Nagumo's rise coincided with wider militarization that gave the Fleet Faction more leverage inside the navy and government. Japan was devoting as much as 48 percent of its budget to defense in this period. Such spending could create formidable capability, but it also made military demand a dominant force in national economics. Military institutions increasingly tried to direct the nation's economic and political choices.
Notable Point · 32:40-33:18
When defense institutions began driving Japanese policy
Japan's immense defense burden strengthened naval factions while allowing military institutions to shape the state they were meant to protect.