The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Higuchi joined the Japanese
Army in 1908 and served in Siberia
during the Allied
intervention in 1918-22. As part of a military mission to Germany, he apparently witnessed and was appalled by the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis: Shortly thereafter, as head of the Harbin Special Agency in 1937, and with the help of the president of the South Manchuria Railroad (and future Foreign Minister), Matsuoka Yosuke, he arranged for perhaps as many as 20,000 Jewish refugees to cross in to Manchuria and settle in Shanghai and elsewhere.
Higuchi was promoted to lieutenant general in 1939 and commanded 9 Division in Manchuria when war broke out. He was promoted to command of Northern District Army in Hokkaido in August 1942 and served in this post through the remainder of the war. He was the overall commander of Army forces in the Aleutians campaign.
Following the surrender, Stalin demanded his extradition for war crimes. The World Jewish Congress successfully petitioned MacArthur to refuse the demand.
| 1888
|
Born |
|
| 1908 |
Second lieutenant |
Graduated from Military
Academy |
| 1918-1922
|
Siberian
Expedition |
|
| 1933 |
Colonel |
Commanding officer, 41
Regiment |
| 1935 |
Chief of Staff, 3 Division |
|
| 1937 |
Military mission to Germany |
|
| 1937 |
Head, Harbin Special Agency |
|
| 1938-7-21 |
Head, 2 Bureau, General
Staff |
|
| 1939-12-1 |
Lieutenant
General |
Commanding officer, 9 Division |
| 1942-8-1 |
Commanding officer, Northern
District Army (later redesignated 5 Area Army) |
References
Generals.dk (accessed 2007-11-1)
Asahi Shimbun (2010-5-4; accessed 2011-7-23)
ww2incolor.com (accessed 2011-7-23)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2011, 2014 by Kent G. Budge. Index
