Umezu Yoshijiro (1882-1949)

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Umezu Yoshijiro was born in Oita prefecture and was commissioned in the infantry in 1904. He graduated from the War College in 1911, studied in Germany and Denmark, and was attaché to Switzerland.  He was deeply involved in the machinations that put Manchuria under Japanese control, and as Army Vice-Minster, he maneuvered the cabinet into appointing China hawk Sugiyama Hajime as Army Minister. Umezu was given command of Kwantung Army following the battle of Nomonhan, with orders to bring the Army back under Tokyo's control. He was still in this post when war broke out in the Pacific. 

Umezu became chief of the Army General Staff in July 1944, replacing Tojo, who vainly hoped to remain in power by giving up some of his posts. Umezu joined with his close friend Anami Korechika, who was also from Oita prefecture, in adamantly opposing any effort to make peace. Instead, Umezu sought Russian intervention, but was reprimanded by the Emperor for not seeking a speedy end to the war. Umezu continued to demand that Japan fight on even after the nuclear attacks. He was aware of plans for a coup d'etat by junior officers opposed to the surrender but neither joined the cabal nor exposed it, saying he "did not disapprove." On the other hand, he rejected an appeal from Anami to have Hata try to change the Emperor's mind, saying "I'm sorry. I support the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration" (Craig 1967). Ironically, he was personally "requested" by the Emperor to sign the instrument of surrender on as the representative of the General Staff on 2 September 1945.

Umezu was a political general who concealed his personal views so well that associates nicknamed him "The Ivory Mask." A rigid martinet, he somewhat resembled a Japanese Mussolini, shaving his head and wearing a perpetual scowl. Sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against the peace by the Allies, Umezu died of cancer in 1949.

Service record

References

Craig (1967)

Dupuy et al. (1992)
Frank (1999)

Fuller (1992)

Generals.dk (accessed 2008-5-10)

Hayashi and Cox (1959)

Hoyt (1993)

Peattie et al. (2011)
Russell (1958)

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