On July 18, 1940, Emperor Hirohito of Japan issued a decree to Konoe Fumimaro to form a cabinet, and four days later, the second Konoe Cabinet was formed.
One of the most famous figures in this cabinet was The Minister of War Hideki Tojo.
On July 23, After the formation of the cabinet, Konoe Fumimaro made a radio speech, saying that he did not expect to be ordered to form a cabinet and become the prime minister, so he would "take this opportunity to make a little bit of it" and explain his ideas to the people.
He believed that the rules of the old world had begun to collapse in Europe and were rapidly spreading around the world. At this time, Japan was still opposing and arguing with each other in various opinions, so it was undoubtedly impossible to concentrate on the outside world, so that the left and the right were looking forward to missing the opportunity.
(World War II European Theater)
What should be done in order to unify the views of the people?
That is, "to restore the original appearance of Japan, the will of the Emperor of the Upper Body, and the unity of all people to serve the Imperial Kingdom sincerely."
In the eyes of later generations, this view was the ironclad evidence that Hirohito was responsible for the war, but at that time, Konoe Fumimaro naturally did not feel this way, and he should also feel that he and the emperor were one heart.
Why?
After the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, Japan practiced the politics of the clan lords, and Satsuma, Choshu, and other male domains who had made great contributions to the fall of the king occupied the imperial court and invaded the emperor's real power.
Although they carried the emperor around and rebuilt the emperor's authority among the people, in fact, they only used him as a tool to give orders.
After 20 years, Ito Hirobumi, who had participated in the burning of the British consulate and was not long helped by the British consul, smuggled himself through Shanghai and then to Study in Europe, established a new system in Japan according to the most popular model at that time.
In the decades that followed, Japan basically followed this path.
A big drawback is that the various factions fight for the formation of a cabinet, and it is difficult to unite in a noisy and noisy manner, just like the Japanese Navy and Army.
Of course, during this period, ito Hirobumi and other people from the bottom of the ladder such as the sun in the sky, the status of the soaring, correspondingly, naturally, the original imperial court of the secretaries, except for a very small number, did not have much strength.
(Hirobumi Ito, Right)
As one of the Five Regents, the Konoe clan's family personality is second only to that of the Heavenly Royal Family. In this way, it is understandable that Konoe Fumimaro is not interested in the system established by Ito Hirobumi and others.
Therefore, his so-called "unity of purpose ... Serving the Imperial State" is, in fact, to sweep away the "obscurity" of the constitutional monarch since Meiji and Taisho, and to regain power over to the Emperor, who has real power in his hands, and the Konoe family will be even more broken.
Returning to his speech, he went on to say, "All people in all fields, such as civil and military affairs, land and sea, government and opposition, and upper and lower levels, must be of one heart and one mind and faithfully follow The teachings of His Majesty to assist in the politics of the imperial state." That is to say, under this new system, it is necessary to devote oneself to the emperor's will in order to quickly and properly resolve the many problems that have accumulated at home and abroad at a time when the world situation is undergoing a historic upheaval."
(Konoe Fumimaro)
To say a thousand ways and ten thousand is that from now on, you will abandon the battle of ideas and embrace the emperor's side - listen to the words of my Prime Minister Konoe.
Because of this, he was regarded as the leading promoter of Japanese fascism, and if he had not committed suicide later, he would have been the number one war criminal.
Hattori Sayoshiro said in the Complete History of the Great East Asian War that the war from Asia to the Pacific was greatly changed by adopting Konoe Fumimaro's new policy as a turning point.