At the end of 1948, Hideki Tojo, a class-A war criminal, was hanged, and the life of the 40th Japanese prime minister came to an end. The news sparked enthusiastic cheers in China, but at that time, there was a gloomy atmosphere in Japan.
What are the little-known stories behind Hideki Tojo, a notorious war criminal? What happened to his family's life after his death?
Is it true that his son is said to have become the CEO of a large conglomerate and that his products are selling well in China?
Hideki Tojo, a criminal who has committed many crimes against China, and his crimes are too numerous to mention. The spirit of bushido and militaristic ideas flowed in his blood, which made him determined to establish merit for Japan through the war.
In 1904, when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, he set foot on the battlefield for the first time. Although ** is not an opponent of Japan, especially after the Battle of Mukden, it has become the last of the strong crossbows.
Japan's victory on the battlefield made Tojo's ambitions continue to swell. Just when he was out in Germany, he met Crown Prince Hirohito, who had traveled in Europe, and the two had the same smell, and Hideki Tojo officially joined him.
After that, while assisting Hirohito to eliminate the party forces that hindered the imperial power, Hideki Tojo launched an attack on the highest power center of Japanese fascism and secretly planned to invade China.
During his tenure as chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, Hideki Tojo resolutely supported the position of the hardliners, and under the pretext of the threat of the squadron to Chahar Manchukuo, he repeatedly provoked incidents in North China.
He also often sent troops in the direction of Chahar without receiving orders from the General Staff Headquarters, creating contradictions and conflicts. Hideki Tojo's approach just caters to the needs of the hardliners of the Japanese military and has their full support.
In particular, after the signing of the non-aggression pact between China and the Soviet Union, Hideki Tojo became even more arrogant and domineering, and even unabashedly stated at the 1938 "Earnest Symposium on Army Management" that he would continue to operate in China and establish a military alliance with Germany to deter the Soviet Union by force in order to establish a new order in East Asia.
His actions sparked wars and widening disputes. He reorganized the Mongolian Xinjiang Army and carried out the Kwantung Army's blitzkrieg and desert operations, which greatly intensified the scale of the war. He planned the Pearl Harbor attack to bring the United States into the war, leading to the outbreak of the Pacific War; He also pushed for a southward expansion that drew countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore into wars and scorched them.
In addition, the cruel rules he advocated are still scourging the world today, and even though he has done so, events such as the Nanjing Congress, the Lushun Revolution, and the Manila Congress in 1945 still bring deep suffering to the people of the world.
His hands were stained with the blood of innocent ......
If Emperor Hirohito is seen as the promoter and leader of the war, then Hideki Tojo is the "actual actor" of these crimes. He should pay for his actions.
However, when Japan was defeated in 1945, instead of trying to atone for his crimes, he tried to commit suicide in an attempt to evade responsibility. But he didn't expect him to have a heart malformation, and instead of hitting the heart, a shot shot pierced his lungs.
After three months of rescue**, he was sent directly to Sugamo Prison in Japan, where he will be judged by the people of the world.
Second, the slogan is earth-shattering, but in fact, the heart is cowardly. The reason why Hideki Tojo committed suicide was precisely because he deeply felt that he had committed many crimes and became the first evil. In the end, of the 55 crimes listed by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Hideki Tojo accounted for the most, reaching 54.
In the face of irrefutable facts, even if he is clever, he can't change his fate. Despite his bravag and domineering appearance during the war, during his trial at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East from 1946 to 1948, he was rather depressed and even despised by other Class A war criminals.
He spent most of his time sitting alone in the corner, silently writing his confession and defense, trying to shift the blame on. But apparently, these efforts were to no avail, and in the end he was sentenced to death by hanging.
Hideki Tojo's reaction to the judge's verdict was surprising, he showed deep fear on the execution ground, and he could not control his trembling, whether standing in the prison cell or on the way to the execution ground.
However, despite his restraints on the gallows and the blackhead bag, and despite his convulsions and struggles, he still refused to repent and instead tried to use the Dharma as an escape from reality.
His behavior is unbelievable, a demonic butcher, who is so self-deceiving, that it is impossible not to feel disappointed and angry.
What is outrageous is that although seven Class-A war criminals were executed, most of them, like Hideki Tojo, refused to admit their mistakes to death. Some of them are delusional, hoping for bliss in their lives; Some of them also keep saying that their actions are sacrificing their lives for the country and are righteous acts.
However, only Seishiro Itagaki had repentance before his death, confessed the mistakes of the war, repented of his crimes, and expressed guilt and blessings to the country that was hurt.
However, as long as Japanese militarism continues, individual repentance will not really solve the problem. This is because these war criminals were enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine after their deaths, which brought harm to the people of the world.
Re-expression: Take Hideki Tojo as an example, his spiritual seat was placed in the first place at the Yasukuni Shrine, and all previous Japanese leaders have visited him, and even Hideki Tojo's family did not agree to remove the spiritual table.
There is no repentance in this way, but a desire to persevere in the wrongs to the end. This can't help but make people question, didn't Hideki Tojo's family know about the crimes he committed?
Why are they reluctant to remove their seats? What happened to them after Hideki Tojo's death?
1.Hideki Tojo and his wife, Katsuko Ito, have seven children, three sons and four daughters, most of whom are engaged in business. This is mainly due to the wealth that Hideki Tojo amassed for his family during his lifetime, and before his death, he emphasized that "children should live a low-key life and never get involved in the military".
In this regard, we can't help but sigh at Hideki Tojo's thoughtfulness, although he keeps saying that he will dedicate himself to the emperor and is not afraid of "broken jade", but in fact he sees the military as a victim of wealth and only cares about protecting his children.
Even before Hideki Tojo**, he was questioned, "Why are all three of your sons alive and two of my sons killed in the war?" Hideki Tojo just looked solemn and didn't respond, but his selfishness was already obvious.
Despite this, there are still many contradictions and disagreements between Hideki Tojo and his children.
Although Hideki Tojo's eldest son, Hidetaka Tojo, was deeply estranged from his father because he did not want to join the army, nor did he have great ambitions, and he was still working as an ordinary employee in a company until he was in his 30s, Hideki Tojo's harshness on him did not lessen because of this.
Even, in order to prevent the attack of political enemies, Hideki Tojo completely didn't care about his son's life or death, and the relationship between father and son was even worse. Before he was executed in 1948, Hideki Tojo hoped to see Hidetaka Tojo again, but his request was directly rejected and he was scoffed: "People like you, what else is there to be nostalgic for?" ”
Tojo Toshio, the third son of Tojo Hideki, was still studying during the war because he was young, so he spent less time with Tojo Hideki and his relationship was relatively indifferent. Later, Toshio Tojo worked as a company employee and in business, and his life was relatively stable.
Unfortunately, he lived a short life and became the first of his brothers to die. As for Hideki Tojo's second son, Teruo Tojo, he was deeply loved by his father. In order for him to inherit the family business, Hideki Tojo even considered depriving his eldest son of the inheritance, which was also the reason for the strained relationship between him and his eldest son.
Teruo Tojo admired his father very much, and at an early age he expressed his desire to join the army, but Hideki Tojo thought it was too dangerous to join the army and firmly opposed it. After the defeat, Teruo Tojo found his father and wept bitterly hoping to commit suicide with him.
Hideki Tojo felt sorry for this son and once again resolutely refused his request.
Despite the fact that Hideki Tojo has died, his son Teruo Tojo still insists on leaving his tablet in the Yasukuni Shrine. It wasn't until later in life that he loosened up, but remained neutral.
In terms of talent, Teruo Tojo is actually quite ordinary. He didn't have a strong physique, nor did he have a brilliant mind. Although he had been involved in the design of the Zero, he was actually responsible for calculating only a small amount of strength data.
However, judging by his experience, this character is more complicated. He was supported by Japan's right-wing chaebol and for a time became the chairman of the Mitsubishi Group. Some people may think that this is just a business that sells appliances, but this is not the case.
The Mitsubishi Group is far more complex than that and can be said to be one of the pillars of Japan.
4. Beware of Militaristic Japan: Japan's Expansionist Ambitions from the History of the Mitsubishi Group The origin of the Mitsubishi Group can be traced back to the 70s of the 19th century, when Yataro Iwasaki bought the "99 Chamber of Commerce" and founded the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce, which also became the predecessor of the Mitsubishi Group.
At the beginning, the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce was only a small-scale shipping company, but with the outbreak of Japan's war of aggression against Taiwan, they signed a military transportation agreement with Japan, and in just ten years, they became the overlord of Japan's shipping industry.
The relationship between the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce and Japan, which has tasted the sweetness, has further deepened, and in the Sino-Japanese War, the president of the Chamber of Commerce has openly supported Japan, calling on people with lofty ideals across the country to unite as one to raise funds and donate support.
This history reminds us that militarism has not been isolated in Japan's history, and that its expansionist ambitions have always existed. Today, Japan's series of actions on issues such as the Diaoyu Islands also warn us of its ambitions for the territory of its neighbors.
We should remain vigilant and pay close attention to Japan's developments in order to prevent it from repeating its historical mistakes and jeopardizing regional peace and stability.
In the First Sino-Japanese War, this chamber of commerce played a key role, not only raising military funds for the Japanese army, but also taking advantage of the sea to obtain military intelligence for Japan.
After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan donated the rudder plate of the Qing Army's Dingyuan ship to the Chamber of Commerce, and the influence of the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce in Japan was further enhanced. Subsequently, the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce gradually became the representative of Japan in the private sector, and no matter what was needed, the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce would go all out, especially in times of war.
For example, during the First World War, although the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce had limited capacity to build ships, torpedoes and smelt metals, it still provided important support to Japan**.
During World War II, the Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce underwent a complete transformation and began to focus on manufacturing all types of military equipment, including aircraft, tanks, and warships, in huge quantities.
Among them, the Zero fighter is particularly impressive. At this point, it was no longer accurate to call it "Mitsubishi Shokai", it should be called "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries", and the huge conglomerate led by Teruo Tojo was even more astonishing.
Of course, it is not surprising that civilian enterprises were requisitioned to produce war materials during the war, especially in the automotive industry, which is very common. After the outbreak of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States officially entered the war, and from the beginning of 1942, the domestic car production was completely stopped, and all automobile factories were requisitioned to produce the best materials.
Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are known as the military production triumvirate, and other independent automakers have largely shifted to the military.
When it comes to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, many people will think of their production of the Navy Erlikang 20mm anti-aircraft gun, the Air Force Martin B26B bomber, etc. But compared to these **, the tank cannon produced by the Japanese Mitsubishi Group may be more worth mentioning.
However, unlike other companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is still one of the most powerful military companies in Japan, covering almost all areas of military products.
In the early days, due to the three principles of prohibiting the export of **, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries could only use ** for the Self-Defense Forces, but this restriction was gradually relaxed in late 2011.
Today, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has become one of the top ten military enterprises in the world, and we must be vigilant enough.
In view of the fact that the Japanese government has not yet apologized for its past aggression, and the Japanese militarist ideology has not really been subjected to the first place, we must not relax in the slightest, lest we allow the historical tragedy to be repeated.
Japan's right-wing forces have put Teruo Tojo in charge of the Mitsubishi Group, and this should cause us to think deeply. Even after the death of Teruo Tojo, we should remain vigilant against Japanese militarism, so that we can truly prevent problems before they occur.
I hope that everyone can learn from this and remain vigilant.