Tojo+3

Tojo was for total war and went to the Imperial Military Academy. Tojo was a Nazi supporter. In 1940Tojo was made minister of war, and 2 months before the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941 he was made th 40th Prime Minister. In Feburary 1944 Tojo was also the commander and chief of the general staff. He resigned in July 1944 after the Saipan. He shot himself in the chest and lived in 1945 and then was arrested for war crimes and put on trial. Tojo was convicted and exicuted by December 23,1948 just 7 days before his 64th birthday. [|A photo of Tojo]**
 * __Biography:__ (Haylee Klapper) Tojo was born on December 30th, 1884, in Tokyo, Japan. Tojo's father was an army officer. Tojo graduated 42/50 in his class. Tojo was the third son but his two older brothers died before he was born. Tojo was married to a woman named Katsuko Ito and she gave him 3 sons and 4 daughters.

1932-1933- League sends out mission to discover what is happening in China. Come back with report saying that Manchuria should be made indipendent of both Japan and China. In response Japan pulls out of the League. 1937- New government set up under Prince Konoe. Later that year, fighting breaks out between Chinese and Japanese soldiers in Beijing. Army doesn't want to escalate fighting. But small faction uses the incident to increase fighting between the two nations. Fighting continues throught the year, outside of Beijing also. August 1937- China and Soviet Union sign military alliance to fight Japanese. Japan then attacks Soviets, but is defeated. During 1937 attack, US diplomats killed when their ship is destroyed during Japanese attack. 1938- Japan vows to destroy Chinas government. Clashes errupt between Japanese and Soviets along border. 1939- Japan fights Soviet Union over Manchuria-Soviet border. Defeated badly. Japan then begans conguring the countries of East Asia until attack on United State in 1941. [|Map of Japan's expasion, can be antimated]
 * __Political Environment__**: 1931- Manchuria attacked by Japan after fake attack on Japanese protected railroad. League of Nations does nothing to stop them. Government tells Army not to attack, but they do not do as they are told.

__**Imperial Japanese Culture:**__ The Imperial Japanese believed in an old Samurai code called Bushido, the code was the equvilent to Chivalry in Europe during the Medieval Ages. They believed that their emperor was a living god, and that they were "god's people". They were very nationalist, right wing thinkers. Shinto was the state religion at the time. They were very "pro-eastern" and practiced isolationism to protect their culture from western ideology.


 * __Japanese Economy:__** Japan went through a depression in the 1920's, but was recovering during the 1930's, through the exploitation of their markets in Eastern Asia. They had a growing steel industry and the need for iron and ores grew throughout time. The supply of iron and ore were scarce, but it wasn't nearly as critical as the need for petroleum energy sources to power Japan's industries. The nationalist rulers and militarists pushed Japan into expanding the foreign policy for economic security. Most of the money borrowed by Japan was used to support the military. By 1938, Japan spent over 70% of the money on building up the army, which exceeded the spending of wealthier democracies throughout the world.