Ryukichi Tanaka ( Jap. 田中 隆吉 Tanaka Ryu: Kiti , September 28, 1896 - November 24, 1972 ) - Major General of the Imperial Army of Japan , commander of artillery units.
| Ryukichi Tanaka | |
|---|---|
| Jap. 田中 隆吉 | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | September 28, 1896 |
| Place of Birth | Shimane Prefecture , the Japanese Empire |
| Date of death | November 24, 1972 (76 years) |
| Affiliation |  Japanese Empire |
| Type of army | artillery |
| Years of service | 1913-1945 |
| Rank | major general |
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| Commanded |
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| Battles / Wars |
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| Retired | witness at the Tokyo process |
Biography
Born in the territory of the modern city of Yasugi (Simane Prefecture), he studied at military schools. He graduated from the Military Academy of the Imperial Army in 1913, the 26th class, artilleryman. He began his service as part of the 23rd Field Artillery Regiment in Okayama [1] . In 1923 he graduated from the Higher Military Academy (34th class), held posts in the General Staff of the Imperial Army of Japan .
During his service, Tanaka became acquainted with the ideology of pan- asiaticism and the work of his theorist Sumei Okava . In the years 1927-1929 he was in Beijing and Kalgan , engaged in military intelligence . In October 1930, in Shanghai, he met the Manchu princess Yoshiko Kawashima , who, through contacts with the Manchu and Mongolian aristocracy, created a large underground spy network. They were in Shanghai on the days of the incident on January 28, 1932, when battles between the forces of the Republic of China and the Japanese began in the city.
In August 1932, Tanaka returned to Japan and was appointed commander of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment. In 1934-1935, he served in the 1st regiment of heavy field artillery, in 1935-1937 - in the 2nd division of the Kwantung Army. During the campaign in Inner Mongolia, on the instructions of General Jiro, Minami went in April 1935 to negotiate with the Manchurian Prince De Van Demchigdonrov . In 1937–1939, he commanded the 25th regiment of mountain artillery in Manzhou-go , participated in the Hasan battles , where his regiment was defeated. In the years 1939-1940, he was head of the department of military service in the Ministry of War. In March 1940, he was promoted to major general and temporarily headed the headquarters of the 1st Japanese Army in China.
While serving as chief of staff of the 1st Army, Tanaka approved the military doctrine of Japanese troops in China, which became known as the policy of the three “all” (“kill everything, burn everything, rob everything”). Troops tried to occupy Shanxi Province, however, in battles against the troops, Yan Sishan failed [2] . At the end of 1940, Tanaka returned to Japan and became the director of the Nakano reconnaissance and sabotage school [3] . Until 1942, due to health problems, Tanaka was held in reserve until he was sent to the Eastern Army for some time. In 1945, he commanded the garrison of the fortress Ratu.
During the Tokyo process, Tanaka passed three times as a prosecution witness and twice as a defense witness. Prosecutor Joseph Keenan used Tanaki’s testimony to force Hideki Tojo to confess when he gave false testimony regarding Emperor Hirohito [4] . He died in 1972 from colorectal cancer .
Notes
- ↑ Steen Ammenthorp. Tanaka Ryukichi Neopr . The Generals of World War II .
- ↑ Dorn, 1974 .
- ↑ Mercado, 2002 .
- ↑ Dower, 1999 , p. 325, 604-605.
Literature
- Frank Dorn. The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. - MacMillan, 1974. - ISBN 0-02-532200-1 .
- John W. Dower. Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II . - New York: New Press, 1999.
- Stephen C. Mercado. The Shadow Warriors of Nakano: Elite Intelligence School. - 2002. - ISBN 1-57488-443-3 .