Tojo Info

I. Militaristic Leader - Background/Education

-Born in Tokyo

-Father was a lifetime military man as was he
-Graduated from the Japanese Military academy 10th out of 363

-Became a 2nd Lieutenant.
-Married Katsuko Ito and had 7 children.
-He studied abroad at European war colleges

-After he came back from overseas study, he taught at the Japanese war college.
-Known as “the razor” for his quick mind, but along with this came impatience and arrogance.

I. Militaristic Leader - Military

-Manchurian incident: Japanese military blew up a railway but blamed China

-Tojo was not involved in the Manchurian incident

-Japan used this as an excuse to invade Manchuria in 1931

-He was the top general stationed in Manchukuo.
-There was an assassination attempt of the Prime Minister

-The military gained greater influence over the government, giving Tojo a greater influential position
-The Marco Polo bridge incident between Japan and China started WWII in Asia.
-During the battles that followed, Tojo got his only battle experience, but his regiment brought Inner Mongolia under Japanese control.

II. Tojo Comes to Power - Leadership

-He was called back to Japan to serve as Vice-Minister of War.
-He was Inspector-General of Military Aviation.
-He was named Minister of War

II. Tojo Comes to Power - End of Stimson Doctrine

-It was at this time that Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Italy and Germany.

-It was not in American interest to go to war with Japan
-Japan also moved into French Indochina, this increased tensions with America because U.S. did not want Japan expanding in Asia

-End of the Stimson Doctrine - Sec of State Stimson said America wouldn’t recognize Japanese territorial changes achieved through aggression

II. Tojo Comes to Power - Aggression

-Tojo supported Japan’s expansionist goals and did not favor any negotiations with the Americans

-America put an embargo in place, which threatened Japanese navy, air force, and economy.

-He told the P.M (Konoe) to take a risk and go to war with U.S.

-Konoe doesnt want to go to war with U.S. and sought further negotiations

-Instead Konoe resigned and Tojo was named his successor, eventually he decided on war

III. Tojo and the Pacific - Pearl Harbor

-Pearl Harbor: Japan launched a surprise attack on U.S. naval base
-Japanese used 6 carriers to launch 353 planes
-Sunk the battleships but did not destroy American aircraft carriers
-Germany and Italy declare war 4 days later on the U.S.

III. Tojo and the Pacific - Asian Attacks

-Japan Launched simultaneous attacks on the Philippines, Singapore, Malaya, Hong Kong, and several other lesser targets.

-The East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere - Japanese concept that Asia should be for Asians, no western imperialists

-Japanese believe they are the superior race of the Asian World

III. Tojo and the Pacific - Raids

-Tojo wanted to isolate, not invade Australia to prevent the U.S. from using it to launch counter-offensives
–However, they did send over 100 bombing raids on Australia
-The Doolittle raid - U.S. launched bombers to attack Japanese cities

-Battle of Midway: U.S. Navy defeated Japan
-Allies developed the two-fold plan to move toward Japan
-Island Hopping: U.S. captures strategically important islands

IV. Tojo and Japan - P.O.W.’s

-The treatment of P.O.W.’s by the Japanese.
-Betio as an example
-Japanese use of biological weapons: Unit 731 under Shiro Ishii, About 1,000 humans were exposed at the remote facility in Manchuria (including some Americans).

IV. Tojo and Japan - Plague

-The Japanese dropped plague infested fleas over several Chinese cities and cholera and typhoid in water supplies

-An estimated 200,000 Chinese were killed

IV. Tojo and Japan - Atomic Bomb

-Tojo was removed from power in July, 1944 after the U.S. captured the Marianas.

-Truman’s decision to use the Atomic bomb.
-Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-Tojo’s capture, suicide attempt, conviction and execution.
-A white-washed emperor?