Editing Yamamoto Gonnohyōe (section)

==As Prime Minister==
[[File:Gonbei Yamamoto suit.jpg|thumb|Yamamoto Gonnohyōe during his premiership]]
In February 1913, Yamamoto became [[Prime Minister of Japan]], succeeding [[Katsura Taro]] as leader of the [[Rikken Seiyukai]] political party. During Yamamoto's first term as the prime minister, he abolished the rule that both the [[Ministry of the Navy (Japan)|Navy Minister]] and [[Ministry of the Army (Japan)|Army Minister]] had to be active duty officers. This rule had given the military a stranglehold over the civilian government since the military could withdraw their minister and refuse to appoint a successor. Failure to fill the post would cause the existing cabinet to collapse.  Thus, Yamamoto gained a reputation for being a liberal and a supporter of public claims for [[democracy]] and [[constitutional government]]. However, his administration was plagued by charges of corruption and he was forced to resign with his entire cabinet in April 1914 to take responsibility for the [[Siemens scandal|Siemens-Vickers Naval Armaments scandal]], even though it was never proved that he was personally involved.

Under the succeeded Okuma administration, Yamamoto was transferred to naval reserves. During [[World War I]] and the subsequent disarmament treaty negotiations, he remained sidelined.

Yamamoto was recalled to government as Prime Minister again on 2 September 1923 in the emergency "earthquake cabinet" caused by the sudden death of Prime Minister [[Katō Tomosaburō]] immediately following the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]]. He showed leadership in the restoration of Tokyo which had been heavily damaged by the earthquake. He also attempted to reform the electoral system to permit universal male [[suffrage]]. However, he and his cabinet were forced to resign again in January 1924, this time over the attempt by [[Namba Daisuke]] to assassinate [[Sessho|Prince Regent]] [[Hirohito]] on 27 December 1923 (the [[Toranomon Incident]]).

Subsequently, Yamamoto withdrew from political life completely. Suggestions that he be made one of the ''[[Genrō]]'' were vehemently opposed by his life-long political enemy, [[Saionji Kinmochi]], who also blocked all efforts for him to have a seat on the [[Privy Council (Japan)|Privy Council]]. In December 1933, nine months after the death of his wife, Yamamoto died of complication due to [[benign prostatic hyperplasia]] at his home in [[Takanawa]], Tokyo at the age of 82. His grave is at the [[Aoyama Cemetery]] in Tokyo.<ref>[http://www.sakanouenokumo.jp/photo/archives/2005/05/post_40.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425065433/http://www.sakanouenokumo.jp/photo/archives/2005/05/post_40.html|date=2012-04-25}} Sakanoue-no-kumo Photo archives (Japanese)</ref>