KAZUSHIGE UGAKI

. (9 August 1868 - 30 April, 1956) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and twice Governor-General of Korea.

Contents

Early career

Minister of War & Governor General of Korea

Almost Prime Minister

Subsequent career

References & External Links

Early career

Ugaki was born to a ''samurai'' family in Seto-town, Bizen Province (currently Okayama Prefecture). He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1891, and the Army Staff College in 1900. He was sent as military attaché to Germany from 1902-1904 and again from 1906-1907. In 1910, he was promoted to colonel and in 1915 was promoted to major general, at which time he was made principal of the Army Staff College and commander of the 10th Division. In 1923, he was appointed Vice Minister of the Army.

Minister of War & Governor General of Korea

From 1924-1927, he served as Minister of War in the Kiyoura, Kato Takaaki and First Wakatsuki Cabinets. While Minister of War, Ugaki strove to protect the superior position of the Imperial Japanese Army in Japanese politics, fearing a loss of influces should the United States be judged "Hypothetical National Enemy No. 1". Ugaki's plans called for an Army of 50 divisions.
Nevertheless, despite Ugaki's strenuous opposition, the Kato Takaaki cabinet continued with its fiscal retrenchment policy (from 1 May 1925) and Ugaki was forced to eliminate four infantry divisions (the 13th, 15th, 17th, and 18th), which resulted in the release of approximately 2,000 commissioned officers, and was also forced to shorten the period of time conscripts served with the remaining divisions. This made him an extremely unpopular figure within the Army, and in 1927, Ugaki accepted a posting as Governor-General of Korea rather than continue as Minister of War.
In 1929, Ugaki was promoted to full general. He became Minister of War once again under the Hamaguchi cabinet.
Ugaki was a leader of the ''Toseiha'' faction within the military, attempting to represent the more conservative and politically moderate Army officers, as opposed to the more radical ''Kodaha''. Some officers under General Ugaki's revitalized ''Toseiha'' group , looked towards Hitler's Germany as the inspiration for the kind of controlled state they sought.
In 1931, although he refused to cooperate with them, he also failed to punish the insurgents responsible for the March Incident, an attempted coup-d'etat by young officers and ultranationists in the Sakura Kai who wanted to make him prime minister. Having lost the support of his fellow officers, he resigned from the military and accepted a posting again as Governor-General of Korea. During his period in Korea, he concentrated on building up the Korean industrial base, especially in the area of heavy industry, which we felt would be invaluable for the unavoidable war with China in the near future.

Almost Prime Minister

Recalled to Japan after the fall of the Hirota Cabinet, Ugaki was named Prime Minister in February 1937, but was unable to form a Cabinet due to opposition from the Army. After the February 26 Incident in 1936, the military had obtained a restoration of the requirement that their Ministers be selected only from active duty officers. Ugaki, although Prime Minister-designate (and a retired full general in his own right) was persona non grata with the Army over his previous terms as Minister of War and the March Incident, along with his alleged ties to the ''zaibatsu'' businesses over the Korean industrialization program, so they refused to provide him with a Minister of War. As a consequence, although officially appointed, Ugaki could never take office. The post then went to Senjuro Hayashi, ex-general and member of the rival ''Kodoha'' faction.
The Army's ability to control the formation of a government by this means was a staggering blow to the evolution of parliamentary government and democracy in Japan and unquestionably, the decisive factor in the military supremacy over civilian authority before and during World War II.

Subsequent career

In May 1938, Ugaki became Foreign Minister under the 1st Konoe Cabinet, but resigned after only 4 months.
In 1944, he accepted the post of principal of Takushoku University.
After World War II, Ugaki was purged and arrested by the American Occupation authorities. However, he was never charged with any war crimes, and was released. In 1953, he ran for public office on a national ticket and was elected to the House of Councillors with an overwhelming vote.

References & External Links

★ Bix, Herbert B. ''Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan''. Harper Perennial (2001). ISBN 0-06-093130-2

★ Jansen, Marius B. ''The Making of Modern Japan.'' Belknap Press; New Ed edition (October 15, 2002). ISBN 0674009916

★ Tolland, John. ''The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945''. Modern Library; Reprint edition (2003). ISBN 0-8129-6858-1

★ Ugaki, Kazushige. ''The bright future for Chosen''. Signs of The Times Publishing House (1934). ASIN: B00088BOP4

★ Republic of Korea

★ Japanese Times on Ugaki's bid for Prime Minister