Japan’s participation in WW2 was also largely influenced by the leaders of the time. Although Emperor Hirohito (Emperor of Japan from 1926-1989) played an influential role in the Japanese presence in WWII, most of the support for the war came from the various prime ministers in power throughout the war. Prime Minister Hideki Tojo strongly supported the Tripartite Pact in 1940 which was a pact that established the Axis powers as a military alliance (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan). Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonai implemented the suicide units against the Allied forces. These two proceed a long line of Prime Ministers with military backgrounds: Kuniako Koiso (senior Army General), Kantaro Suzuki (Admiral), and Kotohito Kanin (Chief of Staff of the Army) to name a few.
This line of leadership was due to a militaristic attitude of Japanese politicians related in part to Japan's past conflicts with China, including the first and later the second Sino-Japanese War. This made the Japanese military a vicious force that posed a serious threat in the sea and the air throughout the war.
This line of leadership was due to a militaristic attitude of Japanese politicians related in part to Japan's past conflicts with China, including the first and later the second Sino-Japanese War. This made the Japanese military a vicious force that posed a serious threat in the sea and the air throughout the war.