"I had an uneasy feeling he might plead his own cause against indictment as a war criminal. There had been considerable outcry from some of the Allies, notably the Russians and the British, to include him in this category. Indeed, the initial list of those proposed by them was headed by the Emperor's name. Realizing the tragic consequences that would follow such an unjust action, I had stoutly resisted such efforts. When Washington seemed to be veering toward the British point of view, I had advised that I would need at least one million reinforcements should such action be taken. I believed that if the Emperor were indicted, and perhaps hanged, as a war criminal, military government would have to be instituted throughout all Japan, and guerrilla warfare would probably break out. He played a major role in the spiritual regeneration of Japan, and his loyal co-operation and influence had much to do with the success of the occupation."
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Executed peoplePeople indicted for war crimesPoliticians from JapanImperial JapanPrime Ministers of Japan
Original Language: English
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Sources
Douglas MacArthur, as quoted in The Imperial Japanese Army: The Invincible Years 1941–42 (2014), by Bill Yenne, Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford Publishing, pp. 337-338.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hideki_T%C5%8Dj%C5%8D
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Hideki Tōjō
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