 Founded by Prime Minister Katsura Tarō on February 7, 1913, the "Rikken Dōshikai" largely served to support his cabinet against criticism by Ozaki Yukio and his "Rikken Seiyūkai" party, which at the time held a majority of the seats in the Lower House of the Diet of Japan, as well as by Inukai Tsuyoshi of the Rikken Kokuminto party.Katsura was able to convince 90 Diet members (including all 31 members of the Chūō Club and half of the Rikken Kokumintō) to join his new party.The party survived Katsura's death in 1913, and under the leadership of Katō Takaaki placed five of its members in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu in 1914–1916.