Chapter 3 Chapter Three

Early February 1944.The U.S. and British forces captured the Marshall Islands, and then bombed the combined fleet base of the Japanese Navy at Truk, Mariana, Caroline and other islands. On February 18, Sato, Director of Military Affairs, met with Hideki Tojo and proposed to withdraw from the Mariana and Caroline Islands.The absolute defense circle in the Pacific Ocean announced by Hideki Tojo on September 25, 1942 has been torn open. The flames of war are almost at the gates of Japan.Among Japanese government and opposition figures, calls for the replacement of the Tojo military government, an end to the war, and the restoration of peace are growing louder.The Tojo military government and its war policy of foreign aggression and expansion have become more and more isolated at home.At this critical moment, Hideki Tojo believed that the defeat in the war was caused by the democratization of Japan's domestic politics.Democracy, the public says that the public is right, and the mother-in-law says that the woman is right, quarreling all day long, interfering with the unity of government orders, making it impossible for the whole country to unify its will and concentrate its forces on holy war.

This war madman advocates dictatorship.Like all dictators, he believes that the advantage of dictatorship is that a country can be managed well by the method of managing a squad of 10 soldiers.Of course, this method is extremely bloody and barbaric.At this time, Hideki Tojo was already the Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Culture, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Minister of Military Supplies, implementing a comprehensive dictatorship.However, he still felt that it was not enough, and he had to further realize the high degree of unity of command and command of the Japanese Army.

On the night of February 18th, Hideki Tojo visited Koichi Kido, Minister of the Palace.He knew that this person was the top figure who strongly advocated his resignation, but he deliberately sought him out first.Tojo first revealed the current deteriorating situation in full, and then forced the palace ministers to submit.He pointed out: At this critical juncture that determines the life and death of the Japanese country and nation, there is only one way to save Japan, and that is dictatorship.The specific requirements he put forward are: the implementation of military and political unification (the base camp and the government cabinet); the implementation of the unification of the command and command of the army (the cabinet Army Ministry and the base camp Army Staff Headquarters).In order to achieve these two unifications, Chief of Staff Sugiyama of the Army Department of the Base Camp must resign, and Hideki Tojo will concurrently be the Chief of Staff; the same should be done between the Minister of the Navy and the Chief of the Military Command Department of the Navy Department of the Base Camp.

In order to win the support of the palace ministers and then the emperor, Hideki Tojo proposed that the unified government cabinet and headquarters would be more directly under the leadership of the emperor.In other words, the one-yuan ratio strengthened the emperor's military and political unity.In order to pave the way for his own dictatorship, Tojo also adopted the following means.First, increase the number of one lieutenant general-level deputy chief of staff at the General Staff Headquarters (Marshal's Mansion) to two, that is, set up a general-level deputy chief of staff.And the next day, he summoned the commander of the Central Army, General Jun Gongjun, to the Prime Minister's Office to talk, and stuffed this piece of "fat" into the mouth of this key figure in the army, in order to ask for his support; (The Air Force is attached to the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy respectively), and the Lu Minister has been concurrently held by Tojo, and the Marine Minister has become the most critical figure.Hideki Tojo made a wish to Admiral Shimada, Prime Minister of the Sea. After the unification, Shimada will also serve as the head of the Military Command Department of the Navy Department of the headquarters.The commander-in-chief of the Japanese Navy's military command is usually also served by the marshal. In this way, the marine minister is of course willing to "unify".

Hideki Tojo's unified military and political rule was strongly opposed and condemned by the Japanese government and the opposition.But there are also many people who naively believe that dictatorship may really bring Japan's decline back to life and win the war.Chief of Staff Sugiyama resolutely opposed Tojo's unification. He said: "Commanders and government affairs cannot be confused. This is a system established by Japan's Meiji Constitution. I do not agree with so-called unification." On the body of Shigetaro Shimada, Prime Minister of the Sea.In his view, as long as the navy opposes it, Tojo's dictatorship will fail.However, how did he know that at this time, the Marine Minister has been active everywhere like Tojo, trying to win over the upper and middle ranks of the military to support the "unification" of the navy.

February 19, afternoon.Proposed by Hideki Tojo, the Director of the Personnel Bureau, Yong Kyoji, presided over the meeting of the three chiefs of the Army (namely, the Chief of Staff, Prime Minister Lu, and the Director of Education), and finally discussed and decided whether to implement unification.At the meeting of the three chiefs, the Chief of Staff and the Superintendent of Education unanimously opposed "unification".Sugiyama Moto said: "As the actual commander in command of the national army, the chief of staff cannot be confused with the government affairs of the cabinet minister. The chief of staff must be full-time and not concurrently. This is clearly stipulated in the Mingye Constitution. If you think I am not competent, you can choose another commander. , but it must not be concurrently held by the Prime Minister or Minister Lu!" The attitude of the director of education was even stronger, "Separation of military and government; "

The discussion among the three chiefs has always been a two-on-one stalemate.However, Tojo wanted to hold this meeting by no means to really discuss whether or not to implement unification; it was a showdown to them that unification must be implemented.When stalemate.Tojo showed his trump card: first, both the army and the navy unanimously demanded and strongly supported unification; second, he himself insisted on unification, and he would never waver, and there was no room for change; third, when the country was in crisis, there was nothing better than unification The way to save the country and the people.The most important one is that the navy also supports unification.This means that the army should not be unified, but the navy should also be unified.Under the aggressive pressure of the dictator, the two officers begged pitifully like a weak girl raped by a criminal: "Just this once!"

Moto Sugiyama and director of education Yamada signed on the card recording the transfer of personnel, and begged again in black and white: "As a special case of ad hoc, only this time agree to concurrently serve." Although the two "decision makers" had no choice but to "agree", but From their hearts, they still have unlimited hopes for dictatorship.They imagined that, as Hideki Tojo preached, they would save the country and the people from the fire and water through the highly unified dictatorship.Many people in Japan, including a considerable part of the upper echelons who advocated the replacement of Hideki Tojo's government, also hold this attitude. In despair, most people always imagine that a brilliant savior will appear to shine on themselves.The rise of great dictators Hitler, Mussolini and others was all like this.While Hideki Tojo realized the unification of military administration, government affairs and command power, the navy also realized the unification.Then the Southern Army in northern Australia and the Philippines also implemented unified.

For a while, Japan, which had gone astray in the war and was facing a desperate situation, had a fever for unification. It seemed that Prime Minister Hideki Tojo had really found a "broad road" for the Japanese nation.In fact, it is just a way for the rulers to play with the people.It can only deepen Japan's crisis, misery and misfortune in the war. On February 21, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo realized unification: he immediately decided to expand the army to 32 divisions in 1944, together with the original 69 divisions, a total of 101 divisions, and all people will be soldiers. On February 25, the cabinet issued an outline of extraordinary measures for the decisive battle. On February 26, U.S. and British troops landed on the Admiralty Islands, north of the island of New Guinea in the absolute defense circle.

After March 7, Rabaul was completely isolated. On March 5, the airborne regiment of Major General Wingate of the British Army landed on both sides of the Irrawaddy River in northern Myanmar. On March 15, the British 15th Army launched an offensive in Imphal, East India, and cut off the road between Kohima and Imphal on the 28th. March 31.Admiral Koga, commander of the Combined Fleet of the Southern Army, and his headquarters staff were killed in battle. From March 30th to 31st, the US and British air forces bombed Hollandia (now Jayapura), and the Japanese 4th Air Force suffered a devastating blow. At the end of March, the dictator Hideki Tojo's first major task of "saving the country and the people" was to prohibit the freedom of speech of the people, including senior military and political officials.In the successive defeats, the soldiers and civilians were ordered to sing triumphant songs of victory.Hideki Tojo roared murderously at the senior cabinet meeting: "Recently, my upper echelons have been feeling defeated. We must do our best to assist His Majesty the Emperor, firmly believe in victory, and never allow the slightest bit of confidence in the final victory." Shaken! From now on, we must strictly prohibit the public and officials of all sizes from talking about peace issues!"

Another dictator second only to Hideki Tojo, Admiral Shimada, Minister of the Sea and Minister of the Military Command, also issued an order to the officials of the Navy High Command at the same time, "Pay attention to everyone's words and deeds, and never allow anyone to Words and deeds show a sense of failure! Among the members of the military command, we must try our best to prevent speech that undermines the belief in victory! For those who waver in the belief in victory, military law will be followed.”