The May 15 incident (五・一五事件 Go-ichigo jiken) of 15 May 1932, was the assassination of then-Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi. This act was one of the main reasons Japan's party-based government ended, afterward making the military an influential voice in the rule of the country — which would last until the end of World War II. The rise of Japanese militarism and expansionism led it to attack China and the United States, beginning WWII. May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... Inukai Tsuyoshi (犬養 毅, April 20, 1855–May 15, 1932) was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from December 13, 1931 to May 15, 1932. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... Militarism (military+-ism) is an ideology which claims that the military is the foundation of a societys security, and thereby claims to be its most important aspect. ... Expansionism is the doctrine of expanding the territory or economic influence of a country. ... There were two wars known as the Sino-Japanese War (between China and Japan): The First Sino-Japanese War occurred between 1894 and 1895, primarily over control of Korea. ...

Attempting a coup d'état, eleven young Naval Officers (most were just turning twenty years of age), attacked the Prime Minister's residence. A coup détat (pronounced /ku de ta/), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

The eleven were court-martialed, and at the end of the trial a petition containing 350,000 signatures was collected in favor of a reduction of the sentence from death. Eleven severed fingers were sent to the court house, as it was traditional in ancient Japan to cut off the little finger of the left hand as a punishment for a crime. (This ensured that the criminal would be unable to properly hold a sword.) A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... Death Penalty World Map Color Key: Blue: Abolished for all crimes Green: Abolished, except for crimes committed under certain circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war) Orange: Abolished in practice Red: Legal form of punishment Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered... early German langes schwert dating to ca. ...