(1/5) Timewatch Emperor Hirohito World War II

Hirohito ruled Japan for more than six decades of the 20th century, during a period in which the nation aggressively pursued political dominance in Asia, withstood the devastation of World War II and rebuilt itself into a global economic powerhouse. Taking the official name Showa ("Enlightened Peace"), he began his long reign in 1926, with a divine claim to the throne as the 124th emperor in direct lineage to Amaterasu, a mythological sun goddess. At the close of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur, in charge of the U.S. occupation of Japan, kept Hirohito on the throne rather than charge him with war crimes, and Hirohito renounced his divinity and agreed to adopt a constitutional monarchy. During Hirohito's lifetime he was often depicted as a benign and even passive bystander to events, more interested in marine biology than geopolitics. Since his death in 1989, that image has been challenged by critics who argue that Hirohito encouraged the military aggression toward China in the early 1930s, participated in the planning of the attacks on Pearl Harbor (1941) and prolonged the war against the U.S. and Great Britain unnecessarily. After his death in 1989, Hirohito was succeeded by his son, the Emperor Akihito.
Hirohito, also known as Tenno Showa or Emperor Showa, was the son of Emperor Taisho and grandson of Emperor Meiji; the most recent addition to the royal line is Hirohito's great-grandson Prince Hisahito, born in 2006... Hirohito's 62-year reign was the longest in Japanese history.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Emperor
• Hirohito
• Douglas
• MacArthur
• Japan
• Great
• Britain
• Pearl
• Harbor
• U.S.
• Crimes
• Meiji
• Japanese

[GamingTomZ123]

the usa's fleet was not that badly crippled only 5 battleships were destroyed

[2bn442RCT]

@GamingTomZ123 In hindsight your right, An excuse to modernize the damaged old battleships. If the Japanese threw everything they had at the oil tank farm and dry docks that would have been a far more impressive victory in the long run

[westman2003]

Thanks for putting this up!

[2bn442RCT]

@statusmaximus I know many countries including Australia wanted the Emperor prosecuted. And he was collectively responsible for approving Tojo's actions. During the Japanese War Crimes Trials Tojo was beginning to heap blame on Hirohito. American prosecutors explained to Tojo he better cool it and he did.

[ImaginedWriter]

He should have been hanged.

[justaflyguy3]

Thumbs up to 2bn. Thank you so much for taking the time to put these videos together. Historic, educational, and entertaining. I've been stuck on your channel all weekend. I'll blame my lawn being knee-high on you. ; )

[theexpliotedforlife]

@2bn442RCT You also forgot t mention how Hirohito ordered that the term "Prisoner of war" should be taken away from Chinese captives. Because of that order, of the 270'000 Chinese soldiers captured by Japan only 56 actually survived World War 2. Hirohito also issued an order that if the Japanese mainland was invaded all POW's from all nationalities should be ruthlessly executed.

[DarthFanta]

@bartimus283 But not as many as the Japanese on the Chinese and other Asians.

[2bn442RCT]

@bartimus283 'm not refering to the Japanese as "tojo." By the way my site it titled 2 Battalion 442 RCT which was comprosed of Japanese Americans, which my uncle was the CO of. SO I don't think I'm very racist against Japanese.

[bartimus283]

@2bn442RCT one dont call the Japanese Tojo, thats racist dude. and two the americans commited as many war crimes on japanese as the japanese did on the americans.

[gonojaja]

Of the three principal war criminals of WWII, Hilter committed suicide when the Russians entered Berlin. Mussolini was arrested and shot dead by Italian people in 1945. Only Hirohito of Japan, supported by the Allies and Americans, continued to be the Emperor of Japan until he died in 1989.

He is now locked up in hell with his pals, Hitler and Mussolini and playing bridge game.

[jukio02]

@statusmaximus ya, but it was crucial that he was no tried and hanged, if america wanted japan to follow order.