Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Meiji Restoration began in 1868 and officials adopted the policy Fukoku Kyohei which translated to Enrich the Country Strengthen the Armed Forces. This strategy aimed to build economic foundations strong enough to support a powerful military defense.
Helmuth von Moltke served as the Prussian Chief of Staff who sent Major Jakob Meckel to Japan as a foreign advisor in 1885. Meckel worked closely with future prime ministers General Katsura Tarō and General Yamagata Aritomo during his three-year tenure.
The May 15 Incident of 1932 marked the end of party government when junior naval officers assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi. A group of army cadets participated in this coup attempt alongside the sailors and received fifteen-year prison sentences while being seen popularly as patriots acting out of duty.
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurred on the 7th of July 1937 and escalated a clash near Beijing into full-scale warfare. The Second Sino-Japanese War followed immediately leading eventually to the Pacific War.
Hirohito broadcasted Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration at 7am on the 15th of August 1945. The USSR declared war on Japan on August 8 and invaded Manchuria the next day before atomic bombs ended the fighting.