九一八事變，雖然是關東軍自導自演的軍事行動，和日本政府沒有直接關連，不過，事先的部署以及軍需物質的調度等等活動，都得到日本陸軍權力核心的認同及支持。是以，關東軍的軍事行動也可謂是日本陸軍總體意志的呈現。特別是從支持關東軍發動九一八事變成員和支持「櫻花會」發動軍事政變成員皆屬同一班底此一事實來看，九一八事變應可視為是一場沒有政變之名，而有政變之實的革命，是日本軍方奪權的具體實踐。而所謂「滿洲國」的創立，自然可視為是日本軍方建構法西斯主義帝國前奏的「橋頭堡」。

Although the Mukden Incident of September 18th of 1931 came entirely at the hands of the Kuantung Army and had no direct connection with the Japanese government, nevertheless, the deployment of troops, supplies, equipments, and the like was approved and supported at the highest levels of the Japanese Army. Therefore, the military action of the Kwantung Army represented the overall policy of the Japanese Army itself. In particular, since both the Mukden Incident and the military coup d'etat of the Sakurakai (Cherry Society) received support from the same cadre of military men, although it was never called a coup d'etat, the Mukden Incident can be regarded as a revolution launched by the Japanese Army to seize power. The establishment of "Manchukuo" should thus be seen as an e .early bridgehead on the road to the fascist empire that the Japanese Army was creating.