Kiichiro Hiranuma: Short-lived Wartime Prime Minister
By Wang Xiliang
Kiichiro Hiranuma was born in Okayama Prefecture on September 28, 1867. After graduating from the Law School of Tokyo Imperial University in 1888, he worked as a judge for the Ministry of Justice and gradually stepped into the political circles.
Founding right-wing society "Kokuhonsha"
In 1923 Hiranuma was appointed Minister of Justice.
He worshiped the Emperor, vigorously advocating that the Emperor should assume the reins of government. In 1924 he founded a nationalist, right-wing society "Kokuhonsha."
Under his influence, many militarists joined the society. Later they all became key members to push Japan into the aggression war.
In his official career Hiranuma rose higher and higher. From a Privy Councilor, he was promoted in 1926 to Vice President of the Privy Council, and in 1936 to President of the Privy Council.
Forming a cabinet
Hiranuma succeeded Fumimaro Konoye as Prime Minister in January 1939. Supported by militarists and right-wingers, he set to forming a cabinet. By that time, Japan"s full-scale aggression war against China already began. Its war materials were in short supply day by day. Immediately after assuming office Hiranuma decided to mobilize manpower, material and financial resources throughout the nation to expand war production. He then revised the military service law, extended the military service time, and sent more youths to the battleground.
After setting up a "commission on general mobilization of national spirit" in March 1939, he introduced a ruthless ruling system by military police nationwide. Under it the ruling authorities controlled the nation"s all manpower, financial and material resources, and everybody in the country was duty-bound to serve for the war without conditions. Thus a fascist, military autocratic regime was established.
During his tenure of office occurred the Nomonhan Incident in which the Kwantung Army provoked a large-scale armed clash with the Soviet Union troops along the China-Mongolia border. Loosing a division, finally the Japanese side was forced to come to the negotiating table to sign an armistice agreement with the Soviet Union.
Resigning
To make things even worse for Japan, unexpectedly Germany and the Soviet Union signed a mutual non-aggression pact. This posed a difficult question to Japan who already reached an anti-Communist agreement with Germany and intended to advance northward targeting the Soviet Union. In fact, no sooner had Hiranuma"s cabinet been formed than Nazi Germany proposed to establish a tripartite military alliance.
The German proposal won ardent support from Hideki Tojo and War Minister Seishiro Itagaki representing the army, but was opposed by the navy. Finally, an ambiguous plan was put forward at a cabinet meeting held on March 22. According to it, Japan would support Germany and Italy in principle to make war on the UK and the US, but not join them both currently and in the near future. Itagaki was firmly against the plan but in favor of entering into alliance with Germany and Italy. Thus he resigned to bring down Hiranuma"s cabinet. Hiranuma had no alternative but to resign on August 30.
Objecting to unconditional surrender
In July 1940 he became Minister without Portfolio. In April 1945 he was appointed President of the Privy Council a second time. By then Japan had suffered a series of crushing defeats, and had no other way out but to surrender. Nonetheless, disregarding all dissenting views, a hardened Hiranuma firmly opposed unconditional surrender.
Shortly after Japan surrendered, he was arrested as a Class-A war criminal suspect and jailed at Sugamo Prison. In November 1947 he was convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East of supporting aggression and sentenced to life imprisonment.
After the US ended its military occupation of Japan in 1951, the Japanese government instigated the right-wingers to set off a campaign for the release of detained war criminals. As a result, a number of them including Hiranuma were set free. Hiranuma who was out on bail died of illness in August 1952.