Hideki Tojo

Hideki Tojo (?? ?? {{Audio|ja-tojo_hideki.ogg|T?j? Hideki}}) (December 30 1884 – December 23 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army,political right-wing thinker and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18 1941 to July 22 1944.

Military and political life

2dLt (Infantry), April 1905; was graduated from War College, December 1915; official duty, Switzerland, August 1919; Major, August 1920; official duty, Germany, July 1921; LtCol, August 1924; Colonel, August 1918; Regimental Commander, 1st Infantry, August 1929; MajGen, March 1933; Commandant,"Rikugun Shikan Gakko" (Military Academy), March 1934;

Related Topics:
War College - Switzerland - Germany - Regimental Commander - Military Academy

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Tojo was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1884. He was the third son of Hidenori Tojo, a Lieutenant General in the Japanese Army, but his two older brothers had died before his birth. In 1905 he graduated from the Military Academy and entered service as a Second Lieutenant of infantry. By 1909 he married Katsuko Ito, with whom he eventually had three sons and four daughters. He rose through the ranks of the Army, graduating with top grade from the Army college in 1915, and later teaching there, as well as serving as an infantry officer and on the general staff at times. By 1935, he was a major general commanding the Kempeitai of the Kwangtung Army in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, and by 1937 he was Chief of Staff of that army. In 1938, Tojo served as Vice-Minister of War. From December of 1938 to 1940, Tojo was Inspector-General of Army Aviation.himself also are the real commander-in-chief at charge of Japanese Secret Services before and Pacific War period in direct link with Koki Hirota why leading secret services in Black Dragon Society and others Japanese secret societies.

Related Topics:
Tokyo - Second Lieutenant - Infantry - Major general - Kempeitai - Kwangtung Army - Manchuria - Chief of Staff - Japanese Secret Services - Koki Hirota - Black Dragon Society - Secret societies

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During 1920s period Tojo also member of the Tosei-Ha (Control Group) leading by Kazushige Ugaki along Gen Sujiyama,Koiso Kuniaki,Yoshijiro Umezu and Tetsuza Nagata.theirs attempted to represent the more conservative moderates,opposed at theradical group Koda-Ha (Imperial Benevolent Rule or Action Group),led by Sadao Araki.both factions derived by Double Leaf Society,1920s military thinking group with fanatical beliefs of ultranationalism and samurai ideals.

Related Topics:
Tosei-Ha - Kazushige Ugaki - Gen Sujiyama - Koiso Kuniaki - Yoshijiro Umezu - Tetsuza Nagata - Moderates - Radical - Koda-Ha - Sadao Araki - Double Leaf Society - Ultranationalism - Samurai

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24th Infantry Brigade Commander, August 1934; Commanding General, Military Police, Kwantung Army, September 1935; LtGen, December 1936; Chief of Staff, Kwantung Army, March 1937; Vice-Minister of War, May 1938 (during first Konoye Cabinet); Inspector General of Army Aviation, December 1938;

Related Topics:
Commanding General - Military Police - Kwantung Army - Chief of Staff - Konoye - Inspector General - Army Aviation

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He leading personally in Chahar Battle,in July, 1937 ,the units of the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade.When the China Incident occured,these section stay stationed in Manchukuo moved toHopei and fought near Peking against Chinese forces.Then the Brigade was ordered to participate in the offensive in the Chahar Province. The Brigade marched via Chengde and Dolonnor and reached at Zhangbei in 5 days. The distance of this long march was 700km.

Related Topics:
Chahar Battle - China Incident - Manchukuo - Hopei - Peking - Chahar - Chengde - Dolonnor - Zhangbei

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Such unit were dispersed to certain infantry divisions and had not been used concentratively.seeing this use of the armors,Commander Sakai the direct tank commader,was opposed to Major General Tojo who was the highest commander of the Chahar expeditionary force.he became the highest commander of all Japanese forces later.

Related Topics:
Commander Sakai - Chahar expeditionary force

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In the late 1930s, Tojo became a member of the military clique (Kodoha Movement)that pushed Japan into the Second World War. Appointed War Minister in 1940, he was instrumental in leading Japan into the Axis Alliance with Germany and Italy. When Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe was unable to secure an agreement with the United States, Tojo's faction drove him into retirement, and in 1941 Tojo was appointed prime minister by Emperor Hirohito and took command of the entire Japanese military,also leadership in Imperial Way Faction party in time.Though Hirohito remained nominally in charge, the dominance of the Japanese military at the time ensured that Tojo was the nation's effective dictator. At varying times during his premiership, Tojo held the portfolios of Foreign Affairs, Education, Home Affairs, Commerce and Industry, and Munitions. In 1944, Tojo assumed the post of Chief of the Army General Staff.

Related Topics:
1930s - Kodoha - Japan - War Minister - 1940 - Axis Alliance - Germany - Italy - Prime Minister - Fumimaro Konoe - United States - 1941 - Emperor - Hirohito - Imperial Way Faction - Dictator - Portfolios - Foreign Affairs - Home Affairs

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War Minister, July 1940 (second Konoye Cabinet); continued as War Minister in third Konoye Cabinet, July 1941; Prime Minister- concurrently Minister of Home Affairs-and Minister of War, October 1941,also supreme leader and thinker in Kodoha party; concurrently Minister of Foreign Affairs(General), September 1942;concurrently Minister of Education, April 1943; concurrently Minister of Commerce and Industry, October 1943; concurrently Minister of Munitions, November 1943; Chief of Army General Staff, February 1944. relieved of all posts, July 1944,since fall of Saipan; retired to first reserve list.

Related Topics:
War Minister - Konoye - Prime Minister - Minister of Home Affairs - Minister of War - Kodoha - Minister of Foreign Affairs - Minister of Education - Minister of Commerce and Industry - Minister of Munitions - General Staff - Fall of Saipan

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During your administrative period,himself in charge of Education minister,was continuing the militaristic and nationalists indoctrination in national educative sistem,along of reafirmation of rigth-wing policies in manage of government,in accord with lines traced by Sadao Araki,your thinking and political precursor.

Related Topics:
Militaristic - Nationalists - Rigth-wing - Sadao Araki

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During World War II he led Japanese forces in the Pacific War, but after a series of military disasters, he was forced to resign on July 18, 1944, when some of his backers abandoned him in the aftermath of the fall of Saipan. He left government and went into seclusion.

Related Topics:
Pacific War - July 18 - 1944 - Fall of Saipan

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Tojo's nickname was "the razor (kamisori)".

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Why Tojo became the prime minister?

In those days, Japanese army was strongly pushing to begin the war because Germany was winning. Tojo was one of these advocates of war. However, the emperor of Showa did not want to start the war. The emperor of Showa preferred to keep negotiating with the U.S. in order to find a way out of the difficulties. However, the prevailing opinion within the Japanese Army at that time was that to keep negotiating might be dangerous. The Showa Emperor thought that he might be able to control extreme opinions in the army by using Tojo since he has charisma and clout within the army. Actually, at that time, Tojo was said to be the only person who could control the army. Also, Tojo was a loyal retainer of the emperor as the emperor of Showa said later. Therefore, the emperor of Showa called Tojo to come to the Imperial Palace one day before Tojo's taking office. Tojo wrote in his diary, "I thought I was called because the emperor was really angry at my opinion."

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At there, Tojo was told to be the prime minister with one order from the emperor. That was to keep negotiating no matter what. The emperor of Showa said from Japanese record, "keep negotiating even if the U.S requires Japan to retreat its soldiers from China to Manchuria." Tojo accepted this order, and pledged to obey it because he was respecting the emperor. Tojo then became the prime minister.

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However, from the U.S. perspective, this new prime minister looked like as if Japan decided to begin the war because the person who strongly stated to begin the war became the prime minister. This misunderstanding became one of the reasons to show the Hull Note to Japan.

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Tojo did his best to keep negotiating; however, the result was not good for the Japanese side. Japan then made the final decision to begin the war after seeing the Hull Note. The night of December 7th (The U.S was 6th), Tojo was said to have sat on a futon(Japanese bed)with his back straight and his knees together, sobbing. He might have regretted his act, or might be have been apologizing to the emperor.

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In additon, the Japanese fleet which attacked the Pearl Harbor was ordered by admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that if the negotiation did not succeed immediately before the attack, the fleet must return to Japan without the air raid on Pearl Harbor.

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Numerous theories about political forces at work during this process include conspiracy theories about a concerted effort within the military industrial complex of Japan and the right wing to derail negotiations and forge ahead with plans for colonialism and war.

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