Nobuyoshi Muto
Baron Nobuyoshi Muto was an Imperial Japanese Army officer, whose assignments included commanding the Kwangtung Army, (28 Jul 1926 - 26 Aug 1927), serving as Inspector General of Military Education {26 Aug 1927 - 26 May 1932), and returning to the Kwangtung Army. (8 Aug 1932 - 27 Jul 1933).
Military assignments
- Chief of 2nd Section (Maneuvers), 1st Bureau, General Staff (1915-1916)[1]
- Head of Harbin Special Agency (1918)
- Resident Officer in Irkutsk (1918-1919)
- Head of Omsk Special Agency (1919)
- Head of 1st Bureau, General Staff (1919-1921)
- Head of General Affairs Bureau, General Staff (1921-1922)
- General Officer Commanding 3rd Division (1922-1925)
- Vice Chief General Staff (1925-1926)
- Member of the Supreme War Council (1926)
- General Officer Commanding Tokyo Defence Command (1926-1927)
- Commander in Chief Kwantung Army (1927-1932)
- Inspector-General of Military Education, 1932
- Member of the Supreme War Council (1932-1933)
- Commanding Kwangtung Army (1932-1933)
Kwangtung
Known as "Muto the Silent", a man of few but significant words, he actually held three titles: Army commander, ambassador to Manchukuo, and governor of Kwantung. During the 1929 Far Eastern Conference, he was a voice of pragmatism compared to the full dominance proposal of Teiichi Suzuki and the Suzuki Study Group, and the exploitation proposal of Prime Minister Giichi Tanaka. Tanaka's plan, to please what was perceived as Hirohito's desires, was phrased aggressively. Muto, who had ridden to the conference with his chief of stff, not saying a word in ten hours, arose.
Japan must be prepared to face a world war if such a proposal is carried out. To begin with, America will not tolerate it. If America will not acquiesce, neither will England nor the rest of the Powers. Are you prepared to cope with America and the eventuality of a world war?[2]
Tanaka replied "I am prepared to face the consequences." Muto challenged "You are sure you will not waver later on, are you?"
Tanaka confirmed "I am all set to face the worst." Muto then said, "If the government is so determined, I have nothing else to add. We shall wait for the order to come and carry it out." Muto did not speak again, but silently shook his head when the Suzuki group presented their proposals for armed aggressions; that influenced the meeting to reject them.[2]
References
- ↑ Steen Ammentrup, "Muto, Nobuyoshi, Baron, Field Marshal", Generals of WWII
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 David Bergamini (1971), Japan's Imperial Conspiracy, Morrow, pp. 358-359