The victory over Russia made the navy a source of national prestige and sharpened rivalry with the army. Tsushima appeared to destroy Russian naval power in a single day, giving Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy exceptional public standing. The constitution required serving admirals and generals as ministers, which allowed either service to obstruct a cabinet by withholding a nominee. The fall of Saionji Kinmochi's second government shows how a requirement meant to ensure professional expertise gave the armed services leverage over civilian politics.
Chapter · 14:50-19:24
Tsushima's naval prestige and a political veto
Tsushima elevated the Japanese Navy, while the constitutional status of service ministers gave the armed forces exceptional leverage over government.