shogunate and returned the emperor to the preeminent position in the Japanese society. In the decades following, a wide range of civil, military, and religious reforms were carried out.

20th Century
At the dawn of the century, Japan had become a major power. 1905 saw Imperial Russia defeated by the Japanese and when the Great War broke out, Japan allied with Britain and France and helped drive German forces out of East Africa.

Japanese Colonial Mandate
Following the war, the League of Nations granted Japan control of the German Possessions in the Pacific, as well as German East Africa.

Manchukuo
In 1932, following a short military campaign, Japan installed Puyi, the last Quing emperor, as the ruler of Manchuria. Though nominally a constitutional monarchy, the Manchukuo government was little more than a puppet regime, loyal to Japan.

Sino-Japanese War
In 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident led to open war between China and Japan. Over the span of the next months, Chinese forces saw several defeats and were driven into the interior. In November 1937, Chinese forces managed to defeat the Japanese army in a heroic and desperate defence of Nanjing. Following the battle, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Prince Yasuhiko Asaka met for peace talks which resulted in the New Year's Treaty.

Under the terms of the treaty, Imperial Japan and the Republic of China became allies against the communist forces led by Mao Zedong and began a joint campaign to stamp out communism from Asia once and for all.