Hirohito’s decision had horrific consequences
Japan were to take on the United States in a war today, people would think they’d lost their minds.
In late 1941, when Emperor Hirohito gave his approval for war with America, he was surrounded by people urging him to do so, sure Japan would win.
Hirohito had also looked closely at how Hitler was doing.
He fell out with his brother, Prince Chichibu, who was constantly coming to see him in support of the Tripartite Pact.
This was a pact with Germany and Italy, forming the Axis Powers, and the Emperor had been very unsure about getting too close to them.
Now that Hitler’s forces had rampaged through Europe and convinced many that they were going to eventually do well out of the war, the Emperor changed his mind.
For self-defence and self-preservation, as he put it, he decided to prepare for war with the USA, Great Britain and maybe even France.
Japan, he decreed, would try diplomatic measures first with the USA and Britain, but would begin attacking immediately if it didn’t get the deal it wanted.
What Hirohito desired was the OK to continue taking what he wanted of China and South East Asia, and to see no increase in Western armed forces in that part of the world. He was also convinced that the Japanese military was strong enough, and the Japanese people were committed enough, to see off even the most powerful enemies.
Hirohito seems to have wavered–onedaykeentoget the conflict started, the next keen to avoid confrontation.
His Prime Minister, feeling left out of the picture, resigned, and told his secretary: “His Majesty is a pacifist, and there is no doubt he wished to avoid war.”
He had told the Emperor that all of this was a mistake and Hirohito agreed, only to have changed his mind within 24 hours and saying there was nothing to worry about taking on the Western Allies.
It was all still, of course, almost unthinkable in the United States, which was attacked by Japan just six days after Hirohito’s decision.
Until then, America had done what it could to stay out of the war, but the Pearl Harbor attacks changed all that.
Japan had been a world superpower at the beginning of Hirohito’s reign, on Christmas Day, 1926, and it is still one of the world’s main players.
But his decision, and what happened at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, damaged his country in a way he hadn’t dreamed.
Hirohito was pretty unique in never being held responsible for war crimes after the surrender – Japanese soldiers did some unspeakable things.
Hirohito died at the age of 87 in 1989.
NOVEMBER 26, 1976
Anarchy In The UK heralded the birth of punk rock.
It would be the only Sex Pistols single released by EMI, who dropped them within weeks.
But that didn’t stop the punk revolution, in one of British music’s most exciting times.
NOVEMBER 28, 1919
Lady Astor became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.
Born in America, she had moved to England aged 26.
Countess Markievicz, who was an Irish Sinn Fein revolutionary, had been elected to Britain’s House of Commons the year before, but refused to take her seat.
NOVEMBER 29, 1975
At just 46, one of our truly great racing drivers, Graham Hill, was killed in a plane crash.
Five of the Embassy Hill team died along with Graham, who was piloting the plane en route to Elstree Airfield in London.
He had twice been the Formula 1 World Champion.
NOVEMBER 30, 1886
The Paris cabaret hall Folies Bergere staged its first revue.
With its outrageous costumes, sets and effects, and more than occasional nudity, it has long been a big part of Parisian life.
And drawn crowds from across the globe.