NOBUYUKI ABE

'', (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.

Contents

Early life and military career

As Prime Minister

Subsequent career

References

External links

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.
He 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 Army War College.
He 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, he was promoted to full general and took command of the Taiwan Army. In 1936, he was placed on the reserve list.

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 factions and was supported by the 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 opposed to efforts by elements within the Army to form a 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.

Subsequent career

Three months later, Abe was 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, he joined the House of Peers in 1942, and became the 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 Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers. However, he was never charged with any war crimes and was soon released.

References

1. The Historical Encyclopedia or World War II, , Marcel, Baudot, Facts on File Inc., 1980,


★ Barhart, Michael. ''Japan Prepares for Total War: The Search for Economic Security, 1919-1941'' (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs). Cornell University Press; Reprint edition (1988). ISBN 0-8014-9529-6

★ Bix, Herbert B. ''Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan''. Harper Perennial (2001). ISBN 0-06-093130-2

★ Coox, Alvin D. ''Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939''. Stanford University Press; Reprint edition (1990). ISBN 0-8047-1835-0

External links

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