noun
supreme command authority (of the emperor)
Historical and legal term referring to the emperor's direct command over the military under the Meiji Constitution. Often discussed in the context of pre-war Japanese politics and the military's independence from civilian control.
大日本帝国憲法では、統帥権は天皇に属していた。
Under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, the supreme command authority belonged to the Emperor.
The issue of interference with the supreme command authority was one of the political crises of the early Showa period.