Kuniaki Koiso

Home > ... > People > History > Japanese History: Biographies > ...

Koiso Kuniaki, Lt-General

The Oxford Companion to World War II | 2001 | | © The Oxford Companion to World War II 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Koiso Kuniaki, Lt-General (1880–1950),Japanese Army officer who succeeded Tōjō as prime minister in July 1944 after serving as chief of staff of the Kwantung Army in Manchukuo (1932–4), minister of overseas (colonial) affairs (1939–40), and then from mid- 1942, governor-general of Korea. But he was, as one Japanese diplomat remarked, ‘utterly ignorant of the realities of the military situation’ (quoted in P. Calvocoressi et al., Total War, London, 1989, p. 1178 n.), and made no attempt to work with his deputy prime minister, Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa, a former prime minister who was striving for peace. Koiso eventually resigned in April 1945 after his unrealistic negotiations to split China from her western Allies were leaked, and the Japanese Army had rebuffed his suggestion that he should also become war minister. He was succeeded by Suzuki Kantarō and died in prison after being given a life sentence at the Far East war crimes trials. See also Japan, 3.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O129-KoisoKuniakiLtGeneral" title="Facts and information about Kuniaki Koiso">Kuniaki Koiso</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Koiso Kuniaki, Lt-General." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Koiso Kuniaki, Lt-General." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-KoisoKuniakiLtGeneral.html

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Koiso Kuniaki, Lt-General." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-KoisoKuniakiLtGeneral.html

Learn more about citation styles

Kuniaki Koiso

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Kuniaki Koiso , 1880-1950, Japanese general. He was chief of staff of the Kwantung army, commander in chief in Korea, and governor-general of Korea before he replaced Tojo as prime minister in July, 1944. He resigned in Apr., 1945, after Iwo Jima, the Philippines, and Okinawa were lost. Sentenced (1948) to life imprisonment as a war criminal, he died in a U.S. army hospital.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-Koiso-Ku" title="Facts and information about Kuniaki Koiso">Kuniaki Koiso</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Kuniaki Koiso." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Kuniaki Koiso." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Koiso-Ku.html

"Kuniaki Koiso." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Koiso-Ku.html

Learn more about citation styles

Suzuki Kantarō

The Oxford Companion to World War II | 2001 | | © The Oxford Companion to World War II 2001, originally published by Oxford University Press 2001. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Suzuki Kantarō (1867–1948),retired Japanese admiral who spent the war as a member of the privy council until, in April 1945, following the resignation of the prime minister, Koiso Kuniaki, he formed Japan's last wartime government. A universally popular figure in Japan, who was backed by those fervently seeking peace, this venerable and moderate gentleman was then aged 78, and it was beyond his means to give the country the lead it needed to bring the war to its conclusion. He unsuccessfully sought terms through various intermediaries, but his response to the Allies' Potsdam conference declaration in July 1945 (see TERMINAL), given at a press conference, was ambiguous, and on 6 August the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He resigned when Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. See also Japan, 3.

Hide all research tools
Print this article Print all entries for this topic Cite this article Link to this article
Link to this article

CloseClose

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O129-SuzukiKantar" title="Facts and information about Kuniaki Koiso">Kuniaki Koiso</a>

Add this article to Del.icio.usBookmark this article on DiigoShare this article on FacebookSubmit this article to RedditGive this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Suzuki Kantarō." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Suzuki Kantarō." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (November 12, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-SuzukiKantar.html

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "Suzuki Kantarō." The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. 2001. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-SuzukiKantar.html

Learn more about citation styles

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Anniversaries
Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 4/5/1994; 630 words ; ...ended, 1918; the Dail Eireann chose a Sinn Fein Executive, with Eamon de Valera as president, 1919; in Japan, Kuniaki Koiso resigned as prime minister, and was succeeded by Kantaro Suzuki, 1945; Sir Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister...
That 'Yamashita gold'.(Opinion & Editorial)
Newspaper article from: Manila Bulletin; 3/10/2005; 700+ words ; ...of Malaya Lets see if indeed Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita carried ten tons of gold to be deposited here. Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso (he replaced Tojo, who lost the confidence vote) "needed someone in Manila in whom the country had faith...
Global Eye -- Logical Conclusions, THE MOSCOW TIMES
Newspaper article from: The Moscow Times (Russia); 11/6/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...Editor "The more successful we are on the ground, the more these killers will react," said Japanese Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso, the day after 100,000 civilians were killed in a single night during the firebombing of Tokyo by American forces...
Chris Floyd's Global Eye, THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Newspaper article from: The St. Petersburg Times (Russia); 11/11/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...The more successful we are on the ground, the more these killers will react," said Japanese Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso, the day after 100,000 civilians were killed in a single night during the firebombing of Tokyo by American forces...
RememberWhen?
Newspaper article from: Birmingham Mail (England); 8/20/2009; 354 words ; ...Atlee told the relieved nation: "The last of our enemies is laid low." The Japanese administration under General Koiso Kuniaki officially signed the surrender document on September 2, 1945. The Second World War was officially over.
Three bombs explode, but only one war ends.
Newspaper article from: Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England); 8/15/2009; 700+ words ; ...August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, the day Soviet forces invaded Manchuria. The Japanese administration under General Koiso Kuniaki did not officially surrender with a signed document until September 2, and both August 15 and September 2 are known...
Eight words that spelled out victory.(News)
Newspaper article from: Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England); 8/12/2005; 700+ words ; ...coincidentally the day of the state opening of the first post-war Parliament - the Japanese administration under General Koiso Kuniaki did not officially surrender with a signed document until September 2. On the day after the announcement, King George...

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Popular on Newser: