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was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from 8 July 1934 to 9 March 1936.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Political career

References

Books

External links

Notes

Biography

Early life

Okada was born in what is now Fukui Prefecture to an ex''-samurai'' family. He attended the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 7th out of a class of 80 cadets in 1889. He served as a midshipman on the ironclad warship ''Kongō'' and the cruiser ''Naniwa''. He later served as lieutenant on the ''Itsukushima'' and ''Takachiho'' as well as the corvette ''Hiei''.^[1]
In the First Sino-Japanese War, Okada was serving on the ''Fuji''. After his graduation from the Naval War College (Japan), he subsequently served on the ''Shikishima'' and as executive officer on the ''Yaeyama''.
During the Russo-Japanese War, Okada served as executive officer on a successor of vessels, including the ''Chitose'', ''Kasuga'' and ''Asahi'' before being given his own command, the ''Kasuga'' on 25 July 1910. He later transferred to the ''Kashima'' in 1912.
Promoted to rear admiral in 1 December 1913, Okada served in a number of desk jobs thereafter, including that of the Naval Shipbuilding Command. He was promoted to vice admiral on 1 December 1917 and full admiral on 11 June 1924.
Okada assumed the post of Commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet in 1924. In 1927, he became Navy Minister in the administration of Tanaka Giichi, but resigned in 1929 to assume the post of military councillor on the Supreme War Council.
Okada was one of the few supporters (Treaty Faction) within the upper ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy of the arms reduction treaty resulting London Naval Conference of 1930, of which he helped negotiate, and he worked hard for its ratification. He again served as Navy Minister in the Saito Makoto cabinet of 1932.

Political career

In July 1934, Okada was named Prime Minister of Japan. He was one of the democratic and moderate voices against the increasing strength of the militarists, and was therefore a major target for extremist forces pushing for a more totalitarian Japan. He narrowly escaped assassination in the February 26 Incident of 1936, largely because rebel troops killed his brother-in-law by mistake, as well as his personal secretary, Colonel Denzō Matsuo. Okada emerged from hiding on 29 February 1936.
During World War II, Okada played a leading role in the overthrow of the Hideki Tōjō cabinet in 1944.
Okada died in 1952, and his grave is at the Tama Reien, outside of Tokyo.

References

Books

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

★ The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s, , Piers, Brendon, Vintage; Reprint edition, 2002, ISBN 0-375-70808-1

★ A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present, , Andrew, Gordon, Oxford University Press, 2003, ISBN 0195110617

★ The Making of Modern Japan, , Marius B, Jansen, Belknap Press, 2002, ISBN 0674009916

External links

★ Materials of IJN: Okada, Keisuke

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Notes

1. Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy