Chapter 74 killing relatives

Tojo tried his best to suppress the comments that were unfavorable to him, but there were still more and more people who opposed him, especially after the fiasco in Saipan, it reached a boiling point. His wife often received anonymous calls asking Tojo to commit suicide No. Some people can't wait for Tojo to commit suicide, and various assassination plans have been devised, including ambushes with machine guns, and plans to throw special bombs at Tojo's car.Although none of these assassinations were successful, it was enough to make Tojo break out in a cold sweat when he heard about it.

The panic-stricken Tojo decided to seek help from Minister Koichi Kido.Kido once nominated Tojo as prime minister. Even if Tojo was dictatorial, he always expressed support. Moreover, Kido was a close minister of the emperor and a person who the emperor trusted. As long as he said a few words in front of the emperor, Tojo's seat would be guaranteed Can sit more firmly. There is only icing on the cake for human feelings and the state of the world, how can there be timely charcoal?What Tojo didn't expect was that Kido's face has changed now. Not only did he not have a word of comfort, but he also criticized Tojo severely: "You yourself have held the two highest positions in the cabinet (referring to Minister Lu and Minister of Internal Affairs). Shimada also holds two positions (referring to marine minister and military commander), everyone is upset about this, and the emperor himself is very angry."

I mean, is it because I have too many part-time jobs?Tojo was very upset when he heard this, and he left without saying a word. Kido was none other than the Emperor, and Tojo was particularly disturbed by the phrase "the Emperor himself was very angry", so he came to visit Kido again that night.This time he took the initiative to make a compromise, saying that he could reshuffle the cabinet, but he was unwilling to hand over his other positions. After hearing this, Kido didn't express anything, as if he thought Tojo's price was too low.Tojo couldn't hold back the unknown fire in his heart anymore, he stood up suddenly, and shouted loudly at Kido: "It's meaningless to talk to you today!"

After finishing speaking, he strode out of Kido's residence and slammed the door firmly, completely disregarding his previous high-end image. The wind blows on the road, and Tojo's hot head gradually wakes up.Back at the official residence and thinking about it carefully, the more Tojo thought about it, the more he felt bad: No matter how confident Kido is in his qualifications, he would not dare to adopt such an attitude towards me, which must represent the meaning of the emperor. If the emperor also abandons him, the prime minister has really done it.Tojo recruited Sato Ken, the chief of staff: "The emperor has lost trust in me, so I decided to give up the idea of ​​reorganizing the cabinet and resign myself."

Sato jumped up anxiously: "How can we talk about resignation at the most critical moment of the war!" In order to help Tojo get out of the predicament, Sato came up with an idea of ​​abandoning his pawns to save the car. He asked Tojo to appoint Minai to replace Shimada. Shimada is Tojo's best friend, and he has been hugging Tojo's thigh at critical moments. Would it make people feel impersonal to throw him away?Seeing that Tojo was a little hesitant, Sato quoted a Chinese idiom called "Dayi kills relatives". "No matter how painful you are, you have to destroy Shimada. You must know that your obligation to Shimada is only a personal friendship. It is better for Shimada to leave than you to leave, because you started the war, and you can't just let it go halfway."

Sato's remark was in the heart of Tungjou, and he found a very legitimate and eloquent reason for his ruthlessness and ignorance. Shimada was quickly found.Knowing that he was asked to resign as Prime Minister of the Sea, Shimada was not emotional, and cried out loudly. He said: "I resigned from the post, but I have no official position, but you have to shoulder heavy responsibilities and continue to work. I wish you good luck in the future." Achievements will be made in future struggles." I don't know whether it was moved by Shimada, or Tojo Usagi's sad heart, when the two shook hands and said goodbye, he burst into tears.

The next day, July 17, 1944, Shimada obediently submitted his resignation in accordance with Tojo's instructions.Tojo and Sato thought they could take a breather. Unexpectedly, the opposition did not stop there. The former sea minister and admiral Mitsumasa Minai not only refused the invitation to join the cabinet to replace Jintian, but also participated in a meeting of important ministers organized by the opposition, showing that he was also a member of the opposition to Tojo.Among the important ministers attending the meeting were Minister of Internal Affairs Kido, former Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro, Hiranuma Kiichiro, and Admiral Okada Keisuke.In short, civil servants and military generals, those who have a way out and those who have no way out, most of them are united in wanting Tojo to step down.

There are also one or two reservations.Army General Nobuyuki Abe raised a question: "It is irresponsible to just talk about overthrowing the cabinet. How can we be sure that we will be able to form a better cabinet?" Hiranuma immediately replied: "Whether the cabinet is overthrown or not, whether the next cabinet is strong or weak is not the problem. The country has reached a critical juncture, and the cabinet must be replaced, and it must be replaced as soon as possible." The meeting of important ministers formed a resolution to reverse the cabinet, and decided to submit it to the emperor through Kido early the next morning.After the meeting, Minai returned to the mansion. In the reception room, he saw Sato who came to act as a lobbyist.

Sato also wanted to persuade Minai to join the cabinet, but Minai, who had gained confidence, directly rejected him: "I am not an expert in politics. I am an admiral, not a politician. If you want to use me, let me be an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Sea." .” If Minet does not join the cabinet, the government will not be able to put up an airs. This is obviously a deliberate attempt to demolish the situation.Sato returned to Tojo's office dejectedly, and said to Tojo, "Please resign." On July 18, just one day later, Tojo followed in the footsteps of his confidant Shimada.Tojo said to the cabinet members below with a bloodless face that he decided to resign because Saipan was captured by the US military. At the same time, "I must ask all of you to resign."

When Tojo handed over his resignation to Kido, Kido asked him who he wanted to take over his position, Tojo gave him a cold look: "I don't want to say who I fancy, I thought the minister had already decided candidate." After throwing this sentence, Tojo walked along the long corridor to the emperor's office. This would be the last time he paid homage to the emperor as prime minister. From then on, he was just an "important minister" who only played a consulting role up.Ironically, on this day four years ago, he just stepped on Lu Xiang's red carpet.