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The rebels were fighting in the name of the emperor against what they saw as a pro-industry, overly political government that needed to pay more attention to conquering Asia. Hirohito responded by ordering the Army and Navy to suppress the revolt. On the 29th, both services reported that they had captured all the rebels, and either executed them or demanded that they commit ritual suicide. Martial law was imposed until July, and Okada was forced to resign in March, making way for a new premier, Hirota Koki (who ended up signing Japan's alliance with Germany).
The story behind the 2-26 Incident is controversial in Japan, and has been the subject of many movies and fictional stories. Although there is no conclusive evidence to support their position, many believe that Hirohito's younger brother, Prince Chichibu Yasuhito, was behind the revolt. Some conspiracy theorists have gone as far as to say that Hirohito and his cohorts staged the rebellion to make it possible to justify stronger internal security measures.
Whatever the motive behind it was, 2-26 wiped out the pro-peace factions in Japan and placed the entire country on a solid militarist footing, an important step in the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War toward Shanghai and the Nanjing massacre.