Keisuke Okada

Keisuke Okada 岡田 啓介
Prime Minister of Japan
In office 29 February 1936 – 9 March 1936
Monarch	Shōwa
Preceded by	Fumio Gotō (Acting)
Succeeded by	Kōki Hirota
In office 8 July 1934 – 26 February 1936
Monarch	Shōwa
Preceded by	Makoto Saitō
Succeeded by	Fumio Gotō (Acting)
Personal details
Born	(1868-01-20)20 January 1868 Fukui, Japan
Died	7 October 1952(1952-10-07) (aged 84)
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
Profession	Admiral
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Keisuke Okada (岡田 啓介, Okada Keisuke, 20 January 1868 – 7 October 1952) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from 8 July 1934 to 9 March 1936.

Biography

Early life

Okada was born in what is now Fukui Prefecture to an ex-samurai family. He attended the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 7th out of a class of 80 cadets in 1889. He served as a midshipman on the ironclad warship Kongō and the cruiser Naniwa. He later served as lieutenant on the Itsukushima and Takachiho as well as the corvette Hiei.

In the First Sino-Japanese War, Okada was serving on the Fuji. After his graduation from the Naval Staff College, he subsequently served on the Shikishima and as executive officer on the Yaeyama.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Okada served as executive officer on a successor of vessels, including the Chitose, Kasuga and Asahi before being given his own command, the Kasuga on 25 July 1910. He later transferred to the Kashima in 1912.

Promoted to rear admiral in 1 December 1913, Okada served in a number of desk jobs thereafter, including that of the Naval Shipbuilding Command. He was promoted to vice admiral on 1 December 1917 and full admiral on 11 June 1924.

Okada assumed the post of Commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet in 1924. In 1927, he became Navy Minister in the administration of Tanaka Giichi, but resigned in 1929 to assume the post of military councillor on the Supreme War Council.

Okada was one of the few supporters (Treaty Faction) within the upper ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy of the arms reduction treaty resulting London Naval Conference of 1930, of which he helped negotiate, and he worked hard for its ratification. He again served as Navy Minister in the Saitō Makoto cabinet of 1932.

Okada (left) and Denzō Matsuo

Political career

In July 1934, Okada was named Prime Minister of Japan holding simulateously the portfolio of Minister of Colonial Affairs. In the month of September 1935, he also briefly held the portfolio of Minister of Communications. Okada was one of the democratic and moderate voices against the increasing strength of the militarists, and was therefore a major target for extremist forces pushing for a more totalitarian Japan. He narrowly escaped assassination in the February 26 Incident of 1936, largely because rebel troops killed his brother-in-law by mistake, as well as his personal secretary, Colonel Denzō Matsuo. Okada emerged from hiding on 29 February 1936. However, he left office a few days later.

Okada was adamant in his opposition to the war with the United States. During World War II, Okada formed a group of like-minded politicians and military officers seeking an early end to the hostilities. After the defeat of Japanese forces at the Battle of Midway and Battle of Guadalcanal, Okada pushed for negotiations with the Allies, and played a leading role in the overthrow of the Hideki Tōjō cabinet in 1944.

Okada died in 1952, and his grave is at the Tama Reien Cemetery, in Fuchū, Tokyo.

Honors

• Order of the Golden Kite, (3rd class), 1915
• Order of the Rising Sun, (1st class), 1920
• Order of the Paulownia Flowers, 1933

References

• Bix, Herbert B. (2001). Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan. Harper Perennial. 10-ISBN 0-06-019314-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-06-019314-0; OCLC 247018161
• Brendon, Piers (2002). The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s. Vintage; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-375-70808-1.
• Gordon, Andrew (2003). A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511061-7.
• Jansen, Marius B (2002). The Making of Modern Japan. Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0674003349/13-ISBN 9780674003347; OCLC 44090600

External links

• Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN: Okada, Keisuke". Imperial Japanese Navy. Retrieved 2007-08-03.

See also

• Okada Cabinet