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Tojo Hideki (東條 英機) (December
30,
1884 -
December 23,
1948) was a
Japanese general and
Prime Minister of Japan during much of
World War II (from
October 18,
1941 -
July 22,
1944).
He was born in
Tokyo.
Tojo was a member of the military clique that pushed
Japan into war in the late
1930s. As War Minister in
1940 he was instrumental in leading Japan into the
Axis Alliance with
Nazi Germany and
Italy. By
1941 he was premier and in command of the entire Japanese military,
which so dominated Japan at the time that he was virtually the nation's
dictator. He resigned on
July 18,
1944 following a series of military disasters. After the war, he shot
himself in the chest shortly before he was arrested as a suicide attempt.
He recovered from his injuries at a hospital. He then was tried by the
International Military Tribunal for the Far East for
war crimes. He was found guilty of count 1 (waging wars of aggression,
and war or wars in violation of international law), count 27 (waging
unprovoked war against China), count 29 (waging aggressive war against the
United States), count 31 (waging aggressive war against the British
Commonwealth), count 32 (waging aggressive war against the Netherlands),
count 33(waging aggressive war against France (Indochina)), and count 54
(ordering, authorizing, and permitting inhumane treatment of Prisoners of
War (POWs) and others). He was sentenced to death on
November 12,
1948 and executed by
hanging.
Because of the crimes committed under his authority, Tojo is considered
responsible for the murder of perhaps four million people. Tojo approved
government-sanctioned biological experiments on P.O.Ws.
Preceded by:
Konoe Fumimaro |
Prime ministers of Japan |
Succeeded by:
Koiso Kuniaki |
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