Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office
Encyclopedia
, also called the Army General Staff, was one of the four principal agencies charged with overseeing the Imperial Japanese Army
.
, to replace the Ministry of Military Affairs (Hyōbushō) of the early Meiji government.
Initially, the Army Ministry was in charge of both administration and operational command of the Imperial Japanese Army; however, from December 1878, the Imperial Army General Staff Office took over all operational control of the Army, leaving the Army Ministry only with administrative functions.
The Imperial Army General Staff was thus responsible for the preparation of war plans; the military training and employment of combined arms; military intelligence
; the direction of troop maneuvers; troop deployments; and the compilation of field service military regulations, military histories, and cartography
.
The Chief of the Army General Staff was the senior ranking uniformed officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and enjoyed, along with the War Minister
, the Navy Minister
, and the Chief of the Navy General Staff
, direct access to the emperor
.
In wartime, the Imperial Army General Staff formed part of the army section of the Imperial General Headquarters
, an ad-hoc body under the supervision of the emperor created to assist in coordinating overall command.
in 1867 and the "restoration" of direct imperial rule, the leaders of the new Meiji government sought to reduce Japan's vulnerability to Western imperialism
by systematically emulating the technological, governing, social, and military practices of the European great powers.
Initially, under Ōmura Masujirō
and his newly created Ministry of the Military Affairs (Hyōbu-shō), the Japanese military was patterned after that of Napoleonic France. However, the stunning victory of Prussia
and the other members of the North German Confederation
in the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War
convinced the Meiji oligarchs
of the superiority of the Prussian military model and in February 1872, Yamagata Aritomo
and Oyama Iwao
proposed that the Japanese military be remodeled along Prussian lines.
In December 1878, at the urging of Katsura Taro
, who had formerly served as a military attaché
to Prussia, the Meiji government fully adopted the Prussian/German general staff system
(Großer Generalstab) which included the independence of the military from civilian organs of government, thus ensuring that the military would stay above political party
maneuvering, and would be loyal directly to the emperor rather than to a Prime Minister
who might attempt to usurp the emperor's authority.
The administrative and operational functions of the army were divided between two agencies. A reorganized Ministry of War served as the administrative, supply, and mobilization agency of the army, and an independent Army General Staff had responsibility for strategic planning and command functions. The Chief of the Army General Staff, with direct access to the emperor could operate independently of the civilian government. This complete independence of the military from civilian oversight was codified in the 1889 Meiji Constitution
which designated that the Army and Navy were directly under the personal command of the emperor, and not under the civilian leadership or Cabinet
.
Yamagata became the first chief of the Army General Staff in 1878. Thanks to Yamagata's influence, the Chief of the Army General Staff became far more powerful than the War Minister.
Furthermore, a 1900 imperial ordinance decreed that the two service ministers had to be chosen from among the general
s (or admiral
s) or lieutenant general
s (or vice admiral
s) on the active duty roster. By ordering the incumbent War Minister to resign or by ordering generals to refuse an appointment as War Minister, the Chief of the General Staff could effectively force the resignation of the cabinet or forestall the formation of a new one.
Of the seventeen officers who served as Chief of the Army General Staff between 1879 and 1945, three were princes of the imperial blood (Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
, Prince Komatsu Akihito
, and Prince Kan'in Kotohito
) and thus enjoyed great prestige by virtue of their ties to the emperor.
The American Occupation authorities
abolished the Imperial Army General Staff in September 1945.
, it was divided into four operational bureaus and a number of supporting organs:
Chief of the Army General Staff (general or Field Marshal)
Vice Chief of the Army General Staff (lieutenant general)
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
Role
The was created in April 1872, along with the Navy MinistryMinistry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
, to replace the Ministry of Military Affairs (Hyōbushō) of the early Meiji government.
Initially, the Army Ministry was in charge of both administration and operational command of the Imperial Japanese Army; however, from December 1878, the Imperial Army General Staff Office took over all operational control of the Army, leaving the Army Ministry only with administrative functions.
The Imperial Army General Staff was thus responsible for the preparation of war plans; the military training and employment of combined arms; military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
; the direction of troop maneuvers; troop deployments; and the compilation of field service military regulations, military histories, and cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
.
The Chief of the Army General Staff was the senior ranking uniformed officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and enjoyed, along with the War Minister
Ministry of War of Japan
The , more popularly known as the Ministry of War of Japan, was cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army...
, the Navy Minister
Ministry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
, and the Chief of the Navy General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
, direct access to the emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
.
In wartime, the Imperial Army General Staff formed part of the army section of the Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial General Headquarters
The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...
, an ad-hoc body under the supervision of the emperor created to assist in coordinating overall command.
Origins and development
Following the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in 1867 and the "restoration" of direct imperial rule, the leaders of the new Meiji government sought to reduce Japan's vulnerability to Western imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
by systematically emulating the technological, governing, social, and military practices of the European great powers.
Initially, under Ōmura Masujirō
Omura Masujiro
-External links:* * * http://www.jstor.org/view/03636917/di973569/97p0119n/0...
and his newly created Ministry of the Military Affairs (Hyōbu-shō), the Japanese military was patterned after that of Napoleonic France. However, the stunning victory of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and the other members of the North German Confederation
North German Confederation
The North German Confederation 1866–71, was a federation of 22 independent states of northern Germany. It was formed by a constitution accepted by the member states in 1867 and controlled military and foreign policy. It included the new Reichstag, a parliament elected by universal manhood...
in the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
convinced the Meiji oligarchs
Meiji oligarchy
The Meiji oligarchy was the name used to describe the new ruling class of Meiji period Japan. In Japanese, the Meiji oligarchy is called the ....
of the superiority of the Prussian military model and in February 1872, Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo
Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...
and Oyama Iwao
Oyama Iwao
|-...
proposed that the Japanese military be remodeled along Prussian lines.
In December 1878, at the urging of Katsura Taro
Katsura Taro
Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...
, who had formerly served as a military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to Prussia, the Meiji government fully adopted the Prussian/German general staff system
German General Staff
The German General Staff was an institution whose rise and development gave the German armed forces a decided advantage over its adversaries. The Staff amounted to its best "weapon" for nearly a century and a half....
(Großer Generalstab) which included the independence of the military from civilian organs of government, thus ensuring that the military would stay above political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
maneuvering, and would be loyal directly to the emperor rather than to a Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
who might attempt to usurp the emperor's authority.
The administrative and operational functions of the army were divided between two agencies. A reorganized Ministry of War served as the administrative, supply, and mobilization agency of the army, and an independent Army General Staff had responsibility for strategic planning and command functions. The Chief of the Army General Staff, with direct access to the emperor could operate independently of the civilian government. This complete independence of the military from civilian oversight was codified in the 1889 Meiji Constitution
Meiji Constitution
The ', known informally as the ', was the organic law of the Japanese empire, in force from November 29, 1890 until May 2, 1947.-Outline:...
which designated that the Army and Navy were directly under the personal command of the emperor, and not under the civilian leadership or Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
.
Yamagata became the first chief of the Army General Staff in 1878. Thanks to Yamagata's influence, the Chief of the Army General Staff became far more powerful than the War Minister.
Furthermore, a 1900 imperial ordinance decreed that the two service ministers had to be chosen from among the general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
s (or admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
s) or lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
s (or vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
s) on the active duty roster. By ordering the incumbent War Minister to resign or by ordering generals to refuse an appointment as War Minister, the Chief of the General Staff could effectively force the resignation of the cabinet or forestall the formation of a new one.
Of the seventeen officers who served as Chief of the Army General Staff between 1879 and 1945, three were princes of the imperial blood (Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
, Prince Komatsu Akihito
Prince Komatsu Akihito
-External links:**...
, and Prince Kan'in Kotohito
Prince Kan'in Kotohito
, wasthe sixth head of a cadet branch the Japanese imperial family, and a career army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1931 to 1940.-Early years:...
) and thus enjoyed great prestige by virtue of their ties to the emperor.
The American Occupation authorities
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
abolished the Imperial Army General Staff in September 1945.
Organization
The Organization of the Army General Staff Office underwent a number of changes during its history. Immediately before the start of the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, it was divided into four operational bureaus and a number of supporting organs:
Chief of the Army General Staff (general or Field Marshal)
Vice Chief of the Army General Staff (lieutenant general)
- General Affairs (personnel, accounting, medical, mobilization planning)
- G-1 (Operations)
- Strategy and Tactics Department
- Land Survey Department
- G-2 (Intelligence)
- Russia Department
- Europe and North America Department
- China Department
- Others Department
- G-3 (Transport & Communications)
- G-4 (Historical and Maps)
- G-5 (Fortifications) [from Jan 1889-Dec 1908]
- General Staff College
Chiefs of the Army General Staff
Note: The given rank for each person is the rank the person held at last, not the rank the person held at the time of their post as Chief of the Army General Staff. For example, the rank of Field Marshal existed only 1872/3 and from 1898 on.| # | Date | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Dec 1878 - 4 Sep 1882 | Field Marshal Count Yamagata Aritomo Yamagata Aritomo Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese... |
| 2 | 4 Sep 1882 - 13 Feb 1884 | Field Marshal Oyama Iwao Oyama Iwao |-... |
| 3 | 13 Feb 1884 - 22 Dec 1885 | Field Marshal Marquis Yamagata Aritomo |
| 4 | 22 Dec 1885 - 14 May 1888 | General Prince Arisugawa Taruhito Prince Arisugawa Taruhito became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:... |
| 5 | 14 May 1888 - 9 Mar 1889 | Lieutenant General Ozawa Takeo |
| 6 | 9 Mar 1889 - 15 Jan 1895 | General Prince Arisugawa Taruhito Prince Arisugawa Taruhito became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:... |
| 7 | 26 Jan 1895 - 20 Jan 1898 | Field Marshal Prince Komatsu Akihito Prince Komatsu Akihito -External links:**... |
| 8 | 20 Jan 1898 - 11 May 1899 | General Kawakami Soroku Kawakami Soroku - Notes :... |
| 9 | 16 May 1899 - 20 Jun 1904 | Field Marshal Prince Kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status... Ōyama Iwao Oyama Iwao |-... |
| 10 | 20 Jun 1904 - 20 Dec 1905 | Field Marshal Prince Yamagata Aritomo |
| 11 | 20 Dec 1905 - 11 Apr 1906 | Field Marshal Prince Ōyama Iwao |
| 12 | 11 Apr 1906 - 30 Jul 1906 | General Kodama Gentarō |
| 13 | 30 Jul 1906 - 20 Jan 1912 | Field Marshal Baron Oku Yasukata Oku Yasukata - Notes :... |
| 14 | 19 Jan 1912 - 17 Dec 1915 | Field Marshal Hasegawa Yoshimichi |
| 15 | 17 Dec 1915 - 17 Mar 1923 | Field Marshal Uehara Yusaku |
| 16 | 17 Mar 1923 - 2 Mar 1926 | General Kawai Misao |
| 17 | 2 Mar 1926 - 19 Feb 1930 | General Suzuki Soroku |
| 18 | 19 Feb 1930 - 23 Dec 1931 | General Kanaya Hanzo |
| 19 | 23 Dec 1931 - 3 Oct 1940 | Field Marshal Prince Kan'in Kotohito Prince Kan'in Kotohito , wasthe sixth head of a cadet branch the Japanese imperial family, and a career army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1931 to 1940.-Early years:... |
| 20 | 3 Oct 1940 - 21 Feb 1944 | Field Marshal Sugiyama Hajime |
| 21 | 21 Feb 1944 - 18 Jul 1944 | General Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944... |
| 22 | 18 Jul 1944 - Sep 1945 | General Yoshijirō Umezu |
Vice Chiefs of the General Staff
| # | Date | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Dec 1878 - 16 Oct 1879 | Field Marshal Ōyama Iwao Oyama Iwao |-... |
| x | 16 Oct 1879 - 6 Feb 1882 | Post not filled |
| 2 | 6 Feb 1882 - 21 May 1885 | Lieutenant General Soga Sukenori |
| 3 | 21 May 1885 - 16 Mar 1886 | General Kawakami Soroku Kawakami Soroku - Notes :... |
| 4 | 16 Mar 1886 - 26 Jul 1886 | Lieutenant General Soga Sukenori |
| 5 | 26 Jul 1886 - 12 May 1888 | Lieutenant General Ozawa Takeo |
| x | 12 May 1888 - 9 Mar 1889 | Post not filled |
| 6 | 9 Mar 1889 - 20 Jan 1898 | General Kawakami Soroku Kawakami Soroku - Notes :... |
| x | 20 Jan 1898 - 26 Aug 1898 | Post not filled |
| 7 | 26 Aug 1898 - 25 Apr 1900 | General Osako Hisatoshi |
| 8 | 25 Apr 1900 - 27 Mar 1902 | Field Marshal Terauchi Masatake Terauchi Masatake , GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:... |
| 9 | 17 Apr 1902 - 1 Oct 1903 | Major General Tamura Iyozu |
| 10 | 2 Oct 1903 - 12 Oct 1903 | General Fukushima Sei |
| 11 | 12 Oct 1903 - 11 Apr 1906 | General Kodama Gentaro |
| 12 | 16 Apr 1906 - 25 Apr 1912 | General Fukushima Sei |
| 13 | 25 Apr 1912 - 17 Apr 1914 | Lieutenant General Oshima Ken'ichi Oshima Ken'ichi - Notes :... |
| 14 | 17 Apr 1914 - 4 Oct 1915 | General Akashi Jiro |
| 15 | 4 Oct 1915 - 10 Oct 1918 | General Tanaka Giichi Tanaka Giichi Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, and the 26th Prime Minister of Japan from 20 April 1927 to 2 July 1929.-Early life and military career:... |
| 16 | 10 Oct 1918 - 5 May 1921 | General Fukuda Masataro |
| 17 | 5 May 1921 - 24 Nov 1922 | General Kikuchi Shinnosuke |
| 18 | 24 Nov 1922 - 1 May 1925 | Field Marshal Nobuyoshi Mutō Nobuyoshi Muto -External links:*- Notes :... |
| 19 | 1 May 1925 - 5 Mar 1927 | General Kanaya Hanzo |
| 20 | 5 Mar 1927 - 1 Aug 1929 | General Jirō Minami Jiro Minami - Notes :... |
| 21 | 1 Aug 1929 - 22 Dec 1930 | Lieutenant General Okamoto Renichiro |
| 22 | 22 Dec 1930 - 9 Jan 1932 | Lieutenant General Ninomiya Osamu |
| 23 | 9 Jan 1932- 19 Jun 1933 | Lieutenant General Masaki Jinzaburō |
| 24 | 19 Jun 1933 - 1 Aug 1934 | General Ueda Kenkichi Kenkichi Ueda -External links:*- Notes :... |
| 25 | 1 Aug 1934 - 23 Mar 1936 | Lieutenant General Sugiyama Hajime |
| 26 | 23 Mar 1936 - 1 Mar 1937 | General Nishio Juzo |
| 27 | 1 Mar 1937 - 14 Aug 1937 | Lieutenant General Imai Kiyoshi |
| 28 | 14 Aug 1937 - 10 Dec 1938 | General Tada Hayao Hayao Tada -External links:* - Notes :... |
| 29 | 10 Dec 1938 - 2 Oct 1939 | Lieutenant General Nakajima Tetsuzo |
| 30 | 2 Oct 1939 - 15 Nov 1940 | Lieutenant General Sawada Shigeru |
| 31 | 15 Nov 1940 - 6 Nov 1941 | General Tsukada Osamau |
| 32 | 6 Nov 1941 - 8 Apr 1943 | Lieutenant General Tanabe Moritake Moritake Tanabe -Notes:... |
| 33 | 8 Apr 1943 - 21 Feb 1944 | Lieutenant General Hata Hikosaburo |
| 34 | 21 Feb 1944 - 7 Apr 1944 | Lieutenant General Ushiroku Jun |
| 35 | 7 Apr 1945 - Sep 1945 | Lieutenant General Torashirō Kawabe Torashiro Kawabe - Notes :... |