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Tanaka Shizuichi (Tanaka Seiichi in some older sources) was born in Hyogo prefecture and
commissioned in
the infantry in 1907. He
graduated from the Japanese
Army Staff College in 1916. He
studied Shakespeare at Oxford University
in England for three years and
was
military attaché to Mexico and the United States
before serving in
several military police
commands.
Tanaka was commander of Eastern District Army at the beginning of the Pacific War. He was given command of 14 Army in August 1942 but was recalled to Tokyo for staff assignments in May 1943. Promoted to full general in September 1943, he was given command of 12 Area Army (Eastern District Army) in March 1945.
On the night of 24-25 May 1945, fires were ignited near the Imperial Palace. Tanaka organized fire fighting efforts, then offered to resign in atonement for the bombing, but his resignation was refused. Anami ordered him to tighten security and ensure public order prior to the public surrender announcement, 14 August 1945. He took command of 1 Imperial Guards Division when its commander was shot by young officers attempting a coup d'état to prevent the surrender, and successfully quashed the rebellion. He subsequently committed suicide, shooting himself through the heart on 24 August 1945.
1887 |
born in Hyogo prefecture | |
1907 |
Second
lieutenant |
|
1915 |
Army Staff College |
|
1930 |
Colonel |
Commander, 2 Regiment |
1932 |
Military attache, United States |
|
1934 |
General Staff |
|
1934 |
Chief of staff, 4 Division |
|
1935-8 |
Major general |
Commander, 5 Brigade |
1936-8 |
Head, General Affairs Bureau, Kempeitai |
|
1937 |
Head, Kempeitai, Kanto Area |
|
1938 |
Provost Marshal |
|
1939-8-1 |
Lieutenant general |
Commander, 13 Division, China |
1940-9 |
Provost Marshal |
|
1941-10-15
|
Commander, Eastern District Army |
|
1941-12-24 |
Army
General Staff |
|
1942-8-1
|
Commander, 14
Army |
|
1943-5-19 |
Army General Staff | |
1943-9 |
General |
|
1944 |
Hospitalized |
|
1944-6 |
Supreme War Council and
Comandant, War College |
|
1945-3-9 |
Commander, 12 Area Army |
|
1945-8-24
|
Commits suicide |
References
Generals.dk
(accessed 2008-7-5)
Hayashi
and Cox (1959)
Pettibone (2007)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2009, 2014 by Kent G. Budge. Index