noun
military clique; military faction
Refers to a powerful group within the military that acts as a political force, often in historical contexts such as pre-WWII Japan or warlord-era China.
昭和初期、軍閥が政治に強い影響力を持っていた。
In the early Showa period, military cliques had strong influence over politics.
中国の軍閥時代には、各地で軍
During China's warlord era, conflicts between military factions continued across the country.
Compound of 軍 (gun, 'military') and 閥 (batsu, 'clique, faction'). The term became common in the early 20th century to describe politically influential military groups.