Aritomo Yamagata
Aritomo Yamagata (1838 - 1922) was born of samurai stock in the Chosu Clan, but was the key figure, in the Meiji restoration, of ousting the samurai from political power. He was the principal architect of the Imperial Japanese Army. While he died long before World War Two in the Pacific, he shaped the Army that would fight in it.
In 1864, he was among the first members of the mixed rifle units (shotai) formed by Shinsaku Takasugi of the Chosu Clan, the first non-samurai combat units. Initially, he saw the shotai, or the kiheiti "shock troops" under which they were organized, as a weapon against militarily superior foreigners. Increasingly, however, he became opposed to the Tokugawa Shogunate, becoming a member of the Choshu shishi ("men of spirit") who wanted to restore Emperor rule and break the shogunate. [1]
After serving as "taifu (senior vice minister) of Army-Navy Ministry, and army taifu, he became war minister in 1873. Promoting conscription, he focused on building the military system." He became [[Chief of Staff Imperial Japanese Army) in 1878, Home Minister in 1883, and home minister in the first Ito cabinet in 1885.
He was not a democrat, and indeed suppressed the people's rights movement, focusing on building a centralized system that controlled local government. "In 1889, he formed his first cabinet, and successively held important posts including justice minister, war minister in the second Ito cabinet, chairman of the Privy Council, and commander of the First Army during the First Sino-Japanese War. In 1898, he formed his second cabinet.
First Sino-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
During the Russo-Japanese War, he commanded operations as chief of the General Staff.
World War I
Siberian intervention
He cautioned Emperor Taisho against early involvement in the Siberian Intervention, although agreed to move when Britain sent a ship to Vladivostok, and, in 1918, when U.S. initiatives started, saying, on July 12, "Since the present expedition is not to fight with Germany, there is no need for our inadequacy to give anxiety." [2]
Elder statesman
As genro (elder statesman), who recommended candidates for Prime Minister of Japan, he effectively gathered government officials and military men, into what was called the "Yamagata-batsu (clique)," and exerted major influence on the political establishment."[3]
References
- ↑ Merion and Susie Harris (1991), Soldiers of the Sun: the Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army, Random House, pp. 12-14
- ↑ David Bergamini (1971), Japan's Imperial Conspiracy, Morrow, p. 304
- ↑ Yamagata, Aritomo, National Diet Library