To discuss the question "Who is the leader, Tojo Hideki or Hirohito?", we must first look at the political system of Japan's Showa era. Emperor Hirohito had the highest decision-making power. Of course, during World War II, Hirohito was more powerful than Hirohito. Tojo had more power.
Only after World War II, the United States considered the interests of the Far East and the emperor system could play a role in uniting Japan's conservative anti-Japanese forces. It retained the emperor and implemented a constitutional monarchy, making the emperor the symbolic head of state of the country. .
Hirohito, posthumously named Emperor Showa (April 29, 1901 - January 7, 1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan (reigned from 1926 to 1989), the current emperor The father of Akihito (era Heisei). Hirohito visited Europe during his tenure as Crown Prince. In the 10th year of the Taisho period (1921), he became regent due to the illness of his father, Emperor Taisho. He succeeded to the throne in the 15th year of Taisho (1926), and changed the Yuan Dynasty to Showa with the sentence "the common people are enlightened, and all nations are harmonious" in the book of ministers. He was one of the three fascist leaders in World War II, along with Hitler and Mussolini, and the number one war criminal responsible for Japanese militarism's invasion of Asia and China. After World War II, it served as a symbol of Japanese nationality.
Hirohito when he ascended the throne In 1926, Hirohito ascended the throne. At that time, Japan was becoming increasingly democratic, so Hirohito adopted Showa as the era name. Although the era name contained peaceful connotations, Japan quickly embarked on a path of military expansion. Following a major banking crisis in 1927, the newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Yoshiichi began to expand Japan's military power in Northeast China. Hirohito was committed to fulfilling his duties as a constitutional monarch and rarely interfered with cabinet policies, but he neither supported nor opposed expansionism. Ironically, extreme nationalists preached absolute obedience to the emperor and opposed constitutional democracy. However, he admired the militarists very much, which laid hidden dangers for the outbreak of war in the future.
The Great Depression of 1929 further promoted Japanese militarism and expansionist policies. After Japan invaded Northeast China in 1931, it established the "Manchukuo" puppet regime there. In the 1930s, ultranationalists carried out a series of political assassinations. The assassination of Prime Minister Takeshi Inukai on May 15, 1932 marked the end of party-led cabinets and the beginning of bureaucratic cabinets increasingly controlled by the military. This authoritarian system requires schools to teach absolute patriotism, and they force universities to expel professors with democratic ideas.
On February 26, 1936, the "February 26 Mutiny" launched by the extremely fanatical fascist young officers of the "Koido Sect" was brutally suppressed under Hirohito's strict orders. As a result, the Japanese military The internal fighting between the "Northward Faction" and the "Southern Movement Faction" finally ended with the victory of the "Southern Movement Faction" supported by Hirohito. The Military Ministry took control of the government, and Hirohito also took absolute control of the Japanese military, which was difficult to control by the Japanese central government in the past. .
Hirohito when he ascended the throne In 1926, Hirohito ascended the throne. At that time, Japan was becoming increasingly democratic, so Hirohito adopted Showa as the era name. Although the era name contained peaceful connotations, Japan quickly embarked on a path of military expansion. Following a major banking crisis in 1927, the newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Yoshiichi began to expand Japan's military power in Northeast China. Hirohito was committed to fulfilling his duties as a constitutional monarch and rarely interfered with cabinet policies, but he neither supported nor opposed expansionism. Ironically, extreme nationalists preached absolute obedience to the emperor and opposed constitutional democracy. However, he admired the militarists very much, which laid hidden dangers for the outbreak of war in the future.
The Great Depression of 1929 further promoted Japanese militarism and expansionist policies. After Japan invaded Northeast China in 1931, it established the "Manchukuo" puppet regime there. In the 1930s, ultranationalists carried out a series of political assassinations. The assassination of Prime Minister Takeshi Inukai on May 15, 1932 marked the end of party-led cabinets and the beginning of bureaucratic cabinets increasingly controlled by the military. This authoritarian system requires schools to teach absolute patriotism, and they force universities to expel professors with democratic ideas.
On February 26, 1936, the "February 26 Mutiny" launched by the extremely fanatical fascist young officers of the "Koido Sect" was brutally suppressed under Hirohito's strict orders. As a result, the Japanese military The internal fighting between the "Northward Faction" and the "Southern Movement Faction" finally ended with the victory of the "Southern Movement Faction" supported by Hirohito. The Military Ministry took control of the government, and Hirohito also took absolute control of the Japanese military that had been difficult to control by the Japanese central government in the past. .
The Sino-Japanese War began in 1937. Japan quickly annexed most of East Asia and joined the "Prosperity Circle". Hirohito was accused of agreeing with the foreign policy that led to the war and approving Tojo Hideki to form a fascist axis with Hitler of Nazi Germany and Mussolini of Italy to launch a war in the Asian theater of World War II and invade China. and other countries. Some people believe that Hirohito gave formal instructions on the government's decision to join the war. According to his understanding of the constitution, he is obliged to support the policies adopted by the cabinet.
On December 8, 1941, Japan suddenly attacked the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, causing the United States and its allies to join the war against Japan.
After the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, Hirohito was asked to attend a special meeting of the Wartime Supreme Council of State to consider and discuss the surrender terms proposed by the United States and its allies. He and the then Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki advocated Japan's surrender. . As the political and military members of the council could not agree on whether to surrender, the Prime Minister asked the Emperor to make the final decision. Hirohito agreed to surrender and accepted the Potsdam Declaration; the "unconditional surrender" implied a condition: not to depose the emperor.
Emperor Hirohito's 62-year reign was the longest period of Japanese emperor's reign in history, and it was also a period that experienced several major turmoils and changes.
Emperor Showa was the main culprit for Japan's launch of World War II, but some people believe that he was just a puppet of the military and had no real power. But it is undeniable that he turned a blind eye to the growing strength of the military, and he had the power to punish soldiers who did not obey instructions, but he did not do it, but was optimistic about the success.
Hirohito has a famous saying: "The problem is not what we do, but how the world reacts to what we do." This means that what he cares about most is his own reputation and responsibility.
After Japan surrendered, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries all listed Hirohito as Japan’s number one war criminal. British Prime Minister Attlee and Soviet Commander Stalin respectively called MacArthur, demanding severe punishment for the war criminal Emperor Hirohito, and suggested that he be hanged after a public trial.
MacArthur considered that in order to support allies in the Cold War with the Soviet Union in the Far East, a Japan that was in chaos due to the trial and execution of the emperor was not conducive to the interests of the United States, and the emperor system could unite Japan's conservative anti-Japanese Therefore, MacArthur himself supported the abandonment of holding the Emperor responsible for the war, and sent an urgent telegram to the then U.S. President Truman:
The Japanese people...have respected the Emperor of Japan with utmost respect for more than a hundred years. During the Pacific War, a few militarists used this as a means to fan nationalism and call for self-sacrifice for the emperor. After the war, the Japanese people's worship of Emperor Hirohito continued unabated and they regarded him as a national god. I believe that if Emperor Hirohito is put on trial and executed, it will completely collapse the pillars of national faith in Japan, and even cause crazy riots and riots against the allies throughout Japan. The execution of Hirohito is unacceptable to the whole country of Japan. Our future of rebuilding and transforming Japan is unimaginable, and the result may be a historical tragedy.
Therefore, as the plenipotentiary representative of the Allied Powers in Japan, and out of consideration for the future destiny of Japan, I have decided to exempt Emperor Hirohito from prosecution for war responsibility.
If the Allies decide to arrest and execute the Emperor as a war criminal, the Allied Command in Japan will need to reinforce 1 million combat troops...
Washington quickly called back and agreed with MacArthur's opinion, so MacArthur issued the First Order of the Allied General Headquarters:
Out of consideration for Japan's future and national beliefs, the Allies decided not to hold Japanese Emperor Hirohito accountable for launching the war, and not to prosecute or arrest him. From now on, Hirohito's personal status and personal freedom should be protected by the Constitution in the same way as other Japanese nationals. This led to the continued development of Japan's postwar militarism and cast a shadow over peace.
Hideki Tojo, a Japanese army general, an officer of the Japanese ruling faction, and a representative figure of Japanese militarism. During World War II, he was the fascist leader second only to Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Showa. He was the number one war criminal responsible for Japanese militarism's invasion of Asia and China. During the Second World War, he served as the Japanese Army General and the 40th Prime Minister of the Cabinet (October 18, 1941 - July 22, 1944). After the war, he was designated as a Class-A war criminal. During his tenure, he served as the Japanese Army Minister and Cabinet. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he launched the Pacific War, and the Japanese army launched an attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, America, and frantically invaded and trampled on more than 10 countries and regions in Asia, causing tens of millions of lives to be devastated.