The Razor
The War College was a prestigious institution. It was difficult to get into, had high standards and very few graduates. Tojo was a dedicated student and achieved high grades. Upon graduation Captain Tojo received an honor reserved for the best and the brightest, he was sent abroad for further study.
Tojo went first to Switzerland in 1919 where he spent about two years. Afterward, he was posted to Germany, in 1921, for a few months. Due to financial constraints Tojo traveled alone during this period. He returned to Japan in 1922 via the United States. The America of the "Roaring Twenties" did not impress Major Tojo. He came to believe that (what he perceived to be decadent) Americans could never pose a threat to anyone.
In the years that followed Tojo held various military appointments, including command of the prestigious 1st Infantry Regiment stationed in Tokyo (that in 1936 participated in a mutiny against the government). Tojo rose to prominence during his service in Japanese occupied Manchuria. It was at this time that Tojo acquired the nickname "Kamisori" - the Razor. It was well deserved, he was hard and sharp and merciless in dealing with those he perceived as being enemies, either his own or Japan's. In May 1938, he returned to Japan and began his political career as Vice-Minister of War.
Tojo was an uncompromising militarist; he advocated formation of the Tripartite Pact with the Third Reich and Italy; and, after he became prime minister on October 16, 1941, Tojo proposed the creation of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere under Japanese leadership. Along with the continued occupation of Manchuria, these moves increased the tension in relations with the USA. War came to be viewed as the only possible resolution.
Japan's official entry into the World War II began with an all-out offensive in the Pacific, the hallmark of which was the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The military successes were stunning at first and they continued up until about the Battle of Midway in June, 1942. It was at this point that the war began to turn against Japan. Tojo's dictatorial powers were so absolute by then that the Japanese people were convinced for some time that Midway had been another Japanese victory rather than the fiasco it actually was. As the war progressed Tojo held an increasing number of ministerial portfolios. By the time he was removed as premier (and
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