The military general who became Emperor Hirohito’s prime minister, Tojo Hideki is often remembered as an iron-fisted leader who dragged Japan into World War II and, after spectacular losses, was executed as a war criminal. In this talk, based on his new book Tojo, Peter Mauch gives us a nuanced look at the life and leadership of General Tojo and his role in the rise and fall of Japanese militarism. This is the first English-language biography of the controversial leader since 1961, and Peter draws on the new archival sources that have since become available, including Tojo’s own writings and the diaries of his secretaries and numerous military sources. We follow Tojo’s career as he successfully launched himself into the highest echelons of political power and negotiated fractious military rivalries. Not only a tactical genius, but also a savvy administrator, a fierce imperialist, and a deeply loyal advisor to the emperor, Tojo reached political heights that were perhaps matched only by his precipitous fall following repeated battlefield losses in World War II. This is a riveting military history of Showa-era Japan, and a complex portrait of the relentless personality at its centre.

About the contributor

Dr Peter Mauch

Dr Peter Mauch lectures in Asian History at Western Sydney University in Australia. He is the author of Tojo: The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Most Controversial World War II General and Sailor Diplomat: Nomura Kichisaburō and the Japanese-American War.