Young Life and Career

Hideki Tojo was born on the 30th of December 1984. He

lived his early life in the capital of Japan, Tokyo. Possibly
due to his father's
military role, Tojo
joined the the Army
Cadet School.
Graduating it in 1905
he had the role of a
second lieutenant. He
was ranked tenth best
out of a greater
number that three
hundred.
To the right one can
see a picture of Tojo
as a young soldier. In
1909 he married and
had three sons and
four daughters. By
1928 he had been
promoted to bureau Chief of the Japanese Army. It wasn't
long after that when he received the promotion to a
Colonel. It was during his command of the 1st infantry
division that Hideki began to take an interest in politics,
specifically those surrounding the military.

General and Rise to Prime Minister

In 1934 he was promoted to General and acted as Chief
of the Personnel
Department. He was
known among his
soldiers to be sharp and
fierce. Some historians
now view him as
dogmatic. This earned
him
the nickname razer.
Six years later he was
appointed Army
Minister. He was a
strong and spoken
supporter of the Tripartite Pact. This was the pact
between Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
He continued to hold his position as Chief of the Personnel
Department for four more years. During this time he also
served as Home minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and
Education Minister.
As Prime Minister he began indoctrination in the education
system. It is believed that this was done heavily however
increased after the Battle of Midway and Japan began to
lose the war. His popularity did begin to decline.

Capture

After two Atomic Bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and

Nagasaki, Japan offered and unconditional surrender.
Orders were given by Douglas McArthur to capture the
first forty allegated war criminals. Hideki Tojo was one of
the top priorities. His home was surrounded by reporters,
journalists and others two Americans from the Office of
Strategic Services arrived, with the goal of capturing him.
When the American military surrounded the house, a
gunshot was heard from inside. It was later found out that
a doctor had marked an X on his heart and his intentions
were to take his own life. Despite shooting himself directly
on the X, his heart was
missed but the bullet
and shot through his
stomach.
He was taken to a
military hospital and
treated, where he didn't
die. While there he
received a new set of
dentures. On them,
inscribed in morse code
was the phrase pearl harbour, never forget.

Trial and Death

Tojo was tried by the International Military Tribunal for the
Far East. He was found guily of the following charges:

Count 1 (waging wars of aggression, and war or wars in violation of

international law)
Count 27 (waging unprovoked war against the Republic of China)
Count 29 (waging aggressive war against the United States of America)
Count 31 (waging aggressive war against the British Commonwealth of
Nations)
Count 32 (waging aggressive war against the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Count 33 (waging aggressive war against the French Republic)
Count 54 (ordering, authorizing, and permitting inhumane treatment of
Prisoners of War and others)

And sentenced to death by hanging. In his last words he

apologised for his actions and asked the American Military
to show compassion towards his people. He handed his
metals to a nearby soldier before his death.