Why was Emperor Hirohito not sent to the trial stand of history during World War II?

War Responsibility The 62-year reign of Emperor Showa was the longest reign of a Japanese emperor in history, and it was also a period that experienced several major turmoils and changes.

There are many controversies about Emperor Showa. Some people think that he was the culprit for Japan's launch of World War II, while others think that he was just a puppet of the military and had no real power. But it is undeniable that he turned a blind eye to the growing strength of the military, and he had the power to punish soldiers who did not obey instructions, but he did not do it, but was optimistic about the success.

Hirohito has a famous saying: "The problem is not what we have done, but how the world reacts to what we have done." This means that what he cares about most is his own reputation and responsibility.

After Japan surrendered, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other countries all listed Hirohito as Japan’s number one war criminal. British Prime Minister Attlee and Soviet Commander Stalin respectively called MacArthur, demanding severe punishment for the war criminal Emperor Hirohito, and suggested that he be hanged after a public trial.

MacArthur considered that in order to support allies in the Cold War with the Soviet Union in the Far East, a Japan that was in chaos due to the trial and execution of the emperor was not conducive to the interests of the United States, and the emperor system could unite Japan's conservative anti-Japanese Therefore, MacArthur himself supported the abandonment of holding the Emperor responsible for the war, and sent an urgent telegram to the then US President Truman:

"The Japanese people...have respected the Emperor of Japan with utmost respect for more than a hundred years. . During the Pacific War, a few militarists used this as a fanatical means to incite nationalism and called for self-sacrifice for the emperor. After the war, the Japanese people's worship of Emperor Hirohito continued unabated, and I think he was regarded as a national god. , if Emperor Hirohito is put on trial and executed, the pillars of national faith in Japan will completely collapse, and even cause crazy riots and riots against the allies throughout Japan. The execution of Hirohito is unacceptable to the whole country of Japan, and our future of rebuilding and transforming Japan is unimaginable. The result may be a historical tragedy.

Therefore, as the plenipotentiary representative of the Allied Powers in Japan, out of consideration for the future destiny of Japan, I decided to exempt Emperor Hirohito from prosecution

If the Allies decide to arrest and execute the Emperor as a war criminal, the Allied Command in Japan will need to reinforce 1 million combat troops..."

Washington quickly called back and agreed with MacArthur's opinion, so MacArthur The Allied General Headquarters issued the first order: "Out of consideration for Japan's future and national beliefs, the Allies decided not to hold Japanese Emperor Hirohito accountable for launching the war, and not to prosecute or arrest him. In the future, Hirohito's personal status and personal status will not be held Freedom should be protected by the Constitution like other Japanese citizens. "Reflections on the Emperor's War Responsibility in Japan after World War II

Hosaka Masayasu, a visiting scholar at Rikkyo University in Japan, believes that the Emperor has war responsibility: "Even if the Emperor is only a A rubber stamp, but he was the only one in a position to have a say in the military, and in reality many people dared to give their lives only by shouting 'Long live the Emperor'."

Muda Shohei, a senior researcher at the Japan Asian History Archives Center, believes that part of the reason why Japan is divided today about how to view its history of aggression is that Emperor Showa’s wartime responsibilities were not liquidated after the war: “Germany had Hitler. Italy had Mossori. "But Japan lacks a matching character." "This may be partly due to Japan's national characteristics-the Japanese are accustomed to avoiding making personal responsibilities clear."

Nobel Literature. Japanese left-wing writer Kato, one of the founders of the Kujo Kai organized by seven people including award winner Kenzaburo Oe, said on Monday: "I see so many values ??being sacrificed in the name of patriotism, especially human lives - individuals are asked to It’s so abominable to sacrifice oneself for the emperor in the war.”

Copy of the Emperor’s Diary Found

The late Showa Emperor’s aide Ogura Tsuji, who later served as a law professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University Chairman of the Economics Department, a copy of his 600-page diary written during World War II was discovered and published in the April issue of "Literary Spring and Autumn".

The article records Hirohito's remarks that he never made to the public from 1939 to 1945, including his statement that "the Manchuria Incident was painful." The Japanese army fully invaded China in 1937. Three years later, the Japanese emperor had begun to secretly complain that he had underestimated China's military strength: "Everyone has misjudged the war, especially the dedicated department of the Army, which should end the war as soon as possible and reorganize the national defense forces in the next 10 years." 1941 In 2016, Hirohito even secretly criticized the then Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro: "I was very worried before the Great East Asia War started. When Konoe was in office, he seemed to lead us into the war without preparation. Only after Tojo Hideki took over did we really prepare . ”

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