Prior to World War I and World War II, the Black Dragons were infamous for their Espionage, Sabotage and Assassination practices in Japan, China, Russia, Manchuria and Korea. The group, with others like it, helped set the stage for future Yakuza organizations.
The collapse of Japan's democratic government in the 1920s could possibly be attributed to the aggressive approaches practiced by these patriotic societies. Furthermore, some argue that the involvement of the Kokuryu-kai was of paramount importance in leading Japan into the Pacific War (1937 - 1945), especially in regards to Second Sino-Japanese War.