Hideki Tojo

Hideki Tojo married Katsuko Ito in 1909. The couple had three sons and four daughters.

Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo on December 30, 1884 to Hidenori Tojo, a Lieutenant General in the Imperial Japanese army. His family was of the Samurai caste, and he, like his father and ancestors, was trained to become a soldier.

During that time in Japanese history, all young boys were taught that fighting for their country in wars was the greatest honor one could ever achieve. One of Tojo’s biggest role models was the 17th century Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tojo studied in an Army Cadet School and graduated from the Japanese military academy in 1905.

Hideki Tojo was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in March 1905. At that point in time, the Treaty of Portsmouth had been signed between America, Russia, and Japan. The majority of the Japanese citizens were not in favor of this treaty as they felt that they had been cheated by America. The bias in the treaty led Tojo and the general Japanese public to deeply resent the Americans.

As the years wore on, he was transferred around the world due to his commitments to the army. He briefly served in Siberia, Germany and even took a small trip to the United States where he was severely critical towards the culture and lifestyle which were practiced by the Americans. Tojo was a workaholic and believed in strict discipline.

Tensions between America and Japan worsened with the Immigration Control Act passed by the US Congress which banned all Asian immigration into the US. In the year 1928, Tojo was appointed as Bureau Chief of the Japanese Army, and within a short period, he was immediately promoted to the rank of Colonel. His social reforms were to uphold the Traditional Japanese Kokutai and eradicate what he called ‘Western decadence’ from Society.

Hideki Tojo became a major general in the year 1934 and also took on the position of Chief of the Personnel Department within the Army ministry. His personal intention was to turn Japan into a totalitarian ‘national defense state’ as he termed it in his writings.

Tojo was one of the country’s leading advocates of Japan’s tripartite pact with Germany and Italy. He recognized the importance of controlling as much of the East as possible, and hence invested in heavy operations for the conquest and expansion into the Chinese mainland.

After numerous Allied victories on the Western Front and the Pacific, a successful invasion of the Mariana Islands weakened Japan heavily. Tojo was removed as Chief of Army Staff in July 1944, following which his entire Cabinet announced their resignation.

Within a matter of days, he was ousted from the post of Prime Minister and replaced by Koiso Kuniaki. Nearly all of Tojo’s powers were stripped and he spent the remainder of the war in the military reserve.

Following the infamous bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan formally surrendered in September 1945. Tojo attempted suicide via gunshot but failed and was nursed back to health by 1946.

Tojo, along with several other Japanese leaders, underwent trial by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo. He was found guilty of numerous war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging. His execution took place on 23rd December 1948.