Why removing one IJN faction would not produce a unified navy

What if the Imperial Japanese Navy removed all internal opposition to its views before the Pacific War?

There was no single IJN view to impose; the service was factional, and Yonai's personal network was more effective at building alignment than doctrinal unanimity.

The question assumes the Imperial Japanese Navy held one coherent position that could prevail over the Army, but the panel stresses that both services were internally fractured. Some naval officers understood the industrial danger of war with Britain and the United States, while others trusted martial spirit to overcome material weakness. Mitsumasa Yonai could keep important commanders aligned because Yamamoto, Nagumo, and other officers owed him protection, advancement, or personal loyalty. That network helps explain both Yamamoto's Combined Fleet appointment and Yonai's later usefulness as an intermediary. The watch point shows how patronage and professional relationships can matter more than a service's nominal policy line.