page_title: February 26 Incident
section_title: Final hours
hierarchical_section_title: February 26 Incident / Government response and suppression of the uprising / Final hours
caption_attribution_description: 日本語: 2月29日の戦闘経過要図。永田町一帯を占拠する叛乱軍を包囲した上で、ラジオとビラによる降伏勧告によって下士官兵を帰順させた。増援に来た歩兵第49聯隊（甲府）や歩兵第59聯隊（宇都宮）の一部も攻囲に加わっている。九段方面からは近衛歩兵第3・第4聯隊が。 The battle map as of AM9:00-14:00, February 29 1936. With the reinforcement of the IJA 15th, 49th, 59th Infantry Regiments, the attack was about to begin at AM9:00. The rebel force lost the command of its soldiers and surrendered by the evening of Februay 29; hence the end of the coup attempt.
context_page_description: The February 26 Incident was an attempted coup d'état in the Empire of Japan on 26 February 1936. It was organized by a group of young Imperial Japanese Army officers with the goal of purging the government and military leadership of their factional rivals and ideological opponents.
  Although the rebels succeeded in assassinating several leading officials and in occupying the government center of Tokyo, they failed to assassinate Prime Minister Keisuke Okada or secure control of the Imperial Palace. Their supporters in the army made attempts to capitalize on their actions, but divisions within the military, combined with Imperial anger at the coup, meant they were unable to achieve a change of government. Facing overwhelming opposition as the army moved against them, the rebels surrendered on 29 February.
  Unlike earlier examples of political violence by young officers, the coup attempt had severe consequences. After a series of closed trials, 19 of the uprising's leaders were executed for mutiny and another 40 imprisoned.
context_section_description: By the morning of the 29th the rebel army of less than 1,500 was surrounded by more than 20,000 loyal government troops and 22 tanks. The general attack was planned for 09:00. By 05:30 all civilians in the surrounding areas had been evacuated.
  From 08:00 the army began a major propaganda push towards the rebel troops. Three planes scattered leaflets from the air, a giant ad balloon adorned with the words "The Imperial Command has been issued, do not resist the Army colors!" was suspended nearby and a series of radio broadcasts were made over NHK. The broadcasts and leaflets assured soldiers it was not too late to return to their units and informed them of the imperial command. (The broadcasts would cause later problems, for they had promised all crimes would be forgiven.) These efforts, together with the hopeless odds, had a devastating effect. Desertions began shortly after midnight; by 10:00, many of the troops were gone.
  Realizing the hopelessness, by noon all the officers except Andō had released their soldiers. Finally, at 13:00 Andō ordered his men to leave and unsuccessfully attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head. The rest assembled at the Ministry of War. There they met Yamashita and Ishiwara, who suggested that they commit suicide. They allowed the men to keep their sidearms and left. Col. Nobutoki Ide, a member of the General Staff and Nonaka's former commander, came to the building and called for Nonaka to come outside. Shortly afterwards, Nonaka shot himself. Isobe claimed that Nonaka was forced to commit suicide in an attempt to pressure the rest of the officers to do the same. The final rebel officer to commit suicide was Kōno, still hospitalized from the failed attack on Makino, who stabbed himself with a knife a week later. The remaining officers were arrested by military police at 18:00. They were all stripped of their ranks.
caption: Occupied area on February 29, 1936. The troops were surrounded.
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