Under the emperor-centered historiography based on state Shinto before the War, there was criticism towards the Kamakura bakufu's disloyalty since they ignored the Cloistered Emperor Kameyama's will to allow Imperial Prince Tsuneaki succeed to the throne, but the bakufu only obeyed the Retired Emperor Gouda's intention, who was the eldest son of the Cloistered Emperor Kameyama and the Chiten no kimi (person in power) at that time.
なお、戦前の皇国史観においては、鎌倉幕府が亀山法皇の遺詔を無視して恒明親王を立てなかったことを「不忠」であると非難する主張がなされる事があったが、幕府はあくまでも亀山法皇の嫡男でありかつ当時の治天の君であった後宇多上皇の意向に従っただけに過ぎない。