Hideki Tojo . Japanese military man known as “Razor Blade” due to his reputation as a very strict and aggressive soldier.
Biographical Summary
Eiku Tojo was born in Tokyo , Japan , on December 30 , 1884 , the son of an army general . He graduated from the Military Academy in 1905 and 10 years later completed his military career at the Army War College, with outstanding grades.
Political career
His political career began after World War I , when Eiku served as military attaché to Switzerland and Germany from 1919 to 1922. In the late 1920s, due to the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations , he became an exponent of the theory of total war for the purpose of solving national problems. As head of the Mobilization Section of the War Ministry, he played a leading role in planning the first general mobilization of the Imperial Army. He was committed to the principle that Japan ‘s military strength should be rooted in the development of an industrial economy. To that end, in 1930 Tojo called for the reorganization of the armed forces and at the same time the incorporation of the resources of Manchuria (in China ) into the Japanese economy.
Rise of “Razor Blade”
His qualities as a staff officer quickly led him to important positions. In 1935 he was sent to Manchukuo, a state created under Japanese control in China , becoming Chief of Staff of the Japanese forces in the area. His reputation as a very strict and aggressive military man earned him the nickname “Razor Blade.” After serving as head of police affairs he became Chief of Staff in 1937 .
Military career
He was appointed Vice Minister of War in May 1938 and Director of Military Aviation in December of that same year. In July 1940 , he was appointed Minister of War, designing new general mobilization plans that strained relations between Japan and the United States .
In October 1941 he became Premier of the Empire, using the name Hideki Tojo from then on, and also took over the portfolios of War, Education, Commerce and Industry. Tojo was a virtual dictator from the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 until he resigned from the government on 19 July 1944 following the defeat of Japanese forces at Saipan on 9 July of that year.
Death
Nine days after the Japanese surrender, on 2 September 1945 , Tojo attempted suicide. On charges of war crimes, he was sentenced to death by a military tribunal of the United States Army of Occupation , and was hanged in Tokyo on 23 December 19