Cranking This War Up to Eleven - Hideki Tojo - WW2 Biography Special

Summary

This video takes an in-depth look at Hideki Tojo, Japan's Prime Minister during World War II. Unlike European dictators, Tojo wasn't an authoritarian leader but wielded significant influence as Japan escalated into global conflict. Appointed by Emperor Hirohito in 1941, Tojo's rise came amid Japan's militarist politics and invasions in Asia. Despite holding multiple powerful positions, his leadership faced limitations, including rivalry with the navy. Tojo led Japan into a war against the US and Allied forces but was ultimately blamed for war crimes. He was tried and executed in 1948.

Takeaways

• 📜 Hideki Tojo was appointed Prime Minister of Japan by Emperor Hirohito in October 1941, but his power was not solidified like European dictators such as Hitler.
• 🎖️ Tojo was a strict military leader, influenced by the German Army's idea of a totalitarian defense state, which he applied to Japan's military.
• 🏛️ Despite holding multiple government posts, Tojo did not control the Japanese Navy, which played a crucial role in the Pacific War.
• ⚔️ He strongly supported aggressive military expansion, pushing Japan into the war with China and later with Western powers.
• 📅 Tojo was instrumental in Japan's decision to go to war after failed peace talks in 1941, leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent global conflict.
• 🌏 He believed in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, aiming to end Western imperialism in Asia but replacing it with Japanese dominance.
• 🛑 His time in power saw strict government control, arrests of leftists and liberals, but he never proclaimed a state of emergency or dissolved Japan's legislature.
• 💣 As the war turned against Japan, Tojo's position weakened, and he resigned in July 1944 after growing opposition.
• 🔫 After Japan’s surrender in 1945, Tojo attempted suicide but survived, was later arrested, tried for war crimes, and hanged in 1948.
• ⚖️ Tojo’s legacy is marked by responsibility for the atrocities committed by the Japanese military and leading Japan into an unwinnable war.

Q & A

How was Hideki Tojo appointed as Prime Minister of Japan in 1941?

Hideki Tojo was appointed as Prime Minister by Emperor Hirohito in the traditional way, without any constitutional changes to solidify or extend his power.

What were the key differences between Hideki Tojo and other Axis leaders like Adolf Hitler?

Tojo was not an authoritarian dictator like Hitler. He was appointed Prime Minister in a traditional manner, didn't lead a mass popular movement, and had limited control over the Japanese Navy, unlike Hitler's complete control over Germany's military.

What were Tojo's views on the war with China?

Tojo believed that a strong, overwhelming show of force was necessary to bring China into cooperation under Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. He opposed any peace deal with Chiang Kai-Shek, viewing it as a way to subdue China, though some within the Japanese Army, like Ishiwara Kanji, disagreed.

What role did Hideki Tojo play in Japan's decision to join the Tripartite Pact?

Tojo was a strong proponent of signing the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, influenced by Germany's victories in Europe. Japan joined the Pact in September 1940, aligning with the Axis powers.

How did Tojo's influence affect Japan's relations with the United States in 1941?

Tojo's actions, like occupying southern Indochina in 1941, prompted the United States to impose a total embargo on Japan. Tojo was willing to take risks, knowing that this could lead to war with the US, which eventually occurred after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

What was the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and how did Tojo's policies contribute to it?

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was Japan's vision of a bloc of East Asian nations free from Western imperialism. Tojo aimed to create this sphere through military conquests in Southeast Asia, though in reality, it was a way for Japan to benefit from these territories while exploiting their populations.

How did Tojo manage opposition within Japan during his time as Prime Minister?

Tojo sought to suppress opposition by arresting leftists and liberals, and imposing strict controls on the economy, the press, and political organizations. However, he didn't declare a state of emergency, and the Diet continued to function during his tenure.

Why did Tojo resign from his post in 1944, and what was the impact of his resignation?

Tojo resigned in July 1944 due to increasing military setbacks and opposition from within Japan. His resignation did not resolve the issues with Japan's war effort, as his successor, General Kosio Kuniaki, also failed to streamline the war effort and economy.

What were the consequences of Tojo's leadership for Japan's civilian population?

Under Tojo's leadership, Japan saw widespread war crimes, including starvation, massacres, rapes, and forced labor, leading to millions of deaths. Despite this, Tojo's ability to control Japan's war effort was limited by bureaucratic hurdles.

How did Hideki Tojo's legacy impact Japan after World War II?

Tojo was widely seen as responsible for Japan's war and the atrocities committed by the military. His legacy was one of oppression and failure to effectively manage Japan's war efforts, and he was hanged for war crimes in 1948.

Outlines

00:00

🇯🇵 Hideki Tojo's Rise to Power and Role in Japan's Expansion

Hideki Tojo was Japan's Prime Minister during World War II, but unlike authoritarian leaders like Adolf Hitler, he was not a dictator. Appointed by Emperor Hirohito in October 1941, Tojo lacked constitutional changes that solidified his power. He led without mass popular support or a controlling ideology, balancing multiple offices, but not overseeing the navy. Born in 1884 in Tokyo to a military family, Tojo rose through the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army, gaining influence through strict discipline, meticulousness, and political maneuvering. Although he lacked charisma, his administrative skills earned him the nickname 'Kamisori' (Razor). His experience included serving in various military roles, influencing Japan’s militaristic expansion and advocating for a totalitarian defense state inspired by Germany.

05:03

🇨🇳 Conflict with China and the Radical Militarists

Tojo became a central figure during Japan's invasion of China in the 1930s. Though initially opposed by influential figures like Ishiwara Kanji, Tojo advocated for a strong military approach to force China into submission under the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This expansionist vision sought to replace Western imperialism with Japanese control, often violently. Tojo dealt with internal opposition by removing or retiring those against the war, like Ishiwara. By 1938, as Army Vice-Minister, Tojo opposed any compromise with Chiang Kai-Shek and was instrumental in furthering Japan’s aggressive policies in China and Southeast Asia, eventually pushing Japan into further conflict with Western powers.

10:05

🌏 Entering Global War and Rising Influence

As Japan's Army Minister from 1940, Tojo supported closer ties with Germany and Italy, aligning Japan with the Axis powers. His influence increased significantly by 1941, when he advocated for the occupation of southern French Indochina, which led to the U.S. tightening economic sanctions on Japan. Despite American demands for Japan to withdraw from Indochina and China, Tojo remained firm, contributing to the buildup toward war with the United States. When Emperor Hirohito appointed Tojo as Prime Minister in October 1941 after Konoye’s resignation, Japan was set on a collision course with the U.S. The attacks on Southeast Asia and Pearl Harbor followed shortly after, marking Japan’s entry into the global conflict.

Keywords

💡Hideki Tojo

Hideki Tojo was the Prime Minister of Japan during World War II, who led the nation into global conflict, particularly against the United States. He was not an authoritarian dictator like Hitler but still wielded significant power. His role is central to the video's narrative as he is portrayed as a strict, disciplined military leader who led Japan's war efforts and eventually faced trial for war crimes.

💡Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was Japan's vision for a unified East Asia free from Western imperialism, but under Japanese control. While it was framed as a movement for regional collaboration, it primarily benefited Japan and often involved violent subjugation of other nations. Tojo was a proponent of this idea, which influenced Japan’s imperialist actions during the war.

💡Tripartite Pact

The Tripartite Pact was a military alliance signed in 1940 between Japan, Germany, and Italy. This agreement solidified Japan's alliance with the Axis powers and expanded its influence in East Asia. Tojo supported the pact, believing that Japan’s association with victorious Germany would strengthen its position. This decision played a major role in Japan's involvement in the broader global conflict.

💡Kwantung Army

The Kwantung Army was Japan's largest army group, stationed in Manchuria. It played a pivotal role in Japan’s imperial ambitions, including the invasion of Manchuria. Tojo served as the Chief of Staff of this army, and his involvement with it marked a significant rise in his military career. The Kwantung Army is critical to understanding Japan's early aggression in East Asia.

💡Manchukuo

Manchukuo was a puppet state established by Japan in Manchuria following its invasion in 1931. Tojo, during his time with the Kwantung Army, was deeply involved in the administration of this region, reflecting Japan's imperialist ambitions. Manchukuo became a symbol of Japanese expansionism and military dominance in East Asia.

💡Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor refers to the surprise military attack carried out by the Japanese on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which marked the entry of the United States into World War II. As Prime Minister, Tojo played a crucial role in the decision to launch this attack. The event is a turning point in the video, symbolizing Japan’s transition from regional to global warfare.

💡Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was a major force in Japan’s military, especially during its Pacific campaigns. Despite Tojo's significant power, he did not have control over the navy, which limited his ability to fully dictate Japan’s war strategy. The navy’s importance is highlighted due to Japan’s need to fight across the Pacific Ocean during the war.

💡Chiang Kai-Shek

Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Army and a key figure in the Sino-Japanese conflict. Tojo, as Army Minister, opposed any peace deals with Chiang, advocating instead for a strong military approach to force Chinese cooperation under Japanese dominance. This opposition to negotiation reflected Tojo's hardline stance on military expansion.

💡Hull Note

The Hull Note was a set of demands made by U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Japan in late 1941, calling for Japan to withdraw from China and Indochina. Tojo used the Hull Note as a pretext for launching the attacks that started the Pacific War, although the decision for war had already been made. It symbolizes the failed diplomatic efforts between Japan and the United States before the outbreak of hostilities.

💡War crimes

War crimes refer to the atrocities committed by the Japanese military under Tojo's leadership during World War II, including massacres, forced labor, and widespread civilian deaths. Tojo was held responsible for these actions during his post-war trial and was executed in 1948. The video emphasizes these crimes as a significant part of his legacy and Japan's wartime history.

Highlights

Hideki Tojo was the leader of Japan who brought the nation into global war in 1941, but unlike Adolf Hitler, he was not an authoritarian dictator.

Tojo was appointed as Prime Minister by Emperor Hirohito in October 1941, following traditional procedures, without major constitutional changes that extended his power.

Tojo was not the leader of a mass popular movement and had no real ideologies associated with him, unlike his European Axis counterparts.

He held multiple offices simultaneously but did not control the Japanese Navy, which was critical to the war in the Pacific.

Tojo was the strongest Prime Minister in modern Japanese history, but his power was fragile and heavily influenced by existing structures.

Born in 1884 in Tokyo, Tojo followed his father’s military footsteps and was influenced by the German Army's desire to create a totalitarian defense state.

Known for his strictness and attention to detail, Tojo earned the nickname 'Kamisori' (Razor).

He rose through the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Army, eventually becoming involved in militarist politics and commanding the Kwantung Army.

Tojo played a role in Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, where he believed a strong show of force would bring China under Japanese control.

Tojo became a proponent of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy in 1940 and supported the invasion of Southeast Asia.

He was instrumental in Japan’s decision to go to war with the United States, with the attack on Pearl Harbor occurring under his leadership.

Despite his powerful positions, Tojo never proclaimed a state of emergency and allowed Japan's Diet to continue functioning.

Tojo’s downfall came as Japan faced defeats in the war, and in July 1944, he resigned from all his positions.

After Japan’s surrender in 1945, Tojo attempted suicide but survived and was later tried for war crimes and hanged in 1948.

Tojo is widely seen as responsible for leading Japan into a devastating war and presiding over atrocities, with millions of people killed during his reign.

Transcripts

He was the leader of Japan who brought his nation from active conflict with China to

global war in 1941, but he was not- as he is sometimes portrayed- an authoritarian dictator

like his ally Adolf Hitler.

So who was Hideki Tojo?

Welcome to a World War Two in real-time Bio special, where I take a closer look at the

major or interesting figures of the war, today featuring Hideki Tojo.

There are, in fact, a bunch of differences between Tojo and his European Axis counterparts.

Tojo was appointed as PM by Emperor Hirohito- the traditional way- in October 1941, but

there were no constitutional changes made that solidified or extended his power.

He was not the leader of any mass popular movement, and there aren’t any real ideologies

you associate him with.

He didn’t have anything like total power, even holding multiple offices and cabinet

posts simultaneously, and though he was both Army Minister and Prime Minister, he certainly

did not control the Japanese Navy- and the war with the western powers being a war fought

across the Pacific Ocean meant the navy being pretty important.

In spite of this, he was the strongest PM in modern Japanese history, and the extent

of his power was considerable, though as it turned out, fragile.

Tojo Hideki was born in 1884 in Tokyo, the son of a lieutenant general in the Imperial

Japanese Army.

Following in his father’s footsteps he attended both the military academy and the army staff

college, finishing the latter in 1915.

He did serve briefly as the Great War was ending in the Japanese Expeditionary Force

sent to try to intervene in the Russian Civil War, but was then sent to Europe as a military

attaché to Germany and Switzerland.

Tojo was intellectually influenced by the elements within the German Army that wished

to plan for a next war by creating a totalitarian defense state- this would be the National

Defence State much of the IJA would later support.

In terms of personality, he was very strict, very unbending, and with a meticulous attention

to detail.

His only hobby was his work.

While he was never known for being particularly bright, he very much did distinguish himself

as a diligent administrator.

Later in the 1930s he would pick up the nickname Kamisori- Razor- for his strictness.

From 1922-26 he taught at the staff college, then spent three years with the Army Ministry,

and then commanded an infantry regiment.

It was during that period that the by then Colonel Tojo began to really take an interest

in the politics of the army and militarist politics in general.

He then spent three years with the General Staff and then Major General Hideki Tojo commanded

the 34th Infantry Brigade in 1934-35.

That year he became commander of the Military Police- Kempei- of the Kwantung Army in Manchukuo;

you may remember that Manchukuo is the Japanese puppet state in Manchuria they set up in 1932.

The Kwantung Army was the largest army group in the IJA, and it was they who orchestrated

the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 without any orders from the Japanese government.

Like in other parts of the world, Japan had a serious boom in ultranationalism in the

20s and 30s, and radicals within the army really wanted to install a military dictatorship

as Japan’s government.

The 30s saw planned coups and a bunch of assassinations, but once the rebellion in February 1936 was

put down, those hardliners in the Army instead chose to gradually penetrate and manipulate

the government to achieve their ends.

They were helped in this- as was the navy- that year by the arrangement that the army

and navy ministers in the cabinet had to be on active duty, not reserves, so they could

make any cabinet fall by just not giving it a minister or withdrawing one.

But back to Tojo, who was rising to the top of the army during all of this.

In 1937 he became CoS of the Kwantung Army, and as any schoolboy knows, that summer Japan

invaded China.

Two things- one, that invasion saw Tojo’s only actual combat experience when he led

two brigades into Inner Mongolia, and two- Tojo very much believed that only a strong,

overwhelming show of force could bring China to collaborate and cooperate with Japan, or

should I say, under Japan in a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which aimed to

end American and European Imperialism in East Asia.

That sounds maybe okay until you realize that many, though by no means all, in Japanese

High Command thought the populations of East Asia were their inferiors and wanted to replace

western imperialism with their own, and as violently as need be.

Tojo was opposed in the idea of a full on war with China by Ishiwara Kanji, the Vice

CoS of the Kwantung Army.

He was one of the main orchestrators of the Manchuria invasion, but did not think the

war a wise idea and denounced the Kwantung leadership.

Tojo had him relieved of his duties and transferred, but when Ishiwara made public speeches denouncing

the war in China and called Tojo an enemy of Japan who should be arrested and executed,

Tojo had him put on the retired list.

But that’s in 1939; I’m not there yet.

In May 1938, Hideki Tojo became Army Vice-Minister in Prince Konoye’s cabinet.

Well, his first cabinet.

Seishiro Itagaki was the Minister and the two of them opposed any sort of compromise

or peace deal with Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of the Chinese Nationalist Army.

That cabinet fell in January 1939, but when Konoye formed his second cabinet in July 1940,

Tojo was appointed Army Minister and he would remain in that post in Konoye’s third cabinet

in 1941.

Now, as cabinet minister he had a lot more influence.

He was a big proponent of joining signing the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy

after Germany’s spectacular victories in Europe, and Japan did so in September 1940.

Japan also took the opportunity that summer to send troops into French Indochina, but

it was the summer of 1941 that Tojo’s influence really took off.

He talked the cabinet into occupying- well, invading, the southern parts of Indochina,

which prompted the US to tighten their economic thumbscrews to the point of total embargo.

Japan was by then very much in need of things like oil, rubber, and tin, and Tojo was very

much for taking the British and Dutch colonial possessions in SE Asia that had formerly supplied

them, knowing full well that this could likely mean war with the US.

In fact, as I talk about in the regular episodes, the Imperial Conference September 6, 1941

confirmed what had been decided at the Liaison Conference the day before- that Japan would

go to war with everyone if a solution didn’t arise before mid-October.

Well, Konoye was not in favor of a war and certainly didn’t want to lead it, but he

was not in a good position, though he tried and failed to get a summit with American SoS

Cordell Hull.

Konoye figured he could make a deal and present his nation with a fait accompli that would

circumvent the warhawks.

Hull didn’t trust Japan at all in general and didn’t think Konoye could make any decision

reached stick.

There was no summit.

Hull was also adamant that the base conditions for any agreement would be Japan committing

to pulling out of Indochina and China.

Konoye plead several times with Tojo to do this, but Tojo was as adamant as Hull that

it wasn’t going to happen.

When Konoye resigned as PM in October 1941 and Emperor Hirohito appointed Tojo in his

place, the cards had fallen.

It would be war.

Sure, there were still overtures and proposals in November, but that was window dressing.

When Hull wrote- mostly re-stating- conditions for resumption of trade on the 26th, Tojo

used the “Hull Note” as his official pretext for war, though his decision had already been

made.

Attacks would commence December 8th all over SE Asia, on Malaya, Thailand, Singapore, Hong

Kong, and more, and on American possessions the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, and the

US fleet at anchor at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Because of the time difference, it would still be December 7th in Hawaii.

Tojo’s response to Hull was to be delivered that morning, half an hour before the Japanese

carrier fleet attacked Pearl.

As it turned out, it was nearly six hours late.

It was still not, however, a declaration of war.

The Japanese attacks in 1941 and 1942 did conquer most of SE Asia and so was created

the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

The “co” part is a bit misleading, since it was Japan that saw the benefits of conquest.

Tojo was PM, Army Minister, and even Home Minister for the first four months of his

cabinet.

In that capacity he sought to get rid of opposition by having leftists and liberals arrested.

He put strict controls on the economy, the press, and most public or political organizations.

But he did not proclaim a state of emergency to take legislative power, the Diet would

continue to function.

In April 1942 he called for a general election, and the government “recommended” candidates

to be elected, but perhaps surprisingly, some independent candidates were elected.

Some of them refused to join the Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association, a successor

to a similar organization formed in 1940 that had replaced political parties- long story.

But though centralization proceeded during Tojo’s reign, he had to lead a wartime coalition

of Japan’s various competing elites just to govern, and his ability to dictate to other

ministers or imperial HQ was limited- and as I said, he had no control over the navy,

and thus over the competition between army and navy for resources.

To try to solve that, in November 1943 he created the Ministry of Munitions and made

himself minister, but it wasn’t a real solution.

It became evident that his position was not all that secure either as the war began to

go against Japan.

In February 1944 he assumed the post of Army CoS while Navy Minister Shimada Shigeru became

Navy CoS to try to set up some sort of unified military command and to run campaigns personally,

but this opened him up to all sorts of criticism.

A coalition of his opponents pushed for his resignation that summer after further setbacks

in the field.

Unable to either placate or intimidate them, on the 18th of July Hideki Tojo resigned all

of his posts, as did the rest of his cabinet.

I’ll say right now that if Tojo, with all of his posts and powers, was unable to control

the Japanese war effort, General Kosio Kuniaki, who replaced him only as PM, was certainly

not going to be able to either.

Tojo’s resignation was not because of any sort of coup, it was the same constitutional

way he came to power, he was not arrested, nor was he even denounced.

He retired to live the quiet life of a former PM.

Some Japanese officers committed suicide when Japan surrendered in 1945; Tojo did not.

Then when American MPs came to arrest him, he shot himself in the chest, but he didn’t

die.

He was tried for war crimes and found guilty, and hanged in December 1948.

This didn’t exactly inspire sympathy for him, either at home or abroad.

He was widely seen in Japan as responsible for the war- which to a pretty fair extent

he was, his reign was oppressive- though he only had some 2,500 political prisoners were

detained, which does not compare at all with the scale of say the Gestapo or NKVD, for

whatever that’s worth, and he had not done the honorable thing and committed suicide.

To many, though, Tojo’s legacy was the leader who presided over a host of crimes against

humanity committed by the Japanese military on his watch or on his authorization.

Starvation, massacres, rapes, murders, forced labor- of civilians and POWs- were all committed

by the army that Tojo led, with a death toll in the millions.

And for all that he led Japan into a war that many of his colleagues knew Japan could not

win, he could still never overcome the bureaucratic and governmental hurdles required to have

the power to streamline the war effort and the economy and his reign was ultimately one

of frustration.

If you’d like to learn more about Japan’s interwar political and military situation,

you can click here for out B2W episode about that.

And please support our war effort at tg.tv or patreon.com, it is your support that allows

us this in the first place.

See you next time.