Nobuyuki Abe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Abe Nobuyuki | |
 Prime Minister of Japan |
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| In office 30 August 1939 – 1 January 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Hiranuma Kiichiro |
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| Succeeded by | Mitsumasa Yonai |
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| Born | 24 November 1875 Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | September 7, 1953 (aged 77) |
| Political party | none |
| Occupation |  General, Imperial Japanese ArmyGovernor-General of Korea |
Nobuyuki Abe (阿部信行 Abe Nobuyuki?, 24 November 1875 - 7 September 1953) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, Governor-General of Korea, and 36th Prime Minister of Japan from 30 August 1939 to 16 January 1940.
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[edit] Early life and military career
Abe was born into an ex-samurai family in Kanazawa city, Ishikawa Prefecture. His younger brother was Imperial Japanese Navy admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue.
Abe attended Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya High School followed by the No.4 Higher School. While still a student, he volunteered for military service during the First Sino-Japanese War.
After the war, Abe graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy followed by the 19th class of the Army War College. Ultranationalist General Araki Sadao was one of his classmates. Abe became commander of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment from 1918-1921. In August 1918, his regiment was sent to Siberia during Japan's Siberian Intervention, but was never in combat.
Abe was appointed commander of the 4th Infantry Division on 22 December 1930. He later served as instructor in the Army War College followed by chief of the Military Affairs Bureau and as Vice Minister of the Army.
In 1933, Abe was promoted to full general and became Commander in Chief of the Taiwan Army. In 1936, he was placed on the reserve list.
[edit] As Prime Minister
Abe Nobuyuki was not the obvious first choice as Prime Minister after the collapse of the Hiranuma Kiichiro cabinet. From the civilian side, Konoe Fumimaro or Hirota Koki were regarded as front-runners; however the Army and the ultranationalists strongly supported General Ugaki Kazushige. After genrō Saionji Kinmochi declared his disinterest in any of the candidates, the Army was poised to have its way. However, Ugaki fell ill and was hospitalized. The interim War Minister General Abe Nobuyuki was a compromise. Abe had the advantage of belonging to neither the Toseiha nor the Kodoha political factions within the Army and was also supported as a relative political moderate by the Imperial Japanese Navy; on the other hand he was despised by many senior Army officers for his total lack of any combat experience.
Abe became Prime Minister on 30 August 1939[1]. He concurrently held the portfolio of Foreign Minister during his term in office. During his short four month tenure, Abe sought to quickly end the Second Sino-Japanese War, and to maintain Japan's neutrality in the growing European conflict. He was also opposed to efforts by elements within the Army to form a political-military alliance with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
Lacking in support from either the military or the political parties, Abe was replaced by Mitsumasa Yonai in January 1940.
[edit] Subsequent career
Three months later after his replacement as Prime Minister, the Army sent Abe sent as a special envoy to China to advise the Japanese-supported regime of Wang Jingwei in Nanjing, and to negotiate a treaty ensuring Japanese economic and military rights in northern China.
After his return to Japan, Abe joined the House of Peers in 1942, and accepted the largely ceremonial position as president of the Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association. He was appointed the 10th (and last) Governor-General of Korea in 1944 and 1945.
After World War II, Abe was purged from public office, and arrested by the American occupation government. However, he was not charged with any war crimes and was soon released.
[edit] References
[edit] Books
- Barhart, Michael (1988). Japan Prepares for Total War: The Search for Economic Security, 1919-1941. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9529-6.
- Bix, Herbert B. (2001). Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan. Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-06-093130-2.
- Coox, Alvin D. (1990). Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-1835-0.
- Baudot, Marcel (1988). The Historical Encyclopedia or World War II. Facts on File Inc. ISBN 0-87196-401-5.
[edit] External links
- National Diet Library photos and biography
- Ammentorp, Steen. Generals from Japan: Abe, Hiroaki. The Generals of World War II. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Baudot, Marcel (1980). The Historical Encyclopedia or World War II. Facts on File Inc., 1. ISBN 0-87196-401-5.
| Preceded by Hachiro Arita |
Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs 1939 |
Succeeded by Kichisaburo Nomura |
| Preceded by Kuniaki Koiso |
Governor-General of Korea 1944-1945 |
Succeeded by Title dissolved |
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